ASN Report 2015

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1.2.2 Disseminate the regulations and promote
their implementation
ASN considers that having clear regulations based on the
best safety standards is an important factor for improving
the safety of BNIs. Over the last few years it has thus
undertaken amajor overhaul of the technical and general
regulations applicable to BNIs.
The BNI Order of 7th February 2012 constitutes the
cornerstone of a regulatory framework applicable to all
BNIs and which has been substantially reinforced and
is in conformity with the best international practices.
ASN guides for concrete application of resolutions
TheASNguides give recommendations, suggest themeans
ASNconsiders appropriate for achieving the objectives set
by the regulations, and sharemethods and goodpractices
resulting fromexperience feedback fromsignificant events.
Some guides are designed to assist with implementation
of the BNI Order and its resolutions and concern the
annual public information report, the protection of BNIs
against external flooding, nuclear pressure equipment, the
management of sites potentially polluted by radioactive
substances and the determining of the perimeter of a BNI.
The integrated management system guide was subject
to a public consultation process in 2015. The ongoing
drafting of other ASN guides is part of an impact analysis
initiative involving the nuclear licensees. The ASNguides
also contribute to the harmonising of European regulations
by applying the WENRA (Western European Nuclear
Regulators Association) safety reference levels in France.
Seminars to explain and discuss application of theOrder
Further to the 2014 seminar on the regulations applicable
to BNIs, regional discussion days were held in Caen (in
2014) and inMarseilles (in 2015). The licensees made a
first assessment of the implementation of the BNI Order,
focusing in particular on the lines for improvement and
the difficulties encountered. The ASN regional divisions
answered the operational questions of the licensees and
put the regulatory objectives into perspective.
1.2.3 Encourage the notification of significant
events and experience feedback
The notification of significant events is a key factor in
strengthening the safety and radiationprotection culture.
Since July 2015, the on-line notification portal
launched jointly by ASNand the
ANSM(FrenchNational Agency forMedicines andHealth
Products Safety), can be used to transmit notifications
concerning radiation protection and equipment incidents
radiotherapy).
ASN publishes the twice-yearly bulletin “Healthcare
safety – Building momentum for progress”, co-signed by
the SFRO (French Society for Radiation Oncology), the
SFPM (French Society for Medical Physics), the AFPPE
(the FrenchAssociationof Radiographers), and theAFQSR
(FrenchAssociation forQuality andSafety inRadiotherapy).
Sent to 180 radiotherapy centres in France, the bulletin
highlights the progress and experience sharing approach
initiatedby the radiotherapy centres to enhance health care
safety. Two new issues were published in 2015 focusing
on the recording errors in the Record and Verify system
and pulsed high-dose rate brachytherapy.
Since 2014, a complementary information sheet entitled
“Experience feedback” alerts professionals about significant
events notified to ASN to prevent them from recurring
in other radiotherapy centres. The aim of this sheet is to
inform the centres rapidly and to incite reflection as part
of their risk analysis actions.
1.2.4 The professional events
The symposia and events organised by the professionals
provide opportunities for ASN to develop its relations
with the professionals.
The ASN regional divisions reaching out to
professionals in the small-scale nuclear sector
In 2015 the ASN regional divisions took action to
promote the principles of radiation protection and dose
optimisation with the nuclear medicine professionals
in Nantes (11th June) and in Paris (29th September)
andwith the research actors of the Nord–Pas-de-Calais
region in Lille (1st October).
On 13th October, the Nantes division organised the
second regional meeting of external Persons Competent
in Radiation protection (PCR) working in the Pays de
la Loire and Bretagne (Brittany) regions with the Réseau
Grand Ouest (Greater Western France Network).
Conferences in the medical and radiation
protection sector
ASNmet paramedical electroradiology personnel on its
stand at the AFPPE congress (20th-22ndMarch 2015) and
medical imaging professionals at the French Radiology
Days (JFR, 16th-19th October). The ongoing work
concerning the extension of the INES scale to patient
radiation protection events was presented at the congress
of the French Society of Nuclear Medicine andMolecular
Imaging (SFMN, 28th-31st May).
The interchanges with the professionals aim primarily
at improving their knowledge of the regulations that
apply to them by distributing regulatory sheets and the
guide to the regulatory provisions relative to themedical
and dental radiology, which is updated each year. The
professional trade fairs also provide the opportunity to
186 CHAPTER 06: FROM INFORMATION TO TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015