Mid Term Review Meeting of National Focal Persons on Radiation Protection

June 7 - 11, 2004, Beijing, China

Country Presentation

A.S. PradhanBhabha Atomic Research Centre

Mumbai – 400 085, India

Organizational Chart Relevant to Radiation Protection Infrastructure in India

Prime Minister of India / Cabinet

Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)

Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

Nuclear Power Corporation

Nuclear Fuel Complex

Centre for Advanced Technology

Atomic Minerals Division

Uranium Corporation of India Limited

Present Composition of the Atomic Energy Commission of India

Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy Chairman

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister  Member

Cabinet Secretary Member

Finance Secretary and Secretary, Dept. of Economic Affairs, Min. of Finance Member

Ex officio Secretary to the Government Member for FinancePresident, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research MemberFormer Member Planning Commission & ex-Chairman AEC

Member

ISRO Disting. Prof., Chair. BRNS & Former Chairman AERB

Member

Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Member

Head Management Services Group, DAE Secretary

AERB Secretariat

Executive Committee

Safety Research Institute KALPAKKAM

Atomic Energy Regulatory

Board

Advisory Bodies

Standing Committees

Project Review Committees

Safety Review Committee for Operating Plants

Safety Review Committee for Applications of

Radiation

Operating Plants Safety Division

Industrial plants Safety Division

Civil & Structural Engineering Division

Information & Technical Services Division

Radiological Safety Division

Nuclear Projects Safety Division

Safety Analysis & Documentation Division

Accounts Division

Administrative Division

Organizational Chart of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

         Ensure compliance by DAE and non-DAE installations with the safety codes, guides and standards.

   Review operational experience in the light of the radiological and other safety criteria.   Review applications for authorization, commissioning and operation of DAE projects

and plants.   Prescribe acceptable limits of (a) radiation exposure to occupational workers and

members of the public and (b) environmental release of radioactive substances.   Carry out safety research and promote safety research and development efforts at

various academic and research institutions in India.   Prescribe syllabi for training of personnel in the safety aspects at all levels.   Maintain liaison with other regulatory bodies regarding safety matters.   Keep the public informed on major issues of radiological safety significance.  Review and investigate safety-related unusual occurrences in respect of radiation

generating equipment and radioactive materials in radiation and nuclear facilities.   Inspect all nuclear and radiation installations.   Prescribe standards for safe disposal of radioactive waste.   Maintain inventory of all radioactive material / radiation sources.   Prescribe Safety standards for the transport of radioactive material / radiation sources.   Safety promotional activities.   Issue of licenses to operating personnel in DAE facilities.   Monitor Emergency preparedness in all nuclear and radiological facilities.   Develop safety codes, guides and standards.

MAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE REGULATORY AUTHORITY

Health, Safety and Environment Group, HS&EG, BARC (Till 1983 Competent authority within BARC)Reactor Safety Division (RSD) - engineering R&D related to reactor design and safety, Radiological Physics and Advisory Division (RP&AD) - training in radiological physics and radiation safety in medical, industrial and research applications and individual monitoring services for external radiation exposures. Health Physics Division (HPD) - nuclear power plants (NPPs) and other fuel cycle facilities & human recourse development for operational health physics. Radiation Standards & Safety Division (RSSD) - research reactors and other nuclear facilities of BARC, radiation survey instruments, primary and secondary standards , emergency preparedness and accident prevention program and providing regulatory services for all the BARC facilities under the aegis of BSC. Environmental Assessment Division (EAD) - radioactivity measurements, radon surveys, radioactivity contents of samples, radionuclide fallout analysis, surveillance at the front end of nuclear fuel cycle and pollution monitoring and environmental monitoring studies Internal Dosimetry Division (IDD) -assessment of internal exposures due to intakes of radionuclides using direct and indirect methods, Mobile Radiological Laboratory for preparedness for off-site emergency .

Practices and Radiation Sources in India * Diagnostic X-ray machines - about 40000 * X-ray fluorescence machines - 120 * Teletherapy units (at 180 centers ) - 260 units * Brachytherapy HDR+LDR units - 70 * 60Co, 137Cs, 192Ir, 90Sr 60Co Brachytherapy sources - 1300 * Medical and industrial LINACs - 50* Research laboratories - 500* Industrial radiography exposure devices - 1100 * Gamma Irradiator Facilities - 7* Nucleonic Gauges including well logging sources - 7500 * Users of nucl. med. unsealed sources (including RIA) - 500 centers* Users of unsealed sources material with higher activities- 150 centers* Manufacturers of products containing radioactive material- 200 * Ur-Th mining and milling (at 3 centers ) - 8 units * Nuclear Fuel cycle facilities - 2 * Research Reactors - 4* Power Reactors in operation - 14 * Production of Radioisotopes units - 3

Individual monitoring for and assessment of intakes of radionuclides

Practice No. of workers•Fission/Activation products 3300/year(whole body/counting & Bioassay)•Actinides (Pu/Am,Y,Th) (Lung counting)

650/year•Radon Personal Dosimeters 300/year•Radon Breath Monitoring 450/year

CONTROL OF OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION EXPOSURES

• Individual monitoring for external radiation by using indigenously developed TLD system• No. of persons monitored – 45000 in

3000 institutions

• No. of Dosimeters / year - 4,60,000Type approval, QA tests mandatory, Accreditation of

laboratories since 1999• Workplace monitoring

•Assessment of exposure to sources of natural radiation

•Calibration of monitoring equipment for external radiation

•Central dose record keeping since 1952. For external and internal exposure

Occupational Exposure 

Category No. of Institutions

N0. of Workers

Annual Average

Dose (mSv)

