Improving the safety and security
of sealed radioactive sources
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) receives reports of serious
injuries or deaths due to misuse or accidents involving sealed radioactive
sources. Radioactive sources, used widely throughout the world in medicine,
industry, and agriculture, if lost or improperly discarded, increase the
likelihood of a serious accident. The IAEA offers a wide range of activities
and services to assist its Member States to improve the safety and security
of sealed radioactive sources.
Accident prevention requires a comprehensive approach to controlling
sealed sources: applying standards for manufacturing and use; establishing
regulatory control and inventories; training users on good practices;
and disposing of the source when it no longer is used.
Over the past decade, the security of sealed sources has become a growing
concern, particularly the potential that such a source could be used as
a radioactive dispersal device or “dirty bomb”. Preventing
the loss or theft of sealed radioactive sources reduces both the risk
of accidents and the risk that such sources could become an instrument
of misuse.
Key Activities
Internationally recognized safety standards
The IAEA develops safety standards on a wide range of topics related
to radiation. These safety standards are developed through a consultative
process with experts around the world to take into account the current
state of knowledge in the area. Member States use these standards as
the basis for national standards and regulations in such areas as: radiation
protection, manufacture and design, transport, and waste disposal.
The International Basic Safety Standards for the Protection against Ionizing
Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources, Safety
Series No. 115 (1996), is a comprehensive standard for radiation protection
for all activities that involve radiation. Other standards dealing with
sealed sources include:
Planning and Preparing for Emergency Response to Transport
Accidents Involving Radioactive Material (2002),
Safety
Guide No. TS-G-1.2 (ST-3)
Building Competence in Radiation Protection and the Safe
Use of Radiation Sources: Safety Guide, Safety
Standards Series
No. RS-G-1.4 (2001)
Legal and Governmental Infrastructure for Nuclear, Radiation,
Radioactive Waste and Transport Safety,
Safety
Standards Series No. GS-R-1 (2000)
Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation
Sources:
A Safety Fundamental, Safety Series No. 120 (1996)
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive
Material (1996), Safety
Standards Series No. TS-R-1
Advice through Safety Reports, technical documents
and services
In addition to formal safety standards, the Agency also provides advice
through safety reports, technical documents and services. Safety Reports
and technical documents (TECDOCs) are produced on a wide range of topics,
such as: management of disused sources, procedures for conditioning
and storing long lived sealed sources, and borehole disposal. Prepared
in consultation with leading experts, these documents provide detailed
guidance at the technical level for those working in the relevant area.
The IAEA provides a wide range of services to assist Member States improve
safety and security of radioactive sources. For example, regional training
courses to help guide the development of national strategies for regaining
control over sealed sources have been conducted in Asia, Africa, and South
America. To reduce the risk of illicit trafficking of sources, the Agency
has provided training in radiation monitoring for customs authorities
and is working with international law enforcement agencies to enhance
international co-operation in this area.
The Agency also facilitates information exchange through international
conferences, symposia, and technical meetings.
International Catalogue of Sealed Radioactive Sources
When a radioactive source is found, one of the first practical
problems is how to identify the type and strength of radiation it
produces, so that it can be handled safely. With old sources, this
is not always straightforward, as the labelling may be worn or the
source container unfamiliar when compared to current models. To address
this problem, the IAEA has developed a comprehensive, searchable database
of sealed radioactive sources. The database includes pictures, illustrations,
and technical specifications of sealed radioactive sources collected
from manufacturers, distributors, regulatory bodies, waste management
companies, professional associations and information available at
IAEA. It will provide a valuable reference tool to facilitate the identification
of unknown sources. The catalogue contains information on over 6000 source
models and over 5000 devices.
Contact the International Catalogue:
The Division
of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NEFW/wts_l8_01_SOURCE.html
Assistance in conditioning of disused sources
The IAEA helps countries condition disused sealed radioactive sources.
Conditioning a source ensures that radiation from the source is safely
contained and secured to reduce the risk of theft. When kept in a secure
facility, conditioned sources can be stored safely. IAEA Member States
can request direct assistance to condition disused sources. To date over
50 conditioning operations have been conducted in some
45 Member States,
involving over 10 000 individual sources. To facilitate this work, the
Agency has developed specialized mobile equipment and is working with
source manufacturers worldwide on the return of disused sources
where feasible.
Contact Conditioning Disused Sources:
The
Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NEFW/index.html
Improving regulatory infrastructure
The IAEA Model Project on upgrading radiation protection infrastructure
involves 89 Agency Member States from Africa, West Asia, East Asia
and the Pacific, Europe, and Latin America. Launched in 1995, to date
over $45 million has been dispersed to support participating countries.
To achieve the overall goal of upgrading radiation protection infrastructure
to comply with the International Basic Safety Standards for the Protection
against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources,
each participating country is developing actions plans to achieve
the five milestones required for a comprehensive infrastructure. The
five milestones are to establish:
— a regulatory framework;
— occupational exposure control;
— medical exposure control;
— public exposure control; and
— emergency preparedness and response capabilities.
Contact Regulatory Infrastructure:
Department of Nuclear Safety and Security
http://www-ns.iaea.org/projects/modelproject/default.htm
Emergency assistance during accidents or
in recovery of a radioactive source
Under the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident
or Radiological Emergency, Member States party to the Convention
can ask for Agency assistance to deal with an emergency involving
a radioactive source. This assistance may be in the form of technical
advice or direct assistance in safely recovering and securing a
source that has been found or treating persons exposed to radiation.
Contact Emergency Assistance:
Department of Nuclear Safety and Security
http://www-ns.iaea.org/tech-areas/emergency/default.htm
Illicit trafficking database
The IAEA’s Illicit Trafficking Database was established in 1995
and today about 70 States provide information on incidents involving the
unauthorized receipt, provision, use, transfer or disposal of nuclear
and other radioactive material, including radioactive sources. Its primary
function is to provide reliable and accurate information in a timely manner
on all trafficking incidents to Member States, media, and the public.
The IAEA uses analysis of the trends of these incidents to develop programmes
to combat trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials.
Contact Illicit Trafficking:
The Office
of Physical Protection and Material Security
http://www-ns.iaea.org/security
