Radiation Health Committee
MINUTES
Date:	23 March 2016	
Time:	9:30 am to 4.30 pm	
Location:	Wattle Room, ARPANSA Sydney Offices	
Secretariat:	Ms Meaghan Partridge	
Scribe:	Ms Francesca Wigney	
Members:	Dr Roslyn Drummond (Chair); Dr Carl-Magnus Larsson (CEO of ARPANSA), Mr Keith Baldry (SA);  Mr Ross Bevan (ACT); Professor Brad Cassels (VIC); Mr Simon Critchley (QLD); Mr Leif Dahlskog (WA); Mr Len Potapof (NSW);  Mr Nehal Ahmed (NT); Dr Stephen Newbery (TAS); Dr Peter Karamoskos (Public Representative); Dr Bruce Hocking (Member); Mr Robert Lyon (Nuclear Safety Committee Representative)	
Invitees:	Mr Loch Castle	
Observers:	Dr Stephen Solomon (Chief Radiation Health Scientist); Mr Jack Dillich (Chief Inspector Regulatory Services); Dr Ivan Williams (Acting Chief Medical Radiation Scientist – Medical Radiation Services); Mr Peter Colgan	
Apologies:	Dr Bruce Hocking	

1.	INTRODUCTION & STANDING ITEMS		

Item 1.1	Welcome by the Chair 	Roslyn Drummond	
The Chair welcomed the Committee and observers and noted Dr Bruce Hocking’s apology.

Item 1.2	Minutes 	Roslyn Drummond	
The Committee noted that the minutes from the previous meeting held on 18 November 2015 were confirmed out of session. 

 Item 1.3	Action & Business Arising	Roslyn Drummond	
The Committee was briefed on the status of the RHC action list. 

March 2016 Action 7: Under the Trusted International Standards (TIS) policy of Government the RHC was advised that the current ICNIRP definition of ‘occupational exposure’ will need to be retained, with any clarification to be included in relevant ICNIRP document revisions. 

Following discussion of Dr Hocking’s email to the RHC Chair on the matter, it was agreed that the  Chair would write to relevant Unions and Professional Societies and advise of ARPANSA’s adoption of the Government’s TIS Policy and thereby ‘reliance by reference’ to ICNIRP and other relevant international standards setting radiation protection bodies, and invite comments.

Action 1:   RHC Chair to write to Unions and Professional Societies advising of ARPANSA’s adoption of TIS Policy, seeking their views. (CI/RD)

 Item 1.4	Correspondence		
The Committee noted the following correspondence:
1.	From Australian Skin Clinics™ requesting to become a member of the RHC IPL working group 
Noted, and included for discussion under Item 3.6
2.	The Global Beauty Group requesting to become a member of a the RHC IPL Working Group
Noted, and included for discussion under Item 3.6 
3.	Outgoing letters to Dr Barbara Shields and Mr Russell Robinson thanking them for their contribution to the RHC as past members. Noted

 Item 1.5	Public Interest Issues		
The Committee was given a briefing on feedback from community stakeholders on the siting process for the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF), currently being undertaken by Department of Industry and Innovation and Science. Members reinforced the requirement for ARPANSA to be aware of and effectively understand and respond to socio-political issues both in the site-selection stage and subsequently once a licence application for the NRWMF is received. 

 Item 1.6	Conflict of Interest Declaration		
Nil

 Item 1.7	Radiation Health & Safety Advisory Council (RH&SAC)	Carl-Magnus Larsson	
The Committee was briefed on the outcomes of the RH&SAC Meeting held on 10-11 March 2016. Items considered included the public consultation strategy under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act and the ARPANS Act for the NRWMF, and publishing of Council minutes on the ARPANSA website.

 Item 1.8	Nuclear Safety Committee (NSC)	Robert Lyons	
The Committee was briefed on the outcome of the NSC meeting held on the 18 March 2016. Items considered included the proposed ARPANSA communication strategy and plan for the NRWMF, the ARPANSA Regulators Performance Framework Self-Assessment, the Licence Basis Reconstitution Effort, and an update on major controlled facilities and sources. 

2.	NATIONAL UNIFORMITY – ACTION/INFORMATION ITEMS		

 Item 2.1	2018 IRRS Mission to Australia	Carl-Magnus Larsson	
The Committee was briefed on the status of the IRRS Mission to Australia, which has now been confirmed, and the associated related actions. 

