The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Regulations 1999 and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (Licence Charges) Regulations 2000 have been repealed and replaced by new remade regulations.

The new remade regulations Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Regulations 2018 and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (Licence Charges) Regulations 2018 came into effect on 9 December 2018. 

The ARPANS Regulations 2018 Explanatory Statement and the ARPANS Licence Charges Regulations 2018 Explanatory Statement provides an overview of the remade regulations and a comparative table of the old and new provisions.  

There has been no change to the effect of the regulations, but the numbering and formatting has changed and in some parts the wording has changed to simplify the regulations in accordance with modern drafting practices. 

ARPANSA is in the process of updating the references to the new 2018 regulations on its website and regulatory guides.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (ARPANS Act) has not changed. Subsection 35 (1) (b) of the ARPANS Act provides that licences are subject to the conditions prescribed by the regulations.

14 January 2019

ARPANSA scientists have reviewed the recent United States Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program (NTP) animal studies which looked at whether exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation causes any health effects, including cancer, in rats and mice.

After reviewing the study, our scientists conclude that the findings are not applicable to humans using mobile phones and this was also mentioned by the NTP. This is because the study exposed animals to RF differently to how we are exposed as humans. We support studies such as the NTP, but recommend further research is done in this area.

We recently published a research agenda, which provides specific research recommendations on RF and health. 

For more information, read our detailed conclusion on the NTP study.

An Australian study, published with the British Medical Journal Open, found no link between the use of mobile phones in Australia and incidence of brain cancers.

Mobile phones have transformed the telecommunications industry over the last few decades. They allow us to reach out to our friends and family, and connect to the internet from almost anywhere. Mobile phones are used daily by the majority of the Australian public, with recent consumer surveys conducted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority showing that more than 90% of Australians are using mobile phones.

Our study, conducted in conjunction with The University of Wollongong, Monash University and the University of Auckland, looked at the incidence of different types of brain tumours in adults including glioma, glioblastoma and meningioma diagnosed between 1982 and 2013. The brain cancer diagnoses of 16 825 cases was compared with the uptake of mobile phone subscriptions in Australia.

Main findings

The study found: 

• The overall brain tumour rates remained stable throughout this period and showed no increase when compared with the increase of mobile phone use in Australia.
• There was an increase of glioblastoma during 1993 and 2002 which was attributed to better diagnostic techniques with advances made in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology.
• Although mobile phone use has risen rapidly since 2003 there has been no increase in any brain tumour types since then.
• Since 2003 there has also been no increase in brain tumours of the temporal lobe, which is the location most exposed when using a mobile phone.

A large number of studies have been performed to investigate whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. It is the assessment of ARPANSA and other national and international health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO), that there is no established evidence that the use of mobile phones causes any health effects. However, some previous studies that have compared the mobile phone use between brain cancer cases and healthy controls have shown a weak association between heavy mobile phone use and brain cancer. The current study further showed that if this association was true, then the brain tumour rates would be higher than those that are observed.

What you should do if you are still concerned

If you are concerned about using mobile phones there are several steps you can take to reduce your exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic energy (RF EME).

1. Place your phone on hands-free mode when making a call. Using your phone in hands-free mode increases the distance between the mobile phone and your head which reduces your exposure to RF EME.
2. Send a text instead of making a call. When making a call your mobile phone is in constant communication with the base station which also exposes you to RF EME. If you send a text this exposure is shortened and reduced.
3. Limit the duration of your calls. Limiting the duration of your calls will limit your exposure to RF EME.
4. Make calls where reception is good. When making a call in an area of poor phone reception your mobile phone has to increase its RF EME output to communicate with the base station. When making a phone call in an area with good phone reception, your mobile phone does not need to use as much RF EME.

The study titled Mobile Phone use and incidence of brain tumour histological types, grading or anatomical location: A population-based ecological study has been published with the British Medical Journal Open.

Find out more about mobile phones and health on our website.

Media: 0429 264 693
media@arpansa.gov.au
 

On 4 December 2018, following a direction from ARPANSA’s CEO Dr Larsson, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) provided ARPANSA with an action plan that responds to 85 recommendations made by an independent expert review team to improve ANSTO’s occupational radiation safety processes and operational procedures.

Dr Larsson issued the direction to initiate an independent review on 29 June 2018 under section 41(1A) of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 following four separate events with safety implications at ANSTO Health in less than ten months. 

As per the direction, ANSTO has submitted the action plan to ARPANSA for approval. 

ARPANSA will review and consider the action plan before meeting with ANSTO in late December to provide feedback. When the action plan is approved we will publish a copy on our website and a copy of our written response.

More information:

• ARPANSA issues a direction to ANSTO
• ARPANSA receives report from independent review team on ANSTO approach to safety
• Independent Safety Review of the ANSTO Health Approach to Occupational Radiation Safety and Operational Procedures
• Direction to Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) on 29 June 2018 
• Report to Parliament - Radiation exposure of a worker at ANSTO Health, Lucas Heights on 22 August 2017 

The Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team today concluded their 12 day mission to benchmark Australia’s framework for nuclear and radiation safety against international best practice.

