Radiation and Nuclear Safety SR 98 - National Report

National Report of the Slovak Republic - Radiation and Nuclear Safety , September 1998

3.1.4 State Supervision in the Area of Health Protection Against Radiation

Supervision over radiation protection in the Slovak Republic is performed by State health supervision. The authority to exercise State health supervision for radiation protection is Ministry of Health - Hygienist General of the Slovak Republic. The supervision is organized from Radiation Health Protection Center established at State Health Institute of the Slovak Republic.

The tasks of State health protection include:

Licensing of establishment of workplaces with ionizing radiation sources, of handling of radiation sources (health sector, industry, science and research, workplaces where natural radionuclides occur etc.), of alterations of construction structures and technologies, transport of radioactive irradiators, wastes and contaminated equipment, of removing contaminated equipment, materials and objects from controlled zone and their further use, of exercise of monitoring for assessment of personal exposure etc. In this respect, it also licenses nuclear installations. With respect to nuclear installations however licenses issued by Hygienist General of the Slovak Republic do not represent the final licensing. Without this license however applicant may not be licensed. State health supervision authority is authorized to comment on spatial plans, on setting of hygienic protection zones, on implementation of new technological and working procedures, as well as on management of hazardous wastes.

Control of the compliance with the provisions of legal regulations concerning radiation protection, control of measures taken to protect the health of nuclear installation staff against the effects of radiation, control of the compliance with protection principles including that of ALARA.

Checking of the effects of nuclear installation operation on the environment and population load.

Setting of irradiation limits to staff working with ionizing radiation sources as well as to the general population.

Setting of radioactive emissions limits and assessment of suggested limits to liquid discharges from nuclear installations.

Review of assessment models of the impact of radioactive discharges on radiation load of the general population.

Approval of working procedures for the work with radiation sources from the viewpoint of health protection assurance.

Approvals of controlled zones.

Approvals of internal and external emergency plans from the viewpoint of health protection assurance.

Checking of professional competence and health-related capability of staff from the viewpoint of health protection assurance.

Licensing Procedure

Applicant for licensing of handling of ionizing radiation sources or his professional representative for issues of health protection against radiation (qualified expert) must meet the following criteria:

must be competent to act,

must have qualifications and professional experience as required by law,

must have professional competence for working with ionizing radiation sources; he/she may obtain certificate of professional competence based on successful passing of an exam organized by professional board established by Regional Hygienist,

must be healthy,

must be of good character.

The law requires new license whenever there is a change in professional representative.

Requirements Related to Applicant-Submitted Documents

Applicant for the licensing of handling of ionizing radiation sources submits reasoned application for the use of ionizing radiation sources, documents evidencing the above mentioned eligibility criteria, characterization of activities and the technical equipment, documents concerning the buildings and technologies documenting that health protection against radiation criteria have been provided for at the workplace and its surroundings, suggestions for the definition of the controlled zone, suggested measures to provide for health protection of the staff and the general public, emergency plan, traumatology plan, safety-related documents, enterprise guidelines, operation regulations and standards of quality assurance related to health protection against radiation.

Supervisory Body

In issues of radiation protection, the State health supervision body is Ministry of Health - Hygienist General of the Slovak Republic. State health supervision in issues of health protection against radiation in nuclear installation in the SR is exercised by Health Protection Against Radiation Center established at the State Health Institute of the SR, Bratislava (COZPZ). COZPZ has currently three departments.

At nuclear installations, supervision is being performed by the staff of Department of Health Protection Against Radiation in Nuclear Installations. The Department has two sections:

Construction and Operation of Nuclear Installations Section,

Bringing of NI Into Radiation Safe Status, and Radioactive Wastes Section.

Also, Environmental Radioactivity Department participates in the monitoring of the nuclear installations surrounding area.