Radiological Protection Act 1991 (Ionising Radiation) Regulations 2019

Came into effect: 8th February 2019

These Regulations transpose the Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM known as the Basic Safety Standards Directive. It also transposes certain provisions of Council Directive 2011/70/EURATOM (the Nuclear Waste Directive), establishing a Community framework for the responsible and safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste within the Republic of Ireland.

These Regulations are split into 13 main parts which are listed and summarised below.

Part 1 – Citations, Definitions and Scope
This part of the Regulations highlights the key definitions within these Regulations as well as the practices and situations covered the scope the regulations and also the exclusions.

Part 2 – Regulatory Control
Concentrates on requirements for which activities that can justified as a practice as well as requirements for prohibition and those practices involving consumer products. This part of the legislation also covers notification of justified practices, registration, licensing, authorisation and also the release from regulatory control.

Part 3 – System of Radiation Protection
Part 3 of the legislation concentrates on systems for radiation protection looking at protective measures in terms of dose constraints and setting of reference levels of exposures. Also requirements for dose limitations are stipulated in this part.

Part 4 – Protection of exposed workers, apprentices and students
Highlights the requirements and duties of specific persons and key requirements. These include area classification, radiological surveillance, workplace arrangements, radiation safety procedures, requirement for risk assessment, controlled and supervised areas, duties of undertaking and employers, radiation protection adviser, radiation protection officer.

Part 5 – Categorisation and Monitoring of Workers
Looks at exposed workers, duties of apprentices, students, exposed workers and employers, monitoring, National Dose Register, reporting and recording of results, medical records, medical surveillance and categorisation requirements.

Part 6 – Public Exposures
Highlights the need for operational protection of the public, tasks for the undertaking and monitoring of discharges and estimation of doses.

Part 7 – Emergency Preparedness and Response
Concentrates on National Plan, major emergency plan, contaminated areas, duty to undertaking to inform the public, communication, information, instruction and training.

Part 8 – Naturally Occurring Radiation
Refers to Radon Control Strategy, radon in workplaces, gamma radiation and practices involving naturally-occurring radioactive material.

Part 9 – Control of Radioactive Sources
This part details radioactive sources and radiation generators, licensing requirements, record keeping, control of sources, metal contamination, orphan sources.

Part 10 – Services and Experts
Part 10 refers to Dosimetry services, radiation protection advisers and radiation protection officers.

Part 11 – Enforcement
Part 11 details inspections and enforcement notices.

Part 12 – Revocation of Legislation

Part 13 – Transitional Provisions
Transitional provisions around licences, applications, dosimetry services and radiation protection advisers are detailed in this part.

The regulations are supplemented by 16 schedules.

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