The IRRS mission, facilitated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), spent the last fortnight interviewing staff and reviewing ARPANSA and state and territory regulatory authorities’ practices. 

This was the very first IRRS mission to undertake a comprehensive multi-jurisdictional review, including all six states, two territories and the Commonwealth, and this was identified as a good practice by the IRRS team. Besides this, the report noted Australia’s robust national safety framework and detailed several other good practices, while also identifying areas for improvement. 

ARPANSA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Carl-Magnus Larsson, expressed his commitment in keeping the momentum of the IRRS going.  

"I am very pleased with the diligence and transparency of all parties. The IRRS has enabled us to come together, and have a frank and open discussion not only about the national framework for radiation and nuclear safety, but also about  the mechanisms for its efficient and effective implementation". 

"The purpose of inviting an IRRS mission to Australia was to learn from our international peers with a view to continuously improve, and together, we achieved this goal".

"I am very grateful to the IAEA for putting together such an experienced and dedicated team. We welcome the recommendations and suggestions and are pleased we received recognition for what we do really well".

Good practices identified include:

• ARPANSA, together with state and territory regulatory bodies, has established comprehensive guidance that addresses existing exposure situations.
• ARPANSA has a well-developed strategy to compensate for the departure of qualified staff.
• ARPANSA integrates all types of risks in the management processes, the regulatory activities, and day-to-day work activities in a holistic and comprehensive way.

Many of the recommendations and suggestions confirmed or elaborated on the actions identified by Australia as a result of its self-assessments. Highlights include:

• The Commonwealth Government, in conjunction with State and Territory governments, should consider formalising the existing elements of the framework for safety into a comprehensive national policy and strategy for safety.
• The Commonwealth Government should make a firm commitment and take actions with specific milestones to address decommissioning of facilities and radioactive waste management by assuring the strategy, programmes, funding and technical expertise for safe completion are in place.
• The Commonwealth Government should ensure full implementation of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources. This will continue to promote the safe and secure use of radioactive sources. This will ensure the safety and security of the domestic and international communities and fulfil Australia’s commitment to this important international instrument.
• The Governments of all jurisdictions should ensure that all parties, having accountabilities for safety of facilities and regulatory activities, have the necessary capabilities and human resources to carry out their responsibilities.
• Regulatory bodies in all jurisdictions should assess domestic and international experience related to nuclear and radiation safety and evaluate the need for updating their processes for authorization, review and assessment, inspections and regulations. 
• ARPANSA should establish criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of licensee’s emergency exercises and assign roles and responsibilities to its staff during emergency situations.

Dr Larsson highlighted the tremendous effort put into the review, and next steps.

"I acknowledge the hard work of the states and territories, and extend my sincere thanks for their contributions and efforts which enabled this one-of-a-kind multi-jurisdictional review".

"We look forward to working with them and relevant Commonwealth departments to bring the IRRS recommendations into fruition. We will create an action plan to address these findings with full consideration of IAEA safety standards".

The IRRS report will be finalised by the IAEA over the coming months and provided to ARPANSA in early 2019, after which the report will be made public on ARPANSA’s website.

The mission, globally recognised to strengthen regulatory effectiveness, was officially opened by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Deputy Director General (DDG) Mr Juan Carlos Lentijo. 

ARPANSA’s minister, the Hon. Senator Bridget McKenzie, Minister for Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation, Petteri Tiippana, IRRS Team Leader and our CEO, Dr Carl-Magnus Larsson, also provided opening remarks.

Dr Larsson formally welcomed the team of international experts. He highlighted ARPANSA staff ‘are looking forward to this mission and working with our international colleagues over the next two weeks.’

In opening the proceedings, DDG Mr Lentijo highlighted the importance of the mission as it contributes to enhanced radiation safety. ‘Countries that invite IRRS missions, such as Australia, demonstrate their openness and transparency. They recognise learning through this program by opening themselves up to a peer-review that identifies areas for improvement. This shows they want to contribute to a stronger global safety regime by disseminating and setting up good practices, and understanding lessons learnt.’

Petteri Tiippana, echoed these points. The IRRS team leader said that although the mission is not an inspection or an audit, it is still a review from international peers benchmarking against IAEA safety standards. ‘This mission will provide opportunities for team members and counterparts to learn from each other and share knowledge of the regulatory experience in different countries,’ he said.

The Hon. Bridget McKenzie, also expressed Australia’s gratitude for the IRRS’s visit to conduct the review, ensuring Australia continues to be a world leader in radiation safety. She stated: ‘this is the first time that Australia’s full federal system of radiation protection and nuclear safety—including the Commonwealth, State and Territory levels has been collectively benchmarked against international best practice.’

DDG Mr Lentijo assured that ‘action plans developed in response to mission reports lead to practical work and concrete safety improvements.’

The IRRS report will be provided to ARPANSA and be published on ARPANSA’s website in early 2019. 

Follow our Facebook or Twitter for more IRRS updates.

