ARPANSA - Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

There are occasions where a licence holder may wish to merge two or more licences, often as a result of organisational restructure. The following information is provided to assist licence holders who may face this situation.

A licence merger will usually require an amendment of an existing licence by the CEO of ARPANSA (or his delegate) under section 36 of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998. In cases where the merger involves changes with significant implications for safety, a submission seeking prior approval under Regulation 51 will be required.

1. The licence holder should write to the CEO of ARPANSA informing him of the intended merger. The letter should indicate which licences will merge, and provide the name in which the new licence is to be issued. The letter should also indicate the timelines of the merger. If the licence holder wishes to retain a previous licence number, this should also be indicated. At the same time, the licence holder should request approval to surrender the superseded licence(s) when the new licence is issued.
   
   
2. The licence holder should state whether there are significant implications for safety associated with the intended merger. If this is the case, the licence holder should submit a Regulation 51 Request for Approval to make a relevant change.
   
   
3. The licence holder should provide information about any movements of staff, laboratories, or controlled material and apparatus as a result of the merger. The licence holder should provide a new organisational chart indicating clear lines of responsibility for nuclear safety and radiation protection.
   
   
4. If, as a result of the merger, different people are undertaking dealings with radiation sources, the licence holder must ensure the new users have appropriate qualifications and training.
   
   
5. The licence holder should send the latest source inventory workbook (SIW) of each licence to be merged to the ARPANSA Licence Administration Officer (licenceadmin@arpansa.gov.au), who will unlock them and send them back to the licence holder. The licence holder should then merge the SIWs, check the final product, and return to ARPANSA. The SIW will then be locked and returned to licence holder.
   
   
6. Revised and updated safe operating procedures should be submitted to ARPANSA, reflecting any changes due to the merger.
   
   
7. When ARPANSA is satisfied that the merger has been undertaken safely, and that all additional risks as a result of the merger have been addressed, the CEO (or delegate) will consent to the surrender of the old licence(s), and issue a licence in the new organisational name.

June 2011

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