Experiences of PNRI interaction with licensees in nuclear regulatory information conferences

The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) initiated various nuclear regulatory conferences with its licensees in the years 1995 and 1996. The purpose of these conferences was mainly to reach a common understanding of the provisions of the Code of PNRI Regulations (CPR) and foster openness between PNRI and licensees. Each conference was designed for a specific category of licensees, i.e., commercial, medical, industrial (nuclear gauges), industrial radiography, research and teaching. The regulatory group of PNRI discussed the applicable regulations to each category of licensees including experiences in implementation and enforcement. This was followed by licensees' feedback on experiences in dealing with the regulatory group and complying with applicable regulations. The outcome of these conferences brought out generic and specific issues and concerns. Majority of the general issues and concerns were directed towards PNRI. This brought to the realization that although safety is the primary responsibility of the licensee, PNRI as the only competent authority on radioactive material and radiation safety matters, carries the bigger share of preparing the licensees for this kind of responsibility. (author)