Licence holder performance

Performance monitoring principles

The performance monitoring principles adopted by ARPANSA are enshrined in the ARPANSA Regulatory Activities Policy issued by the CEO and are documented in detail in the ARPANSA Inspection and ARPANSA Compliance manuals. The policy recognises that compliance monitoring and enforcement activities are risk-based, adopt international best practice, and take a graded approach depending on the inherent hazard of the facility or source being inspected.

As a result some licence holders will receive more regulatory oversight (inspections) than others and the performance information should not be taken as a direct comparison between licence holders but rather a reflection of individual performance.

The information below highlights good practices, inspection results, improvement notices issued by regulatory officers and findings of breach by the CEO of ARPANSA. Reporting this information aims to promote safety and security and to provide an opportunity for licence holders to learn from the experience of others. Further, reporting ARPANSA's compliance monitoring and enforcement activities in a transparent manner will assist the public's understanding of our regulatory activities.

Please note that matters with security implications are not published until the matter is resolved to ensure that any security vulnerabilities are not exposed. Nevertheless, security matters are important learning opportunities for all licence holders and are published in the spirit of promoting continuous improvement.

ARPANSA aims to ensure that all information on this website is current.

Understanding the outcomes

Result

Good practice – When a licence holder is identified as having implemented a program, system or process that demonstrates ‘going above and beyond’ the baseline requirements for safety and security. Such practices are shared below for other licence holders to consider.

Compliant – When a licence holder has been found to comply with the Act, Regulations and licence conditions during an inspection.

Breach – A breach is a finding by the CEO of ARPANSA relating to an identified non-compliance. Such a finding will only be made after considering all the facts and giving the licence holder the opportunity to respond to the alleged non-compliance.

Sections 59 and 60 of the Act require the CEO to report details of any breach of licence conditions by a licence holder to Parliament through the Minister.

Improvement notice – An improvement notice is a tool used to require the licence holder to do something, or stop doing something, to manage risk to people and/or the environment. An inspector may issue an improvement notice where a potential or actual non-compliance has been identified.

Method of detection

Self-reported – The matter was reported by the licence holder. ARPANSA encourages licence holders to be open and transparent. Reporting non-compliance whenever it is identified is considered an indicator of good safety culture.
Inspection – The matter was identified during a compliance inspection.
Review – The matter was identified from an event, observation or incident investigation.

Implications for safety

Administrative – The matter was of an administrative nature without significant implications for safety or security.
Not significant – The matter was assessed to not have significant nuclear or radiation safety or security implications.
Significant – The matter was assessed to have significant nuclear or radiation safety or security implications.

ASC Pty Ltd

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Compliant	S0190	Inspection	N/A	18/07/22	N/A

Austrade

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Breach	S0203	Review	Administrative	19/04/2022	27/04/2022

Australian National University

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Compliant	S0027	Inspection	N/A	1-2/12/2022	N/A
Compliant	S0027	Inspection	N/A	27-28/04/2023	N/A
Compliant	S0027	Inspection	N/A	11-12/05/2023	N/A
Compliant	F0073, F0074, F0075	Inspection	N/A	3 May 2023	N/A
Compliant	S0027	Inspection	N/A	25-26 May 2023	N/A
Compliant	S0027	Inspection	N/A	27-28 March 2024	N/A
Compliant	S0027	Inspection	N/A	15 August 2024	N/A

Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Breach	F0262	Inspection	Significant	03/07/2023	Open
Breach	F0316	Review	Significant	19/09/2023	Open
Breach	F0309	Self-reported	Significant	17/09/2019	02/12/2022
Breach	S0045	Inspection (withheld from publication)	Not significant	21/02/2021	Open
Breach	F0251	Review	Significant	12/02/2021	1/05/2021
Breach	S0045	Self-reported	Not significant	18/02/2021	18/02/2021
Compliant	F0211	Inspection	N/A	5/03/2021	N/A
Improvement notice	S0045	Review	Significant	26/03/2021	29/10/2021
Breach	F0157, F0245, F0251 and F0260	Review	Not significant	19/04/2021	Closed - 30/07/2021
Breach	F0244	Inspection	Not significant	17/05/2021	28/10/2021
Good practice1	S0045	Inspection	N/A	28/05/2021	N/A
Breach	F0262	Inspection	Significant	17/06/2021	Closed
Compliant	F0260	Inspection	N/A	8/07/2021	N/A
Breach	F0243	Inspection	Not significant	26/08/2021	26/08/2021
Compliant	F0262	Inspection	N/A	3/08/2021	N/A
Compliant	F0309	Inspection	N/A	30/09/2021	N/A
Compliant	F0157	Inspection	N/A	17-18/11/2021	N/A
Breach	F0271	Inspection	Not significant	08/12/2021	Closed
Breach	F0260	Self-Reported	Not significant	11/04/2022	30/05/2022
Compliant	F0262	Inspection	Not significant	31/03/2022	N/A
Compliant	F0247	Inspection	Not significant	28/02/2022	N/A
Good practice	F0248	Inspection	N/A	28/02/2022	N/A
Compliant	F0309	Inspection	N/A	14/06/2022	N/A
Breach	F0260	Self-Reported	Not significant	07/07/2022	07/07/2022
Compliant	F0244	Inspection	N/A	13/07/2022	N/A
Compliant	F0157	Inspection	N/A	15-16/09/2022	N/A
Breach	F0260	Self-reported	Not significant	20/10/2022	21/10/2022
Compliant	F0245	Inspection	N/A	24-25/11/2022	N/A
Compliant	F0316 and F0290	Inspection	N/A	15-16/02/2023 and 14/03/2023	N/A
Breach	F0316	Self-reported	Significant	24/04/2023	Open
Improvement notice	F0243	Inspection	Significant	23/06/2021	08/12/2023
Compliant	F0309	Inspection	N/A	14/11/2023	N/A
Potential Non-Compliant	S0045	Inspection	N/A	7-8/2/2024	N/A
Compliant	F0260	Inspection	N/A	13/03/2024	N/A
Compliant	F0293	Inspection	N/A	13/03/2024	N/A
Breach	F0262	Self-reported	Significant	26/07/2024	26/07/2024
Breach	F0309	Self-reported	Not Significant	02/08/2024	Closed 02/08/2024
Breach	F0247	Self-reported	Not Significant	02/10/2024	Closed 02/10/2024