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission will visit ARPANSA during 5–16 November 2018. 

The mission will involve a peer review of ARPANSA by international experts who will benchmark Australia’s regulatory framework and its effectiveness against IAEA Safety Standards. 

The review will cover a wide range of areas such as regulation of waste facilities, transport of radioactive materials, occupational radiation protection, nuclear safety, medical radiation and others.

All Australian state and territory radiation protection regulators will also participate, making the Australian IRRS the largest multi-jurisdictional mission ever undertaken.

ARPANSA Chief Executive Officer, Dr Carl-Magnus Larsson said, ‘By inviting the IAEA to conduct this mission, it will give us an opportunity to see what we do well, and understand opportunities for improvement. This will ensure Australia remains at the forefront of international best practice in this complex area of regulation.’

Recommendations from the IRRS will be put forward to ARPANSA after the review is completed on 16 November, and some highlights will be available to share after this time. 

The final report will be published on ARPANSA’s website in early 2019.

Watch this space for updates on the IRRS opening, and other highlights to come.

For more information, visit our IRRS page.

ARPANSA is currently seeking to appoint three part-time members of the Radiation Health Committee (RHC) and nine part-time members of the Nuclear Safety Committee (NSC).  Appointments are for the triennium (2018-2020) pursuant to subsection 24(2) of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (the Act) and section 25 of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Regulations 1999.

Learn more about the functions of the committees, the selection criteria for appointment and how to nominate via the following links:

• Radiation Health Committee
• Nuclear Safety Committee

Nominations close Thursday 31 August 2017.

On 5 October 2018, following a direction from ARPANSA’s CEO Dr Carl-Magnus Larsson, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) provided ARPANSA with a report produced by an independent expert review team outlining 85 recommendations to improve ANSTO’s occupational radiation safety processes and operational procedures.

Dr Larsson issued the direction to initiate an independent review on 29 June 2018 under section 41(1A) of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (the Act) following four separate events with safety implications at ANSTO Health in less than 10 months. 

The first and most significant event was a skin contamination of a worker on 22 August 2017 that exceeded statutory dose limits. After this event, Dr Larsson found ANSTO in breach of the Act for being non-compliant with its licence conditions and tabled a report in Parliament under section 61(1) of the Act.

In accordance with the direction, ANSTO engaged an independent expert review team that was approved by ARPANSA. The team was drawn from a cohort of international and national experts in the fields of nuclear safety, safety and organisational culture, radiation protection and human factors. The team reviewed ANSTO’s approach to occupational radiation safety of processes and operational procedures at its nuclear medicine facility, in particular those associated with quality control of molybdenum-99 samples. 

ARPANSA has granted ANSTO with a 60 day extension to provide a full and complete response to the 85 recommendations, including a comprehensive action plan responding to the recommendations, for ARPANSA’s approval. 

In the meantime ARPANSA continues to monitor the safety of nuclear medicine production at ANSTO and is carefully reviewing the report in anticipation of ANSTO’s detailed response. 

More information:

• Independent Safety Review of the ANSTO Health Approach to Occupational Radiation Safety and Operational Procedures
• Direction to Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) on 29 June 2018
• Report to Parliament - Radiation exposure of a worker at ANSTO Health, Lucas Heights on 22 August 2017

Our 2017–18 Annual Report was tabled in parliament on Wednesday 17 October 2018.

The Annual Report informs parliament, stakeholders and the public how we have enabled protection of the Australian people and environment from the harmful effects of radiation during the last financial year.

2017–18 was a big year for ARPANSA and we were committed to delivering large-scale, key organisational priorities. Of note was:

• planning and preparing for the installation of a new linear accelerator
• our commitment to good regulation and transparency by completing a self-assessment against international standards. This was in preparation for a scheduled visit by an Integrated Regulatory Review Service mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency later in 2018, which will review Australia’s regulatory framework against international best-practice.
• issuing a licence to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to operate the new ANSTO Nuclear Medicine Facility in Lucas Heights
• facilitating ongoing engagement with relevant parties to the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF)
• leading the Australian delegation to the 6th Review Meeting under the terms of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. Our report went through a process of international peer-review and received positive feedback, including receiving recognition in four areas of ‘good performance’
• expanding our centralised repository for the radiation dose records of workers into the medical sector. This is a key step forward towards national uniformity of radiation protection practices.

These activities strengthen our position as the government’s primary authority on radiation protection and nuclear safety, and enable continued cooperation and growth between our stakeholders, service providers and the community. 

Alongside our strategic projects are the operational services we provide on a daily basis. 

During 2017–18, ARPANSA:

• tested over 2000 sun protective materials
• conducted 110 audits through its Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service (ACDS)
• achieved 696 radiofrequency calibration test reports
• performed over 2700 diagnostic reference level surveys, an increase of almost 80 per cent
• processed nearly 150 000 dosimeters that measure occupational radiation exposures
• conducted 41 regulatory inspections
• developed a cost recovery model for regulatory licence charges.

Read the full ARPANSA 2017–18 Annual Report.