Certification to the comply with safety and radiation protection requirements by the nuclear and radioactive installations belonging to CNEN

The certification process to which the nuclear and radioactive installations belonging to Brazilian National Nuclear Energy Commission, CNEN, are submitted allows to ensure that those installations comply with safety and radiation protection requirements established in the country, aiming at the protection of the workers, the environment and the public. The Normative Instruction IN-001/94, 'Certification of Compliance with Safety and Radiation Protection Requirements by the Nuclear and Radioactive Installations of CNEN', issued by CNEN, establishes guidelines for the certification process of compliance with the mentioned of safety and radiation protection requirements which are strict as the ones for the existing Nuclear Installations and Radioactive Installations in Brazil. The criteria for safety assessments of CNEN's installations is also similar to which is applied in other facilities, which are submitted to the licensing process or authorization by CNEN. The main difference is the issuance of Certificates by the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Directorate, DRS, of CNEN, after the accomplishment of established safety requirements, instead of several administrative acts issued by CNEN. The certification process for each installation either nuclear or radioactive involves the submission by the applicant to the Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Directorate of CNEN- DRS, for assessment and approval, safety analysis reports and operational procedures For the certification of the whole institution it has to be presented, by the applicant, for analysis, additional documents, such as: General Report of the Institution, Emergency Plan, Physical Protection Plan, Radiation Protection Plan and Environmental Monitoring Program. After assessment and approval of the whole documentation, it is issued by DRS, as applicable, the following documents: approval certificates for the facilities or institutions, license of operator of nuclear reactor and certificate of the qualification of radiation protection officers. (author)