Inspections

 What is a Regulatory Inspection?

It is an examination by review of documents, observation, measurement and tests undertaken by the Authority during any stage of the regulatory process to ensure compliance of a facility to legal requirements.

Objectives

To verify that:

  • all practices are authorised
  • the licensee complies with the legislation and any imposed conditions during all the stages of the licensing process and the phases of the life cycle of a facility (siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning or closure);
  • employees, including contractors, possess the necessary competence and are under occupational exposure monitoring;
  • deficiencies and deviations are corrected without undue delay

Legislative Requirements

The Radiation Protection Act [Chapter 15:15] Section 18 and Radiation Protection (Safety and Security of Radiation Sources) Regulations (Statutory Instrument 62 of 2011)  empowers the Authority to carry out inspections.

The Authority is empowered to:

  1. Enter and inspect any facility or premises if there is reasonable cause to believe that an irradiation device, radioactive material or any other radiation source is stored, used, transported or disposed of.
  2. Require the production of;
  • a licence authorising the use of any irradiating device, radioactive material or any other radiation source
  • a register or document and examine or take copies of them.
  1. Seize any such substances or equipment or any book, record, or document so found in respect of which any provisions of the radiation protection legislation appears to have been contravened.
  2.  Take as many samples of any substance as necessary for the purpose of testing, examination or analysis in terms of the radiation protection legislation.

Licensee obligations
The Licensee must cooperate fully with inspectors and should induct them on occupational hazards present at the facility prior to the conduction of inspections.