IAEA Concludes Agreements to Boost Radiation Safety

The Practical Arrangements with Argentina’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN) modify a 2015 agreement on radiation safety. Under the existing framework, the IAEA and ARN are working together to develop acceptability criteria for radionuclide activity concentration in food, drinking water and non-food commodities.

This collaboration has now been extended to address the development of regulatory guidance on radiological protection in radiotherapy, addressing in particular the potential increase in the risk of secondary cancers following treatment.

"The need to keep pace with advances in technology requires adding elements to accordingly strengthen safety measures and regulations," said Nestor Alejandro Masriera, President of ARN's Board of Directors.

Sharing relevant information and expertise, developing joint publications that outline global safety standards for radiation safety, developing criteria and concrete approaches for radiation protection are among the activities agreed to. "These Arrangements are 'living instruments', a working document to ensure that Argentina continues to effectively implement internationally recognized radiation safety procedures that will benefit people," Masriera said.

This Practical Arrangements signed on 18 September 2015 and its modification on 30 September 2016 are valid for a further two years.

The IAEA also signed Practical Arrangements with the Conference of Radiation Programme Control Directors (CRCPD), a non-profit non-governmental organization in the United States dedicated to radiation protection.

This agreement covers radiation protection in medicine, especially where new radiation source technologies are used and underlines the need to ensure that any use of radiation is fully justified, to ensure adequate protection of workers and patients.

Other areas of collaboration include control of radiation exposure of workers and the public from naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in mining and other industries and the reduction of radon levels in homes, which is for most people the largest contributor to their radiation exposure.

The cooperation between the CRCPD and the IAEA will boost the sharing of experience and knowledge in relation to these issues.

"We need to be vigilant to make sure that national rules, regulations, policies and procedures are resilient and effectively implemented for radiation protection and safety," said Ruth E. McBurney, Executive Director of the CRCPD. "We look forward to the close interaction with the IAEA in achieving shared objectives."

This Practical Arrangements signed on 30 September is valid for a three-year period.