Action 2 from the June 2015 RHC Meeting : Members noted that Western Australia has responded to the invitation to participate in the IRRS mission seeking further information and that the decision for the Northern Territory is currently being reviewed by the Federal Policy Section. Action remains ongoing. (NT)

Action 3 and 4 -Members noted that ARPANSA, having received some contact details for appropriate decision makers, would write to jurisdictions seeking involvement in the IRRS mission. 

Action 2:  CEO to write to nominated decision makers seeking involvement in 2018 IRRS mission. (CI/CEO)

Members debated whether the RHC would be a more appropriate oversight body for the IRRS mission given that the scope has the potential to cover all of Australia. Dr Larsson would consider the option of scoping a role for the RHC in the planning and execution of the IRRS mission.

Action 3: ARPANSA CEO to consider the role the RHC could play in the oversight the IRRS mission. (CI/CEO)

 Item 2.2	Trusted International Standards	Peter Colgan	
The Committee was briefed on the draft issues paper identifying potential barriers in implementing processes and changes to current processes involved in the implementation of the TIS project.  The agreement from the Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR) that the use of TIS was acceptable and that Preliminary Assessments for Safety Areas 3, 7 and 13 would be received in the normal manner under the COAG principles. Following an intervention from Mr Potapof seeking further explanation as to the process, the Committee was advised that development of Codes in Safety Areas 3, 7 and 13 would continue to follow the 21 step process of issue resolution, as derived from Annex 1 of the NDRP, and the finished documents would be referenced in schedules to the NDRP. This would be for a total of five (5) ARPANSA Codes, four of which are in development (see Agenda Items 3.2 to 3.5 below), with the fifth document, RPS 2 ‘Code for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material’, having been published in 2014. Concerning one of the Codes under development, the Planned Exposure Code (PEC), the Committee noted advice from the OBPR that a RIS was not necessary, based on the Preliminary Assessment undertaken for the first draft of the PEC.   No further issues were raised by members. 

 Item 2.3	Review of jurisdictional Implementation of the COAG Recommendations	Loch Castle	
The Committee was briefed on the status of the implementation of the COAG recommendations on the Security of Radioactive Material (2006). Two of the twelve COAG recommendations remain outstanding, and to progress these Members agreed to support the national approach to their resolution, and RHC would be advised of progress as appropriate. 

3.	RHC WORK PROGRAM – ACTION/INFORMATION ITEMS		

Item 3.1	Project Update	Project Managers	
Members noted that the NDRP Amendment 7 on ‘User Disposal’ is still awaiting AHMAC and COAG Health Council ‘out of session’ approval. All other active RHC Projects have either been superseded by ARPANSA’s adoption of the TIS Policy, or appear as Agenda Items (below).   

Item 3.2	Medical Exposure Code (MEC)	Simon Critchley	
The Committee provided preliminary feedback to the project manager relating to terminology, style and the potential to include audit requirements. Members agreed to provide further feedback on the draft MEC by the end of April.  It was noted that the MEC had not been subjected to a Preliminary Assessment by OBPR, although it is hoped that the RIS undertaken for RPS14 will be sufficient to define the changes as minor. Nonetheless a Preliminary Assessment is urgently required to allow progress. 

Action 4: Members to provide feedback on the MEC to Paul Marks by the end of April (RHC/PM)

Action 5: A Preliminary Assessment for MEC to be sent to OBPR as soon as practicable (RHS/SC/PM)

Item 3.3	Planned Exposure Code (PEC)	Keith Baldry	
The Committee noted OBPR’s advice (see Item 2.2 above) and looked forward to finalising this document during 2016. Feedback on the draft PEC relating to potential for adoption as licence conditions was provided, and the requirement to apply consistency by use of the graded approach across jurisdictions, was recognised. Discussion occurred on the original RIS for RPS1, with some Members disputing the inclusion of the RPS1 RIS in the approval of the 2004 version of the NDRP. Members agreed to provide further feedback on the draft PEC by the end of April. ARPANSA agreed to submit for OBPR clearance the final version of the PEC, along with the updated comments resolution table, in time for the June RHC meeting.

Action 6: Check NDRP (and RPS1) historical approvals to ensure COAG processes followed. (RA)

Action 7: Members to provide feedback on the PEC to Keith Dessent by the end of April. (RHC/KD)

Action 8: ARPANSA to incorporate RHC comments and submit approval package to OBPR in time for a decision at the June RHC meeting. (KD/RA)

Item 3.4	Existing Exposure Code	Stephen Solomon	
The Committee was briefed and agreed on the updated project proposal for the development of the Code for Radiation Protection in Existing Exposure Situations, noting the target completion date of April 2016 for the Preliminary Assessment, and May 2016 for production of a working draft of the Code for tabling at the next RHC meeting. 

