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Regional overview of nuclear safety
and radiation protection
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This chapter sets out thenuclear safety
and radiation protection situation
observed locally by ASN’s eleven
regional divisions in 2015.
Summary sheets present theBNIs and
small-scalenuclear facilities (medical,
industrial and research) and the local
actions particularly representative of
ASN’s work in the regions.
For more than a century, medicine
has made use of various sources of
ionising radiation, both for diagnostic
purposes and for therapy.While their
benefits andusefulnesshave longbeen
medically proven, these techniques
however contribute significantly to
the exposure of the population to
ionising radiation.
Behind exposure to natural ionising
radiation,medical exposure represents
the second source of exposure for the
population and the leading source of
artificial exposure. In2014, according
to IRSN, 226,013 peopleworking in
medical andveterinary fields involving
theuseofionisingradiationunderwent
dosimetric exposure monitoring.
Medical anddental radiologyconcerns
about 74%of themedical personnel
exposed.More than98%of thehealth
professionals monitored in 2014
received an annual effective dose
below 1 mSv. The annual effective
dose limit of 20mSvwas exceededon
seven occasions and the annual dose
limit for the extremities (500mSv)was
exceeded on one occasion.
In France, there are several
thousand conventional or dental
radiology devices, just over a
thousand computed tomography
facilities, more than a thousand
facilities carrying out interventional
radiology and fluoroscopy-guided
procedures, 225 nuclear medicine
units using unsealed sources for in
vivo or in vitro diagnostics and for
internal radiotherapy. In addition,
as at the end of 2014, 176 external
radiotherapy centres equipped with
476 treatment devices, handling some
175,000 patients every year, and
653 radiotherapists were identified.
The activities presenting the highest
risk from the radiation protection
standpoint require authorisation.
Nuclear medicine comprises about
700 specialist practitioners, along
with another 1,000 physicians from
other specialities working together
in nuclear medicine units (interns,
cardiologists, endocrinologists, etc.)
In 2015, ASN issued 663 authorisa
tions, including 48% in computed
tomography,26%innuclearmedicine,
20% in external radiotherapy, 5% in
brachytherapy and 1% for blood
product irradiators.
In 2015ASNpublished a number of
reports on computed tomography,
teleradiology, radiotherapy and
nuclear medicine.
Significant Radiation Protection
Events (ESR) in 2015
Since July 2015, the radiotherapy
units have been able to carry out
on-line notification of ESR on an
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Medical uses
of ionising radiation
28
ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN 2015