Nuclear Safety Committee
MINUTES
Date:	10 March 2017	
Time:	10:00 am to 04:00 pm	
Location:	Wattle Room, Level 3, Miranda with tour of ANSTO ANM facility (under construction)	
Secretariat:	Mr John Ward, Continuous Improvement Section, Regulatory Services Branch
	
Scribe:	Mr Chris Nickel, Continuous Improvement Section, Regulatory Services Branch	
Members:	Dr Tamie Weaver (Chair); Dr Carl-Magnus Larsson (CEO ARPANSA); Mr Christopher Tola; Dr Peter Karamoskos; Mr Tony Irwin; Mr Donald Macnab; Mr Ian Drinnan, Dr Robert Lee; Mr Robert Lyon; Mr Peter Wilkinson; Ms Kerrie-Anne Christian	
Invitees:	Mr Jim Scott; Dr Samir Sarkar; Ms Paula Berghofer	
Apologies	None	

1	Introduction	
Item 1.1	Attendance and Apologies	
There were no apologies for this meeting. All members were present.
Item 1.2	Declaration of Potential Conflicts of Interests	
No potential conflicts were declared at this meeting. Previously declared potential conflicts of interest are maintained by the secretariat.
Item 1.3	Minutes of the previous meeting	
Draft Minutes of the previous meeting were circulated to members following the meeting. Member comments were addressed and the minutes have been agreed and published online.
Item 1.4	Meeting Dates	
The following dates were confirmed:
•	Friday, 30 June 2017 (change from May 2017)
•	Friday, 20 October 2017
•	Friday, 16 March 2018, noting this is in next triennium.
Item 1.5	Safety/Security Moment	
A Committee member presented on the characteristics of a good safety moment. These include that safety moments should be relevant, short, and lead to learnings beyond the immediate issue discussed.
2	Update on major Controlled Facilities and Inspections	
Item 2.1	ANM Facility Tour	
The Committee was given a tour of the ANSTO Nuclear Medicine (ANM) facility, which is currently under construction, to provide context to future considerations including any Committee reviews associated with the expected application for a licence to operate the ANM Facility. 
Item 2.2	OPAL	
No significant regulatory issues or concerns were raised among Committee members. However, a member requested information on the outcomes of the events discussed in the June 2016 Committee meeting, which they were not able to attend.
ACTION: Secretariat to request that at the next meeting ARPANSA provide a summary of outcomes resulting from discussions at the June meeting.
3	Business Arising	
Item 3.1	Outstanding Actions	
The Committee noted that all outstanding actions were completed.
Item 3.2	National Radioactive Waste Management Facility Updates	
The CEO provided a brief update on ARPANSA’s activities regarding the planned National Radioactive Waste Management Facility. ARPANSA is continuing to work with the site identified, noting that another site has also been proposed. This is in addition to the formal public consultation which would commence once an application is received. It is expected that the regulatory guide and information for stakeholders, previously reviewed by the Committee, will be published prior to the next Committee meeting. The Committee will be notified once the guides are published.
4	Correspondence	
The Committee noted that there was one piece of incoming correspondence:
•	A letter from Dr Paterson, CEO of ANSTO to the CEO of ARPANSA. Dr Paterson welcoming the NSC to site, though he regrets he was unable to meet with the NSC during the site visit.
Action: Respond to Dr Paterson thanking him for facilitating the ANM site tour. 
The Committee noted the following outgoing correspondence:
•	Letter to CEO of ARPANSA - NSC Validation of the Regulatory Performance Framework self-assessment report.
•	Letter to CEO of ARPANSA – from the NSC regarding NRWMF communication strategy resourcing (available on ARPANSA’s website).

5	Main Items for Discussion	
Item 5.1	Regulator Performance Framework Indicators	
ARPANSA sought comment from the Committee on the proposed new Performance Indicators which are used to measure performance against the Regulator Performance Framework.  The Committee noted that these indicators would continue to evolve over time as the Regulator Performance Framework assessment process matures.  The Committee also recognised the value of ARPANSA actively involving all Regulatory Branch staff in the development of the new Performance Indicators.  
The Committee supported the updates to the indicators, including the balance of quantitative and qualitative indicators. The Committee noted care should be taken to use consistent language and explain terminology which may not be commonly used by non-ARPANSA staff. 
The NSC unanimously endorsed the performance indicators as presented. 
The Committee noted that minor changes to the wording would be likely during the final review and approval process.
6	Reports	
Item 6.1	ARPANSA - Significant Activities	
The CEO provided an update on significant ARPANSA activities. This included routine operations and inspections, the expected application for the ANM facility operating licence, a recent application to amend the construction licence for the Synroc waste treatment plant (Symo), and budget considerations including staffing and recruitment updates. 
Action: ARPANSA to provide an update on the Symo facility at the next meeting.
Item 6.2	Radiation Health Committee	
The Committee was provided a summary of the recent activities of the Radiation Health Committee, including progress towards the forthcoming IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission, and progress on the Radiation Protection Series publications. The progressed publications included the published Code for Radiation Protection in Planned Exposure Situations (RPS C-1), the draft Guide for Radiation Protection in Existing Exposure Situations that had been released for consultation, the planned guide covering emergency exposure situations, as well as an update to the existing radiofrequency standards (RPS3). An update on consultation on laser/ intense pulsed light was also provided. 
Minutes of the Radiation Health Committee meetings can be downloaded from the ARPANSA website.
Item 6.3	Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council	
The CEO of ARPANSA presented a summary of the recent activities of the Council, and the agenda for the upcoming Council meeting which will include a tour of the Victorian State Control Centre (SCC) and discussions on emergency preparedness, skin cancer prevention strategies and referral guidelines in diagnostic imaging.
Minutes of the Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council meetings can be downloaded from the ARPANSA website.
7	Other Business	
Item 7.1	Guide for Radiation Protection in Existing Exposure Situations	
ARPANSA invited members to make submissions on the draft RPS G-2, the Guide for Radiation Protection in Existing Exposure Situations (Existing Exposure Guide) as part of the public consultation process.
Item 7.2	NSC Continuous Improvement	
As part of continuous improvement ARPANSA continues to evaluate and enhance its secretariat functions.  The Committee noted that a number of minor changes have been made, which were seen as positive, and that further improvements are expected including branding updates. The Committee noted that the govdex system was restrictive in some ways, and requested that Word and PDF versions be available where possible.
8	Information on Nuclear Safety Matters and Regulatory Activities	
The Committee was provided with reports including Overseas Travel Reports, and a list of IAEA draft documentation for review.
9	Closure and Next Meeting	
The next meeting is scheduled to occur on 30 June 2016.