Action 9: Preliminary Assessment to OBPR by end of April 2016. (RHS/RA)

Action 10: Draft Existing Exposure Code to June RHC meeting. (KB/RT)

Item 3.5	Emergency Exposure Code (EEC)	Stephen Solomon	
The Committee noted that the work plan for the revision of ARPANSA RPS7 that would result in a RPS Code based on the IAEA GSR Part 7 (to be adopted as a Schedule), and including possible additional safety guidance, had been updated as a result of the decision in November 2015 to adopt TIS. The revised work plan was endorsed. A Preliminary Assessment for OBPR will be developed in April, and first draft will be available for the June RHC meeting.

Action 11: Preliminary Assessment to OBPR by end of April 2016. (RHS/RA)

Action 12: Draft Emergency Exposure Code to June RHC meeting. (BC/MG)

Item 3.6	IPL Working Group	Simon Critchley	
In response to the update on the progress of development of a regulatory guide for the use of lasers and IPLs for cosmetic purposes, Members noted that the working group review of the 264 responses from the public consultation stage was ongoing, and looked forward to the completed comments resolution table. Members noted the range of interested parties and professional bodies submitting comments, and discussed the possibility of involving the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee which has a broader mandate compared to the narrower focus of radiation safety. Members agreed that the next project steps should be to draft a decision RIS and provide this and the comments resolution table to the next RHC for review prior to submission to the OBPR. 

On the subject of the letters seeking membership (see Item 1.4), the RHC declined to expand the IPL Working Group. However if a draft Decision RIS is endorsed by OBPR, it would be appropriate to include those nominated in the letters within a Consultative Group, as per the NDRP guidance on issues resolution.

Action 13: IPL working group to table the comments resolution table and Draft Decision RIS for Use of Lasers and IPLs for Cosmetic purposes at the June 2016 meeting. (SC/RHS/JJ)

Action 14: Respond to incoming correspondence, declining IPL Working Group membership request and advising them of their invitation to join the Consultative Group if draft Decision RIS is accepted by OBPR. (CI/RD)

Item 3.7	Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA)	Ivan Williams	
The Committee noted that the draft statement on the use of DEXA for non-medical purposes was available for comment and agreed to provide feedback within 3 weeks.  

Action 15: Committee to provide feedback on the Draft DEXA statement by 15 April 2016 (RHC)

Item 3.8	Proposed Licence Condition – ACDS – type service	Brad Cassels	
The Committee noted that the draft ACDS licence conditions had been circulated out of committee session and that remaining feedback would be provided within two weeks.  

Action 16: Committee to provide feedback on draft ACDS Licence conditions by the 8 April 2016, and agreement on finalised conditions and implementation methods to be sought out of session., (RHC/MRS)

Item 3.9	Dental Cone Beam CT Course	Brad Cassels	
In response to the request to review the Dental Cone Beam CT Course training and examination material Members debated whether the RHC was the most appropriate body to provide direct recognition of courses. It was agreed that the RHC could endorse common core competency requirements but that the project manager would need to consult jurisdictions directly for course material endorsement. 

4.	GENERAL INFORMATION ITEMS		

Item 4.1	International Liaison		
Noted 

Item 4.2	International publications & other items of interest		
The Committee noted the publications and will be provided with a copy of ARPANSA’s policy for giving feedback on International Publications. 

Action 17: Secretariat to circulate the ARPANSA Policy on Representation on International Committees to RHC.

Item 4.3	Public Interest in RPS/RHS Publications		
The ARPANSA website statistics were noted. No issues were raised. 

Item 4.4	Discussion paper on laser issues	Stephen Solomon	
The Committee noted that information on safety labels for laser products will be published on the ARPANSA website once finalised. 

Item 4.5	Model Conditions for Industrial Radiography		
The Committee was informed that the suite of licence conditions considered essential for industrial radiography safety in Australia, and not otherwise covered by the drafty PEC or the IAEA’s SSG-11, are still being drafted and will be provided at the June 2016 meeting for review. 

Action 18:  Draft industrial radiography licence conditions to be tabled at the June RHC meeting.  (LD/AK)

5.	CLOSING		

Item 5.1	Any Other Business	Roslyn Drummond	
A Committee Member requested feedback from the RHC on the waste management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM).  Members agreed to forward information out of session.

Item 5.2	Next Meetings	Roslyn Drummond	

The Chair advised the Committee that the upcoming dates for the RHC meetings were 15 June and 16 November 2016 which are to be held at ARPANSA’s offices in Sydney.  

Next meeting	15 June 2016, Sydney.	
Close	3:15 pm