344 / 536
6. ASSESSMENT OF RADIATION
PROTECTION IN THE INDUSTRIAL,
RESEARCH AND VETERINARY FIELDS,
AND OUTLOOK FOR 2016
In the field of regulating applications of ionising radiation
in the industrial, research and veterinary sector, ASN is
working to ensure that the operators take full account of
the risks involved in the use of ionising radiation.
Industrial radiography
Industrial radiology activities have serious radiation
protection implications for the workers and are an
inspection priority for ASN, with some 100 inspections
carried out per year in this field, including unannounced
night-time inspections on the worksites. The system of
on-line notification of worksite schedules for industrial
radiography contractors put in place by ASN in 2014
facilitates the organisation of these inspections. A lack
of reliability of the information communicated by some
contractors has nevertheless been observed.
From its inspection findings, ASN considers that the way
risks are taken into account varies between companies. The
regulations relating to worker training and the periodic
external inspection of sources and devices and worker
dosimetry are on the whole satisfied. However, despite
the progress made, preparation of the interventions still
requires close attention from the various parties involved,
more specifically on the worksite to mark out the work
zones, for the forecast dose evaluations and for coordination
between the ordering customers and the contractors in
order to reinforce the preparation of the work and allow
effective preventivemeasures to be taken. ASN is worried
by the zoning defects observed because this constitutes
the main safety barrier in the worksite configuration, in
particular to prevent inadvertent exposure.
The work conditions on the site (poor accessibility, night
work, etc.), equipment maintenance (projectors, guide
tubes, etc.) aremajor factors affecting personnel safety. The
incidents often result fromsources getting jammed outside
the safe shielded position. ASN notes that the exposure
rates and condition of the equipment are not unrelated
to the probability of an incident. It moreover underlines
that if any equipment operating anomalies are observed
when using a gamma ray projector, such as abnormal
source projection or retraction forces, operations should
be immediately stopped and the equipment inspected.
Furthermore, if a source becomes jammed, no attempt
should be made to free it, and the on-site emergency
plans required by the regulations – though rarely drawn
up – must be implemented.
With regard to justification and optimisation, the
work undertaken by the non-destructive inspection
professionals has resulted in the production of guidelines
with the aimof promoting the use of alternative methods.
The professionals have continued the work, in particular
with regard to the updating of the construction and
maintenance codes for industrial equipment, in order
to favour the use of non-ionising inspection methods.
ASN considers that implementation of these guidelines
and recommendations andwork progress are insufficient,
and that the ordering customers have an essential role
to play in ensuring progress in radiation protection in
the field of industrial radiography.
Since the notable incidents that occurred early in the
2010’s involving jamming of industrial gamma radiography
sources, ASNhas been conducting an in-depth examination
with the stakeholders and IRSNbased on the analysis of the
incidents in order to identify generic technical solutions
that will facilitate the recovery of gamma radiography
sources following loss of control (see box on page 343).
Several circular letters have been sent to all operators
reminding them of the regulations and asking that
improvements be made in worksite preparation and
incidentmanagement. A report presenting the conclusions
of the work carried out with the stakeholders to define
typical scenarios for loss of source control, to develop
technical recovery solutions and to define good practices
in the event of incidents involving loss of control of
sources should be published in early 2016.
According to the survey carried out by ASN in the
sector, 70% of the industrial radiography agencies
have a specialised fixed facility (bunker) and 70%of the
agencies also operate in “worksite” configuration. 50%of
the industrial radiography tests performed are inworksite
configuration. In this configuration, iridium-192 gamma
ray projectors are themost commonly used, representing
two-thirds of the worksites. X-ray generators are mainly
used on the other worksites. Very few tests are conducted
outside the bunker with particle accelerators or gamma
ray projectors using cobalt-60 or selenium-75. On the
whole, one test in three uses iridium-192 in the worksite
configuration. These worksites are primarily located in
industrial units and processes and in BNIs.
Thesignificantpercentageoftestsin“worksite”configuration
within industrial units suggests insufficient application
of the justification principle because in many cases parts
could probably have been transported to a secure bunker
for inspection.
ASN has continued the initiatives undertaken with the
DGT (General Directorate for Labour) to overhaul the
existing regulatory texts with tightening of requirements
regarding justification, given that recognised alternative
methods exist.
The design of the devices and of the facilities, the use of
devices, notably on the worksites, and the training of the
operatorswere examinedduring this regulatory overhaul
process andwithin the working group comprising all the
344
CHAPTER 10:
INDUSTRIAL, RESEARCH AND VETERINARY USES AND SOURCE SECURITY
ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015