An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission will visit ARPANSA during 5–16 November 2018. 

The mission will involve a peer review of ARPANSA by international experts who will benchmark Australia’s regulatory framework and its effectiveness against IAEA Safety Standards. 

The review will cover a wide range of areas such as regulation of waste facilities, transport of radioactive materials, occupational radiation protection, nuclear safety, medical radiation and others.

All Australian state and territory radiation protection regulators will also participate, making the Australian IRRS the largest multi-jurisdictional mission ever undertaken.

ARPANSA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Carl-Magnus Larsson said, ‘By inviting the IAEA to conduct this mission, it will give us an opportunity to see what we do well, and understand opportunities for improvement. This will ensure Australia remains at the forefront of international best practice in this complex area of regulation.’

Recommendations from the IRRS will be put forward to ARPANSA after the review is completed on 16 November, and some highlights will be available to share after this time. 

The final report will be published on ARPANSA’s website in early 2019.

Watch this space for updates on the IRRS opening, and other highlights to come.

For more information, visit our IRRS page.

ARPANSA is currently seeking to appoint three part-time members of the Radiation Health Committee (RHC) and nine part-time members of the Nuclear Safety Committee (NSC).  Appointments are for the triennium (2018-2020) pursuant to subsection 24(2) of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (the Act) and section 25 of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Regulations 1999.

Learn more about the functions of the committees, the selection criteria for appointment and how to nominate via the following links:

• Radiation Health Committee
• Nuclear Safety Committee

Nominations close Thursday 31 August 2017.

On 5 October 2018, following a direction from ARPANSA’s CEO Dr Carl-Magnus Larsson, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) provided ARPANSA with a report produced by an independent expert review team outlining 85 recommendations to improve ANSTO’s occupational radiation safety processes and operational procedures.

Dr Larsson issued the direction to initiate an independent review on 29 June 2018 under section 41(1A) of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (the Act) following four separate events with safety implications at ANSTO Health in less than 10 months. 

The first and most significant event was a skin contamination of a worker on 22 August 2017 that exceeded statutory dose limits. After this event, Dr Larsson found ANSTO in breach of the Act for being non-compliant with its licence conditions and tabled a report in Parliament under section 61(1) of the Act.

In accordance with the direction, ANSTO engaged an independent expert review team that was approved by ARPANSA. The team was drawn from a cohort of international and national experts in the fields of nuclear safety, safety and organisational culture, radiation protection and human factors. The team reviewed ANSTO’s approach to occupational radiation safety of processes and operational procedures at its nuclear medicine facility, in particular those associated with quality control of molybdenum-99 samples. 

ARPANSA has granted ANSTO with a 60 day extension to provide a full and complete response to the 85 recommendations, including a comprehensive action plan responding to the recommendations, for ARPANSA’s approval. 

In the meantime ARPANSA continues to monitor the safety of nuclear medicine production at ANSTO and is carefully reviewing the report in anticipation of ANSTO’s detailed response. 

More information:

• Independent Safety Review of the ANSTO Health Approach to Occupational Radiation Safety and Operational Procedures
• Direction to Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) on 29 June 2018
• Report to Parliament - Radiation exposure of a worker at ANSTO Health, Lucas Heights on 22 August 2017

Our 2017–18 Annual Report was tabled in parliament on Wednesday 17 October 2018.

The Annual Report informs parliament, stakeholders and the public how we have enabled protection of the Australian people and environment from the harmful effects of radiation during the last financial year.

2017–18 was a big year for ARPANSA and we were committed to delivering large-scale, key organisational priorities. Of note was:

• planning and preparing for the installation of a new linear accelerator
• our commitment to good regulation and transparency by completing a self-assessment against international standards. This was in preparation for a scheduled visit by an Integrated Regulatory Review Service mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency later in 2018, which will review Australia’s regulatory framework against international best-practice.
• issuing a licence to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to operate the new ANSTO Nuclear Medicine Facility in Lucas Heights
• facilitating ongoing engagement with relevant parties to the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF)
• leading the Australian delegation to the 6th Review Meeting under the terms of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. Our report went through a process of international peer-review and received positive feedback, including receiving recognition in four areas of ‘good performance’
• expanding our centralised repository for the radiation dose records of workers into the medical sector. This is a key step forward towards national uniformity of radiation protection practices.

These activities strengthen our position as the government’s primary authority on radiation protection and nuclear safety, and enable continued cooperation and growth between our stakeholders, service providers and the community. 

