Regulatory Authorities for Radiation Protection: A Comparison

Full text: Concerning the law, some countries have basic legislation compatible with the BSS (Basic Safety Standard). Some countries are in the process of adopting such laws. In some countries, more than one law concerning radiation protection has been introduced, while in a few countries, the existing laws will be modified or amended soon in order to improve the position of the Regulatory Authority. In some countries the regulatory control is independent but in some cases the Ministry of Health is still in this control. There are also cases where the Regulatory Authority is located in Ministry of Health but legal mechanisms exist to ensure effective independence of the Regulatory Authority. The number of staff of the Regulatory Authority also differs from one country to another. In some cases Regulatory Authorities are actively involved in supporting services, for instance individual monitoring, which can be carried out by outside authorised laboratories. Notification, authorisation, inspection and enforcement is effective in some countries while in other countries those are in developing process. Concerning occupational exposure control, some countries have fully implemented individual monitoring and the other are partially operational. Workplace monitoring still needs some improvement. (author)