No. of Workers

Exceeding 20 mSvin any y

Industry 555 5359 0.75 17

Medicine 2076 17259 0.55 37

Research 198 2490 0.14 -  

 

Nuclear Power Plant Workers Exposed to annual dose > 20 mSv and > 30 mSv

Year Total number

of workers

Those with annual dose exceeding

20 mSv 30 mSvNumber Percent Num

berPercent

1996 11090 98* 0.88 3 0.03

1997 10008 30 0.30 3 0.03

1998 10145 9 0.09 3 0.03

1999 10233 80* 0.80 5 0.05

2000 14276 12 0.08 1 0.01

*Cases due to planned exposures. Annual average dose in PHWR < 4 mSv

CONTROL OF MEDICAL EXPOSURES

 

Number of Institutions

Annual Average Dose (mSv)

Teletherapy 0.60

Nuclear Medicine

1.30

Diagnostic X-rays

0.45 

CONTROL OF PUBLIC EXPOSURE • Control of radioactive discharges• National waste management strategy and

Provisions for Radioactive Waste•Treatment of Radioactive Waste• Control of Discharges from the Management

of Radioactive Waste • Storage of Radioactive Waste • Disposal of Radioactive Waste • Decommissioning of Facilities• Environmental and food monitoring• Control of exposure to radon

TRANSPORT SAFETY •Safety Code based on IAEA Regulations prescribing the regulatory requirements for transport of radioactive materials.•All Type packages are subject to approval by AERB. •Type A packages are required to be registered with the Regulatory Authority •In respect of radioactive materials that are to be transported under special arrangement, permission is granted only on the basis of a safety analysis. •As a rule, special arrangement shipments are discouraged.

PLANNING RESPONSE TO RADIATION EMERGENCIES

Infrastructure for radiation emergency response 1. National Emergency Plan for Emergency Response National Crisis Management Committee (Apex

Body) Crisis Management Group

a) Nuclear Fuel Cycle Operation, Nuclear Power Plants and Research Reactors

• b) Industrial Gamma Irradiators c) Industrial Radiation Source d)   Radiotherapy sources 2. Multilateral Agreement through IAEA 3. Medical management of serious over-exposure

cases     at BARC Hospital Mumbai and at power stations

Mobile Radiological Laboratory

EDUCATION & TRAINING (E & T)

Training for comprehensive responsibilities in radiation protection

Training of managers, workers and medical and paramedical professionals

Training of peripheral persons

Training Courses Related to Radiation Protection and Radiation Safety

Diploma in Radiological Physics (one year course)Radiation Safety for Radiation Therapy Technologists (7 days)

Radiation Safety in Applications of Radioisotopes in Research(7 days)

Radiation Safety in Radioluminous PaintsRadiation Safety in Quality Assurance in Diagnostic Radiology (7 days)

Radiation Safety in Food Irradiation Facilities (30 days)Radiation Safety in Industrial Radiography (6 weeks)Radiation Safety in Radiography Testing (level-1)RT1 (15 days)

Radiation Safety in High Intensity Irradiator Operators (15 days)

Radiation Safety Awareness Programmes (1-3 days)Radiation Safety in Applications of Nucleonic Gauges (NG) (7 days)

Radiation Safety in Diagnostic X-ray Technology (7 days)

Familiarization Programme on NG/Logging Tools (1-3 days)

Radiation Safety for Transport Carriers of Radioactive Materials

Radiation Safety in Radioimmunoassay & its Application

Radiation Safety in Radiography Testing (level-2)RT2 (4 weeks)

Radiation Safety in Radiography Testing (level-3)RT3

Training Course in Health Physics –1 yPlanning, Preparedness & Response to Radiological Emergencies

Diploma in Radiation Medicine (DRM) 2 y

Diploma in Medical Radioisotope Techniques (DMRIT) 1 y

Safety Training Course for Regulators in Medical And Industrial Applications of Ionising Radiation (42 lecture)

SOME PROFESSIONAL BODIES INVOLVED IN RADIATION PROTECTION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAMS

  •Indian Association for Radiation Protection (IARP), •Association of Medical Physicists of India (AMPI), •Indian Society for Radiation Physics (ISRP), •National Association for Applications of Radioisotopes & Radiation in Industry (NAARI), •Indian Nuclear Society (INS), •Association of Radiation Oncologists of India (AROI), •Society of Nuclear Medicine in India (SNM),•Luminescence Society of India (LSI)

UNUSUAL OCCURRENCES

Loss of well logging sources

Seven well logging sources belonging to various institutions got stuck in wells while in operation. As per international practice, the wells were sealed with about 50 m of concrete so that the' sources would not pose any hazard or interfere with the oil production.

• Loss of Industrial Gamma Radiography Exposure Device(IGRED)

•A radiography camera with source was reported to be stolen during its transport by the radiography personnel to the radiography site by a public transport bus.• Institution lodged a police complaint and informed the regulatory authority. A team of scientists equipped with very sensitive instruments was immediately sent. In spite of wide publicity and intense search, it could not be traced out. However, there was no report of any radiation injury or any other kind of radiation exposure related incident in the area.

It was noted that the potential for hazard would die faster due to short half-life of Ir-192.

It was purely a case of negligence and violation of the provisions of the regulations for safe transport of radioactive material which prohibit such transport of radioactive material by public transport buses or vehicles by the institution.

As a punitive action to the institution show cause notice was sent and the institution was suspended from carrying out the radiography work for 6 months and the certificate of the personnel who was in charge of the radiation safety was also cancelled.