Principles of radiation safety
- Planned radiation practices have to be justified by proving that they are the best based on other benefits in relation to the potential health detriment they may cause.
- Any exposure must be kept as low as possible.
- Exposure doses cannot exceed the limits established on the basis of the Radiation Act.
A radiation practice licence gives the right to carry out radiation activities.
A radiation practice licence is required:
- Exploitation, closure and decommissioning of any facility of nuclear fuel cycle
- Production, use, storage and transportation of radioactive substances and products containing it
- Use and storage of electrical radiation apparatuses
- Management and transportation of radioactive waste
- Activities related to the presence of increased natural exposures
- The installation, repair and maintenance of radiation sources
Issue of radiation practice licences is decided within 90 days as of the receipt of a conforming application and documents. If a radiation practice licence is applied for high risk radiation practices, the Environmental Board may extend the above-mentioned time limit by up to 90 days.
The application for radiation practice licence is carried out through the environmental information system KOTKAS, where the following is conducted:
- Application for and amendment of radiation practice licence
- Reporting (inventory) and responsibilities related to permits
- Submission of documents certifying compliance with the conditions relating to the permits
- Correspondence on procedures
- Payment of the state fee.
The information system KOTKAS
The application for radiation practice licence is carried out in the environmental information system KOTKAS.
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Technical problems of the information system KOTKAS
KOTKAS customer support:
In case of questions about the content of the application for a radiation practice licence, please contact the permit/application manager.
A state fee is to be paid for the review of an application for a radiation practice licence and/or for amendment application.
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The radiation practice licence is amended if the holder of the licence intends to:
- Commission new or additional radiation sources.
- Change the data of the radiation source indicated in the radiation practice licence or terminate the use of it
- Deliver the radiation source to another person or dispose of it as radioactive waste.
- Change the radiation practice, method of management, maximum quantities or storage facilities of produced radioactive waste determined in the radiation practice licence.
- Change the location, facilities or premises where the radiation practice is carried out.
- Employ a new radiation safety specialist.
- Otherwise substantially modify the radiation activities described in the licence
- Change the name and registry code or address of the holder of the licence.
When applying for amendment of the radiation practice licence:
- In case referred to in points 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 above, the Environmental Board decides to amend the radiation practice licence within 30 days as of receiving the proper application
- In case referred to in points 2, 6, and 8 above, the Environmental Board decides to amend the radiation practice licence within 5 days as of receiving the proper application.
If the Environmental Board sets a deadline for the applicant to amend the radiation practice licence for the elimination of deficiencies or submission of specifying data, the term for processing the application shall be extended by the time of submission of the data.
Pursuant to the Radiation Act, transportation of radioactive substances and apparatuses containing radioactive substances, over the state border, in which the activity or activity concentration exceeds the exemption level is organized pursuant to the procedure provided for in legislation concerning hazardous loads.
Import, export and transfer to a country other than a Member State of the European Union
An application for a radiation practice licence for the importation of a radioactive substance into the Republic of Estonia from a country other than a Member State of the European Union or for export from Estonia to a country other than a Member State of the European Union is submitted in the information system KOTKAS.
Issue of radiation practice licences is decided within 90 days as of the receipt of a conforming application and documents. If the Environmental Board sets a deadline for the applicant to eliminate deficiencies in the materials of the application for a radiation activity licence or to submit more specifying data concerning the materials of the application, the term for processing the application shall be extended by the time of elimination of deficiencies or submission of specifying data.
Import and export to a country that is a Member State of the European Union
The transport of radiation sources between the Member States of the European Union is regulated by Regulation (EURATOM) No. 1493/93 of the Council of Europe of 8 June 1993 on the transport of radioactive substances from one Member State to another. The Regulation applies to the transport of sealed radiation sources and other radiation sources from one Member State to another.
In order to export sealed radiation sources to a Member State of the European Union, the sender must make sure that the recipient of the source has a prior written declaration for this purpose. The recipient confirms in the declaration that it complies with all the provisions established in the Member State of destination and the national requirements for the use of such types of radiation sources. The declaration is sent to the competent authority of the Member State of the recipient of the radiation source for approval.
In order to import sealed radiation sources from a Member State of the European Union, the recipient of the radiation source or its authorised representative prepares a declaration and sends the declaration on paper in 3 copies to the Environmental Board for approval at Keskkonnaamet, kliima- ja kiirgusosakond, Kopli 76, 10416 Tallinn.
- Declaration form for the transport of sealed radiation sources (in English)
The Environmental Board recognises a radiation practice licence issued in another contracting state of the European Economic Area if the undertaking wishes to carry out radiation activities in Estonia for a limited period of time. Recognition is granted for up to three years.
