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- Foreword
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Summary of UK policies on radiological and civil nuclear safety
- 3. The UK’s approach to regulation
- 4. The justification regime
- 5. Occupational exposures
- 6. Civil nuclear safety
- 7. Medical and non-medical exposures
- 8. Public exposures and protection of the environment
Following the discovery of ionising radiation[footnote 1], and its uses for industrial, research and medical purposes, the United Kingdom (UK) has had a long history of utilising its benefits and protecting against its potential harms. The UK was one of the first countries to develop a legislative framework for radiological safety[footnote 2], in the form of the Radioactive Substances Act 1948 which enabled arrangements to be put in place to control the use of radioactive substances and irradiation apparatus in medicine, industry and research and the transport of such substances and apparatus.
As a pioneer of nuclear technology, the UK opened the world’s first commercial nuclear power station at Calder Hall in 1956. The aftermath of a fire in 1957 in Pile 1 on what is now the Sellafield site led to the development of the UK’s first nuclear regulator, the Inspectorate of Nuclear Installations in the then Ministry of Power. Since the 1950s regulation has evolved, incorporating best practice domestically and internationally, and the UK now has a comprehensive regulatory framework for radiological and civil nuclear safety.
Our regulatory framework for radiological and civil nuclear safety comprises regulatory bodies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (NI) and can be broken down into the following broad areas:
•occupational exposures
•civil nuclear safety
•public exposures and environmental protection
This document sets out the UK’s legislative and regulatory approach for radiological and civil nuclear safety.[footnote 11] It is intended to provide a guide to the UK’s comprehensive safety framework in one place.
It should be noted that the regulatory regimes for some areas in the document overlap. For example, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA74) applies to occupational exposures wherever they occur and includes occupational exposures that are linked to medical and environmental exposures as well as occupational exposures at nuclear sites. Further information on these areas is set out in chapters 6, 7 and 8.
Introduction
The UK has a well-established radiological and civil nuclear safety regime which demonstrates a long-term commitment to safety as a top priority. Its fundamental objective is to ensure an efficient and effective safety framework which protects the public and the environment from the harmful risks of ionising radiation.[footnote 1] The UK is committed to this objective, thereby avoiding undue burden on future generations whilst allowing the safe use of ionising radiation, the safe operation of the nuclear industry and managing the legacy of this work in accordance with the graded approach. Nuclear power also contributes to the government’s leadership on sustainable development and the UK’s 2050 net zero target. Set out below are the key elements of the UK’s policy for radiological and nuclear safety:
Adherence to IAEA Fundamental Safety Principles
UK policy is consistent with the IAEA’s Fundamental Safety Objective and Fundamental Safety Principles. These set out the basis for requirements and measures for the protection of people and the environment against radiation risks and for the safety of facilities and activities that give rise to those risks. Further details on how the UK implements the Fundamental Safety Principles is set out in Annex A.
Signatory to international conventions
The UK is a signatory to a number of international conventions that place legally binding obligations on contracting parties to effectively manage their domestic safety regimes and some require peer review to maintain international accountability. The UK was an early sponsor[footnote 14] and signatory of the relevant international legal instruments relating to nuclear and radiological safety including: The Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) The Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident The Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (JoC) These conventions provide an effective and credible legal framework agreed by the international community, which the UK values and has played a key part in formulating. The UK plays an active role in the CNS[footnote 15] and JoC[footnote 16] regular review meetings to support and facilitate enhancement of the international safety regime and works closely with other IAEA member states to ensure we learn from experiences and take advantage of good international practices.
Every day in the UK, radioactive materials are used in a diverse range of processes including in energy generation, industrial, medical and research applications. These range from nuclear power plants to radiological techniques in, for example, cancer treatment and dentistry. Our key aim is to ensure that the necessary measures are in place to ensure the safety of the public, and the protection of patients, those that work with radiation on a day-to-day basis, third parties affected by work carried out and the environment.
