Performance monitoring principles

The performance monitoring principles adopted by ARPANSA are enshrined in the ARPANSA Regulatory Activities Policy issued by the CEO and are documented in detail in the ARPANSA Inspection and ARPANSA Compliance manuals. The policy recognises that compliance monitoring and enforcement activities are risk-based, adopt international best practice, and take a graded approach depending on the inherent hazard of the facility or source being inspected. 

As a result some licence holders will receive more regulatory oversight (inspections) than others and the performance information should not be taken as a direct comparison between licence holders but rather a reflection of individual performance.  

The information below highlights good practices, inspection results, improvement notices issued by regulatory officers and findings of breach by the CEO of ARPANSA. Reporting this information aims to promote safety and security and to provide an opportunity for licence holders to learn from the experience of others. Further, reporting ARPANSA's compliance monitoring and enforcement activities in a transparent manner will assist the public's understanding of our regulatory activities.

Please note that matters with security implications are not published until the matter is resolved to ensure that any security vulnerabilities are not exposed. Nevertheless, security matters are important learning opportunities for all licence holders and are published in the spirit of promoting continuous improvement. 

ARPANSA aims to ensure that all information on this website is current. 

Understanding the outcomes

Result

Good practice When a licence holder is identified as having implemented a program, system or process that demonstrates ‘going above and beyond’ the baseline requirements for safety and security. Such practices are shared below for other licence holders to consider.  
Compliant When a licence holder has been found to comply with the Act, Regulations and licence conditions during an inspection.

Breach – A breach is a finding by the CEO of ARPANSA relating to an identified non-compliance. Such a finding will only be made after considering all the facts and giving the licence holder the opportunity to respond to the alleged non-compliance. 

Sections 59 and 60 of the Act require the CEO to report details of any breach of licence conditions by a licence holder to Parliament through the Minister.

Improvement notice – An improvement notice is a tool used to require the licence holder to do something, or stop doing something, to manage risk to people and/or the environment. An inspector may issue an improvement notice where a potential or actual non-compliance has been identified.

 

Method of detection

Self-reported  The matter was reported by the licence holder. ARPANSA encourages licence holders to be open and transparent. Reporting non-compliance whenever it is identified is considered an indicator of good safety culture.   
Inspection  The matter was identified during a compliance inspection.
Review  The matter was identified from an event, observation or incident investigation.

 

Implications for safety

Administrative  The matter was of an administrative nature without significant implications for safety or security.
Not significant  The matter was assessed to not have significant nuclear or radiation safety or security implications.
Significant – The matter was assessed to have significant nuclear or radiation safety or security implications. 

 

ASC Pty Ltd

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Compliant S0190 Inspection N/A 18/07/22 N/A

Austrade

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Breach S0203 Review Administrative 19/04/2022 27/04/2022

Australian National University

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Complaint S0027 Inspection N/A 1-2/12/2022 N/A
Complaint S0027 Inspection N/A 27-28/04/2023 N/A
Compliant S0027 Inspection N/A 11-12/05/2023 N/A
Compliant F0073, F0074, F0075 Inspection N/A 3 May 2023 N/A
Compliant S0027 Inspection N/A 25-26 May 2023 N/A


Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Breach F0262 Inspection Significant 03/07/2023 Open
Breach F0316 Review Significant 19/09/2023 Open
Breach F0309 Self-reported Significant 17/09/2019 02/12/2022
Breach S0045 Inspection (withheld from publication) Not significant 21/02/2021 Open
Breach F0251 Review Significant 12/02/2021 1/05/2021
Breach S0045 Self-reported Not significant 18/02/2021 18/02/2021
Compliant F0211 Inspection N/A 5/03/2021 N/A
Improvement notice S0045 Review Significant 26/03/2021 29/10/2021
Breach F0157, F0245, F0251 and F0260 Review Not significant 19/04/2021 Closed - 30/07/2021
Breach F0244 Inspection Not significant 17/05/2021 28/10/2021
Good practice1 S0045 Inspection N/A 28/05/2021 N/A
Breach F0262 Inspection Significant 17/06/2021 Closed
Improvement notice F0243 Inspection Significant 23/06/2021 Open
Compliant F0260 Inspection N/A 8/07/2021 N/A
Breach F0243 Inspection Not significant 26/08/2021 26/08/2021
Compliant F0262 Inspection N/A 3/08/2021 N/A
Compliant F0309 Inspection N/A 30/09/2021 N/A
Compliant F0157 Inspection N/A 17-18/11/2021 N/A
Breach F0271 Inspection Not significant 08/12/2021 Closed
Breach F0260 Self-Reported Not significant 11/04/2022 30/05/2022
Compliant F0262 Inspection Not significant 31/03/2022 N/A
Compliant F0247 Inspection Not significant 28/02/2022 N/A
Good practice F0248 Inspection N/A 28/02/2022 N/A
Compliant F0309 Inspection N/A 14/06/2022 N/A
Breach F0260 Self-Reported Not significant 07/07/2022 07/07/2022
Compliant F0244 Inspection N/A 13/07/2022 N/A
Compliant F0157 Inspection N/A 15-16/09/2022 N/A
Breach F0260 Self-reported Not significant 20/10/2022 21/10/2022
Compliant F0245 Inspection N/A 24-25/11/2022 N/A
Compliant F0316 and F0290 Inspection N/A 15-16/02/2023 and 14/03/2023 N/A
Breach F0316 Self-reported Significant  24/04/2023 Open