Alongside our strategic projects are the operational services we provide on a daily basis. 

During 2017–18, ARPANSA:

• tested over 2000 sun protective materials
• conducted 110 audits through its Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service (ACDS)
• achieved 696 radiofrequency calibration test reports
• performed over 2700 diagnostic reference level surveys, an increase of almost 80 per cent
• processed nearly 150 000 dosimeters that measure occupational radiation exposures
• conducted 41 regulatory inspections
• developed a cost recovery model for regulatory licence charges.

Read the full ARPANSA 2017–18 Annual Report.
 

On 19 September 2018, at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, ARPANSA’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Gillian Hirth, alongside the Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Dutch Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS), Marco Brugmans, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). Through the MoU, ARPANSA and ANVS committed to cooperation and the sharing of research, with a particular focus on the exchange of information relating to research reactors.

ARPANSA can provide insights and share experiences with ANVS on regulating research reactors as the Dutch Government is in process of a new research reactor at Petten, in the country’s north-west. ARPANSA’s experience in licensing and regulating a modern research reactor, the Open Pool Australian Lightwater (OPAL) reactor will be valuable to ANVS as it embarks on the licensing process for the new Petten reactor.

This agreement reinforces ARPANSA’s reputation as a leading regulator with specialist knowledge sought by international partners, and will foster further improvements on mutual technical and regulatory research and developments.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates on Australian and international changes and developments in the fields of nuclear and radiation.

ARPANSA is mandated to ensure the safe use of radiation in Australia. To do this and to make sure our medical radiation services stay at the forefront of international best practice, we are future-proofing the nation   by installing a new medical linear accelerator (linac).

ARPANSA will procure this new state-of-the-art piece of equipment to help create optimal results for cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy in Australia. The new linac will replace our old one and be housed in a newly constructed bunker.

Each year, over 60,000 Australians undergo radiation therapy as part of their cancer treatment. Linacs are the medical devices used to deliver this therapy in highly-targeted dosages. Independent checking of the calibration of linacs (or dosimetry auditing) is an important aspect of ensuring both accurate and safe radiation treatment. 

The new linac will ensure each radiotherapy patient across Australia receives the optimal dose needed to treat their cancer. This means the Australian public can rest assured that radiation oncology in Australia continues to be of a high quality.

Our new linac is being installed in a brand new education suite enabling ARPANSA to complement its world-class research capability with a modern education centre. The project is due to be completed by the end of the year. Read more about our current linac here or follow us on Facebook for our new linac construction updates.

On 29 June 2018, the CEO of ARPANSA, Dr Carl-Magnus Larsson, issued the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) with a direction under section 41(1A) of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (the Act), which was tabled in Parliament on Friday 24 August.

The direction requires ANSTO to take immediate steps to initiate an independent review of its approach to occupational radiation safety of processes and operational procedures at its nuclear medicine facility, ANSTO Health (Lucas Heights, NSW), in particular those associated with quality control of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) samples.

Dr Larsson decided to issue the direction following four separate events with safety implications at ANSTO Health in less than 10 months. The first and most significant event was the contamination event of a staff member’s hands on 22 August 2017. After that event, the CEO of ARPANSA found ANSTO to be non-compliant with licence conditions and, due to its severity, tabled a report in Parliament under section 61(1) of the Act. Three further events including the latest event on 7 June 2018 indicate ongoing safety issues at ANSTO Health.

In line with the direction, ARPANSA today approved ANSTO’s appointment of an external review team to undertake the review at ANSTO. This review will provide recommendations to improve safety practices, along with a plan and associated timelines to implement any actions.

See our Significant regulatory activities page for the tabled direction and other updates.

*This article was originally published on Thursday 19 July 2018 and updated on Thursday 6 September 2018.

26 July 2018

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is establishing a network of radiation detectors to monitor Australian ports to assist in the national preparedness for a visiting nuclear-powered warship accident. Australian ports regularly receive visits from the naval vessels of friendly nations, some of which are nuclear-powered. These visits are often the most visible aspect of the defence cooperation between Australia and other countries in peacetime.

In the unlikely event of an accident, Australia has adopted arrangements which require radiation monitoring of the nuclear-powered vessel while it is berthed at port. This monitoring program has two components: environmental monitoring to detect the release of any radioactive material to the environment; and direct radiation monitoring of the vicinity of the nuclear-powered vessel to provide warning of any malfunction which may result in a release of radioactivity.