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Breach	F0046	Self-reported	Significant	19/11/2021	Open
Compliant	S0002	Inspection	N/A	24/05/2022	N/A
Compliant	S0003	Inspection	N/A	2-3/05/2023	N/A
Compliant	F0046	Inspection	N/A	26-27/03/2024	N/A
Compliant	S0002	Inspection	N/A	21-22/05/2024	N/A

Australian Signals Directorate

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Good practice3	S0335	Inspection (withheld from publication)	N/A	30/04/2021	N/A

Australian War Memorial

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Compliant	S0080	Inspection	N/A	11/03/2021	N/A

Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Breach	S0005	Inspection	Not significant	06/07/2023	08/09/2023

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Good practice2	S0064	Inspection (report withheld)	Not significant	2/09/2021	16/12/2021
Compliant	S0064	Inspection	N/A	3/11/22	N/A
Compliant	S0216, S0019 and S0021	Inspection	N/A	16/03/23	N/A
Compliant	S0216	Inspection	N/A	22/03/2023	N/A
Compliant	S0023	Inspection	N/A	20-21/06/2023	N/A
Compliant	S0064	Inspection	N/A	20-21/06/2023	N/A
Compliant	S0021	Inspection	N/A	20-21/6/2023	N/A
Compliant	S0009	Inspection	N/A	20-21/6/2023	N/A
Compliant	S0021	Inspection	N/A	13/3/2024	N/A
Compliant	S0023	Inspection	N/A	14/03/2024	N/A
Compliant	S0064	Inspection	N/A	18/06/2024-20/06/2024	N/A

CSIRO Business and Infrastructure Services

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Compliant	S0013	Inspection	N/A	21/07/2022	N/A

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (formally know as the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment)

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Compliant	S0120	Inspection	N/A	24/06/2021	N/A
Compliant	S0055	Inspection	N/A	28/10/2021 - 22/2/2022	N/A
Compliant	S0008	Inspection	N/A	07/06/2023	N/A
Compliant	S0055	Inspection	N/A	06/06/2023	N/A
Non-Compliant	S0015	Inspection	N/A	16/07/2024	N/A
Compliant	S0340	Inspection	N/A	17/07/2024	N/A
Compliant	F0093	Inspection	N/A	18/07/2024	N/A

Department of Defence/Australian Defence Force

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Compliant	S0042	Inspection	N/A	30-31 July 2024	N/A
Compliant	S0042	Inspection	N/A	2-3 July 2024	N/A
Compliant	S0042	Inspection	N/A	11/04/2024	N/A
Compliant	F0213	Inspection	N/A	20/07/22 - 21/07/22	N/A
Compliant	F0252	Inspection	N/A	19/07/22	N/A
Compliant	S0042	Inspection (report withheld)	N/A	08/06/2021	N/A
Compliant	S0042	Inspection	N/A	09/06/2021	N/A
Compliant	F0113	Inspection	N/A	2-3/2/2022	N/A

Department of Home Affairs

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Compliant	S0092	Inspection	N/A	24/06/2021	N/A
Compliant	S0092	Inspection	N/A	15/07/2021	N/A
Compliant	S0092	Inspection	N/A	3/09/2021	N/A
Breach	S0135	Self-reported	Not significant	6/10/2021	6/10/2021
Compliant	F0136	Inspection	N/A	15/12/2021	N/A
Compliant	F0155	Inspection	N/A	9/2/2022	N/A
Compliant	F0125	Inspection	N/A	30/3/2022	N/A
Compliant	F0131	Inspection	N/A	24/5/2022	N/A
Compliant	S0188	Inspection	N/A	5/12/2023	N/A

Director of National Parks

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Breach	F0093	Inspection	Not significant	20/05/2021	30/06/2021
Breach	F0093	Inspection	Not significant	20/05/2021	30/06/2021

Geoscience Australia

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Compliant	S0014	Inspection	N/A	4/12/2023	N/A

National Gallery of Australia

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Compliant	S0024	Inspection	N/A	11/03/2021	N/A
Compliant	S0024	Inspection	N/A	19/06/2023	N/A
Compliant	S0024	Inspection	N/A	23/08/2024	N/A

Norfolk Island Health and Residential Aged Care Service (NIHRACS)

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Breach	S0324	Inspection	Not significant	25/06/2021	15/10/2021
Breach	S0324	Inspection	Not significant	25/06/2021	15/10/2021

Note Printing Australia

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Compliant	S0033	Inspection	N/A	6 June 2024	N/A

Silex Systems

Outcome	Licence number	Method of detection	Implications for safety or security	Date identified/determined	Date resolved
Compliant	S0090	Inspection	N/A	17/12/2022	N/A

List of good practices

1	The use of external video cameras capable of providing safe observation from outside the laboratory when forensic examination of radiological materials takes place thereby limiting the risk of exposure.
2	An electronic radiation source inspection checklist used to assess the compliance of controlled apparatus with both the licence holder’s internal requirements and relevant codes and standards.
3	The use of computer aided modelling of the floor plan or layout of the indoor area in which industrial radiography is to be conducted for the purpose of identifying areas of potential exposure and establishing safety boundaries.