From the time that the UK started working with ionising radiation in an industrial and medical setting to the development of the first commercial power reactor in 1956, it has continued to develop and enhance its comprehensive legislative, regulatory and policy framework. This provides for the proportionate regulation of facilities and activities involving ionising radiation. The UK’s framework applies to 30 GB licensed civil nuclear sites[footnote 21] as set out in Annex C.[footnote 22] It also applies to thousands of employers working with ionising radiation, handling radioactive waste and the transport of radioactive material across the UK.
As set out in chapter 3, the IAEA Safety Fundamentals state that “Facilities and activities that give rise to radiation risks must yield an overall benefit.” i.e. the justification principle. The JoPIIRR regulations, which apply across the UK, provide the regulatory framework for enabling the determination of whether an existing or proposed practice involving ionising radiation is justified. This takes into account the expected individual and societal benefits and the potential risks, including potential detriment to health. Only practices that are justified may be authorised by the regulatory bodies, such as the environmental regulators.
There are three ways in which activities that are the subject of these Regulations can be considered ‘existing’. These are listed in Annex 2 of the JoPIIRR guidance:
•If there is evidence to show that they were in existence prior to 13 May 2000 (the transposition deadline for the 1996 Basic Safety Standards Directive);
•Where a new class or type of practice is the subject of a positive justification decision, it becomes an existing class or type thereafter;
•For certain classes or types of practice that were only brought within the scope of JoPIIRR 2004 by the 2018 change to the definition of “practice”, the relevant date for distinguishing between new and existing classes or types of practice is 6 February 2018.
Anyone seeking to undertake a new type of practice must make an application for a justification decision. The Justifying Authority (the relevant Secretary of State (SoS), the Scottish ministers, NI ministers, or Welsh ministers as appropriate) will then make a decision regarding whether it is a justified practice.
Ionising radiation is used throughout the UK in a diverse range of occupations including: industrial; medical and dental; veterinary; mining, drilling and quarrying; research; and non-destructive testing, as well as at licensed nuclear sites. These activities bring real benefits to people living and working in the UK, but it is vital that we have t...
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (the ONR) regulates nuclear safety at 30 licensed civil nuclear sites[footnote 36] in the UK, including the existing fleet of operating reactors and decommissioning power stations.[footnote 37] The UK currently has eight operating nuclear power stations, which consist of 14 Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGR) and one Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) contributing around 17% of the UK’s electricity generated in 2019. Alongside these nuclear sites, the UK has fuel cycle facilities and waste management and decommissioning sites.
While this chapter relates to civil nuclear sites, it should be noted that other areas of this document are also relevant to nuclear safety. For example, as set out in chapter 5 on occupational exposures, HSWA74 and IRR17 apply to nuclear sites, in addition to specific legislation governing nuclear safety at nuclear installations in England, Scotland and Wales.[footnote 38] Further information on the role of the environmental regulators on nuclear sites is available in chapter 8 (public exposures and protection of the environment).
Every day in the UK ionising radiation is used for the diagnosis and treatment of disease as well as for screening and research involving patients and individuals. This includes X-rays, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine. It is widely used in hospitals, dental surgeries, clinics and in research facilities such as universities and sports science institutes.
The UK’s regulatory framework also takes into account what are termed as non-medical exposures using medical radiological equipment. Exposures are undertaken using medical radiological equipment which do not confer a health benefit to the individual exposed, such as health assessments for employment purposes and identification of concealed objects within the body.
Radioactive substances exist naturally in the environment and people can be exposed to this low-level radioactivity in their homes, through food and drinking water and from the atmosphere.
As set out in this document, radioactive substances are widely used by hospitals, universities and industry as well as in the nuclear power and defence industries. These activities may release radioactivity into the environment and to ensure that people and the environment are protected from the harmful effects of radioactive substances, activities involving radioactive substances are regulated.
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