ARPANSA is establishing the Australian Radiation Monitoring System (ARMS) to monitor the environment when Australian ports receive a visiting nuclear-powered vessel. The automated system will be an early warning system in the event of a radiological release from a visiting vessel and will be able to provide valuable data before, during and after a nuclear accident.

While initially setting up stations in Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland, we will also set up a monitoring station at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s Lucas Heights facilities. ARPANSA intends to complete installation of the detectors before the end of 2018.

More information about planning for visits from nuclear-powered warships is available on our website. Find out more about the monitoring results for nuclear-powered warship visits, and how this monitoring is conducted.

Telecommunications equipment such as mobile phones, Wi-Fi, TV and radio transmitters all produce radiofrequency (RF) fields. Other sources of RF fields include microwave ovens, radar, industrial sources, and various medical applications. The amount of RF found in the everyday environment from common sources is low and not known to produce any health effects. For high exposures ARPANSA published a Standard in 2002 to protect the public and workers from the established effects of RF. The ARPANSA RF Standard is closely aligned with international guidelines prepared by the International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) in 1998 and endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Since 2000, research in the area of RF and health has grown rapidly and ICNIRP the last few years has been revising its RF guidelines. ICNIRP has released a draft revised guidelines document and is seeking feedback via a public consultation process.

ARPANSA is also revising its RF Standard and will consider the ICNIRP guidelines in the revision process. In the meantime the current 2002 Standard provides adequate protection and any new changes will be small.

More information about radiofrequency radiation can be found on our website.

If you would like to know more about sources of RF fields find our factsheets below:

• Mobile phones and health
• How to reduce exposure from mobile phones and other wireless devices
• Mobile phone base stations and health
• Wi-fi and health

Aircrew are exposed to elevated levels of cosmic radiation while flying at high altitudes. A recent study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the United States found that the prevalence of certain cancers in flight attendants was higher than the general population.

While the radiation doses to aircrew are below the national dose limits for occupationally exposed workers, this recent study found a higher prevalence of breast cancer, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer compared with the general population. Researchers gathered data on cancer prevalence in 5366 flight attendants and 2729 members of the general public, matched by similar socio-economic status.

While the study was reported in the media, we found that there are a number of considerations that should be taken into account when looking at these results. The study:

• measured cancer at a certain point in time.
  The study looked at a comparison of cancer prevalence in flight attendants when compared with cancer prevalence in the general public. As an indicator of the likelihood of developing cancer as a result of working as a flight attendant, cancer prevalence is limited in that it only measures the occurrence of disease at a certain point of time. Although this can serve as an indication of the disease, the evidence supporting the association is weakened by a limited understanding of how the disease rates changed over time. A better indication of the risk factors would have been achieved by measuring the incidence of cancers examined where cases would have been recorded over time.
• estimated radiation dose.
  The study did not measure the exposure of the flight attendants to cosmic radiation, and estimated the doses to flight attendants based on how long each person had been working as a flight attendant.

Possible risk factors

The authors identified a number of known and probable carcinogens that flight attendants would be exposed including: ionising radiation, circadian rhythm disruptions from night shift work, irregular schedules and crossing time zones, and poor cabin air quality such as second hand tobacco smoke from before the implementation of smoking bans. The authors also identified (but did not adjust for) confounders such as recreational ultraviolet radiation exposure, including outdoor activities such as hiking or going to the beach.

The results of the study were consistent with similar studies, but given its limitations further studies with improved methods are required.

What is ARPANSA doing about cosmic radiation exposure to aircrew?

We are involved in a study lead by QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute investigating the incidence of melanoma in commercial pilots in Australia. The first results of this study will be announced at the Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine Conference in August 2018.

In 2017 we also published a Guide for Radiation Protection in Existing Exposure Situations (RPS G-2) which gives guidance to aircrew on exposure to cosmic radiation while flying. The advice is that while the radiation doses to aircrew are expected to be low, we recommended airlines assess the exposure situations of their crew, with additional consideration to be made for pregnant aircrew.

Find out more about exposure to cosmic radiation while flying. Our advice for casual flyers and aircrew is that there is no increase in health risk from exposure to naturally occurring cosmic radiation while flying. While this advice remains current and accurate, we are reviewing this factsheet and will include advice to aircrew about ultraviolet radiation exposure.

For more information contact our media line: 0429 264 693, media@arpansa.gov.au