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Breach F0046 Self-reported Significant 19/11/2021 Open
Compliant S0002 Inspection N/A 24/05/2022 N/A
Compliant S0003 Inspection N/A 2-3/05/2023 N/A

Australian Signals Directorate

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Good practice3 S0335 Inspection (withheld from publication) N/A 30/04/2021 N/A

Australian War Memorial

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Compliant S0080 Inspection N/A 11/03/2021 N/A

Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Breach S0005 Inspection Not significant 06/07/2023 08/09/2023

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Good practice2 S0064 Inspection (report withheld) Not significant 2/09/2021 16/12/2021
Compliant
S0064 Inspection N/A 3/11/22 N/A
Compliant S0216, S0019 and S0021 Inspection N/A 16/03/23 N/A
Compliant
S0216 Inspection N/A 22/03/2023 N/A
Compliant S0023 Inspection N/A 20-21/06/2023 N/A
Compliant S0064 Inspection N/A 20-21/06/2023 N/A
Compliant S0021 Inspection N/A 20-21/6/2023 N/A
Compliant S0009 Inspection N/A 20-21/6/2023 N/A

CSIRO Business and Infrastructure Services

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Compliant S0013 Inspection N/A 21/07/2022 N/A

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (formally know as the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment)

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Compliant S0120 Inspection N/A 24/06/2021 N/A
Compliant S0055 Inspection N/A 28/10/2021 - 22/2/2022 N/A
Compliant S0008 Inspection N/A 07/06/2023 N/A
Compliant S0055 Inspection N/A 06/06/2023 N/A

Department of Defence/Australian Defence Force

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Compliant F0213 Inspection N/A 20/07/22 - 21/07/22 N/A
Compliant F0252 Inspection N/A 19/07/22 N/A
Compliant S0042 Inspection (report withheld) N/A 08/06/2021 N/A
Compliant S0042 Inspection N/A 09/06/2021 N/A
Compliant F0113 Inspection N/A 2-3/2/2022 N/A

Department of Home Affairs

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Compliant S0092 Inspection N/A 24/06/2021 N/A
Compliant S0092 Inspection N/A 15/07/2021 N/A
Compliant S0092 Inspection N/A 3/09/2021 N/A
Breach S0135 Self-reported Not significant 6/10/2021 6/10/2021
Compliant F0136 Inspection N/A 15/12/2021 N/A
Compliant F0155 Inspection N/A 9/2/2022 N/A
Compliant F0125 Inspection N/A 30/3/2022 N/A
Compliant F0131 Inspection N/A 24/5/2022 N/A

Director of National Parks

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Breach F0093 Inspection Not significant 20/05/2021 30/06/2021
Breach F0093 Inspection Not significant 20/05/2021 30/06/2021

National Gallery of Australia

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Compliant S0024 Inspection N/A 11/03/2021 N/A
Compliant S0024 Inspection N/A 19/06/2023 N/A

Norfolk Island Health and Residential Aged Care Service (NIHRACS)

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Breach S0324 Inspection Not significant 25/06/2021 15/10/2021
Breach S0324 Inspection Not significant 25/06/2021 15/10/2021

Silex Systems

Outcome Licence number Method of detection Implications for safety or security Date identified/determined Date resolved
Compliant S0090 Inspection N/A 17/12/2022 N/A

List of good practices

1 The use of external video cameras capable of providing safe observation from outside the laboratory when forensic examination of radiological materials takes place thereby limiting the risk of exposure. 
2 An electronic radiation source inspection checklist used to assess the compliance of controlled apparatus with both the licence holder’s internal requirements and relevant codes and standards. 
3 The use of computer aided modelling of the floor plan or layout of the indoor area in which industrial radiography is to be conducted for the purpose of identifying areas of potential exposure and establishing safety boundaries. 

 

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