A Strategic Approach to Establishing and Strengthening National Infrastructure for Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety

In Lithuania, as in the other countries of the world, in various areas, such as medicine, industry, education and training, agriculture the different technologies with the radioactive substances or devices, which generate ionizing radiation, are used. The responsibilities of each party and concern is to ensure the safe use ensure the radiation protection of the population and the environment. For every IAEA Member State in order to ensure the radiation safety, it is necessary to create the States radiation safety infrastructure: legislation, Regulatory Authority, technical support organizations. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) develops safety standards and assists Member States to create radiation safety infrastructure according the IAEA safety standards requirements. Noting that many Member States would benefit from bringing their radiation safety infrastructure more in line with IAEA Safety Standards, the Secretariat organized a meeting in May of 2014 of senior radiation safety experts from Africa, Asia & the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America, with the aim of developing a model strategic approach to establishing and strengthening national radiation safety infrastructure, with a special focus on Member States receiving assistance from the Agency. This model approach was presented to a wider audience on the margins of the IAEA General Conference in September 2014, where it was well received. This paper describes how the key elements of the model strategic approach were applied in Lithuania. The outcome of which showed that there is an adequate radiation safety infrastructure in place covering more than 50 legal acts, the establishment and empowerment of a Regulatory Authority – Radiation Protection Centre, technical support organizations – metrology and dosimetry services, and training centres. In Lithuania there exists a State registry of sources of ionizing radiation and occupational doses of exposure, a strong system of the authorization and control of the activities with the different sources of ionizing radiation. An annual integrated assessment and prediction of the exposure of the population and the environment are carried out and the actions to prevent and to respond in the case of the radiation emergencies, such as from orphan sources are implemented. In Lithuania, as in the other countries, particular attention is given to medical exposure, radon and its decay products and other natural radionuclides. However, even though the radiation safety infrastructure in the country is adequate, the Radiation Protection Centre of Lithuania is taking advantage of using the national strategic approach to make further improvements in order to become a role model for others. (author)