If an undertaking is registered in another contracting state of the European Economic Area and has been issued a radiation practice licence there, the undertaking shall submit an application to the Environmental Board for the provision of the service in Estonia with the following data and documents:
- The name of the applicant, registry code and contact details
- Description of the planned radiation activity
- A copy of a radiation practice licence issued by the competent authority in the country of residence, legalised or certified by a certificate (apostil), unless otherwise provided by the international agreement
- Estonian version of the radiation practice licence prepared by a sworn translator or notarized
- Extract from the registration card of the commercial register of the country of location
- Location and time period of radiation activities in Estonia
- Contact details of the representative of an Estonian customer
- Data on exposed workers, their professional training and monitoring of their individual doses
- Other data necessary for assessment of radiation safety.
An application for recognition is submitted at:
- Kopli 76, 10416 Tallinn
- info@keskkonnaamet.ee
The format below may also be used to submit an application for recognition:
Any natural person holding a respective certificate or an authorised person may act as a radiation expert.
Radiation expert is a person who consults holders of radiation sources and other persons to the extent of his or her knowledge and skills, inter alia, in the following areas:
- Taking into account of radiation safety requirements when designing facilities intended for radiation practices
- Classifying of jobs at the location of radiation practice into control and surveillance areas
- Monitoring programmes for locations of radiation practices
- Protective equipment and measuring equipment, including the selection and control thereof
- Preparation of radiation safety quality management systems
- Safe management of radioactive waste
- Risk analyses and radiological emergency response plans
- Training of radiation workers and radiation safety specialists
- Taking into service of new or modified radiation sources.
Recognized radiation experts:
-
Priit Ruuge, info@kiirgusohutus.ee
Radiation expert’s certificate No. 15, issued on 28 May 2020 and valid for five years. The certificate gives the right to act as a radiation expert in the field of training and refresher courses of exposed workers and radiation safety specialists as well as in medical applications field.
-
Eduard Gerškevitš, eduardger@yahoo.uk
Radiation expert’s certificate No. 16, issued on 19 October 2020 and valid for five years. The certificate gives the right to act as a radiation expert in the field of training and refresher courses of exposed workers and radiation safety specialists as well as in the field of medical applications and usage of accelerators.
In order to apply for a radiation expert's certificate, the following is required:
- Application - format (PDF)
- A copy of the document certifying higher education
- Documents certifying completion of the curriculum, other professional qualifications, radiation safety training or refresher training courses provided for in Annex 1 (PDF) to Regulation No 45 of the Minister of the Environment of 27.10.2016
- When applying for a certificate in the field of training and refresher training courses of exposed workers and radiation safety specialists, details of the teaching material used, including copies of lectures and exercises, software and descriptions of practical work.
A state fee has to be paid for reviewing the application for a radiation expert's certificate.
A signed application with additional documents is submitted at:
- Kopli 76, 10416, Tallinn
- info@keskkonnaamet.ee
Persons who have acquired foreign professional qualifications may be employed as radiation experts if their professional qualifications have been recognised in accordance with the Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act. Pursuant to §7 (2) of the Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act, the competent authority is the Environmental Board.
A radiation safety specialist is a person with technical competence in the issues connected to relevant radiation practices who may be designated the person in control of compliance with radiation safety requirements at the undertaking by the holder of radiation practice licence.
Depending on the nature of the radiation practice, a radiation safety specialist may perform inter alia the following duties:
- Ensure that radiation works are performed in compliance with the requirements prescribed in the radiation work rules
- Check the implementation of workplace monitoring plans
- Maintain records of relevant data relating to all sources of radiation
- Regularly assess the operation of safety and warning systems
- Check the implementation of plans for monitoring of individual doses of exposed workers
- Check the implementation of plans for medical surveillance of exposed workers
- Present the radiation work rules and instructions to new workers
- Prepare work plans relating to radiation practices or participate in the preparation thereof
- Submit reports to the management
- Participate in prevention of any emergency exposure situation and in the arrangements for preparedness for responding to it
- Instruct exposed workers and arrange their training
- Co-operate with radiation experts.
In the case of high risk radiation practice licences or if the holder of a radiation practice licence has more than ten exposed workers, designation of a radiation safety specialist is mandatory.
Designation of a radiation safety specialist does not release the holder of a radiation practice licence of the responsibility to ensure radiation safety.
Exposed worker is any person in employment or service relationship with a holder of a radiation practice licence, including any outside worker, who incurs exposure at work from practices governed by this Act and whose incurred radiation doses exceed or may exceed the dose limits established for members of the public.
Categories of exposed workers:
- Exposed workers of category A who may incur an effective dose exceeding six millisieverts
- Exposed worker of category B who are exposed workers and who are not classified as exposed workers of category A.
More specific obligations and conditions of the holder of a radiation practice licence are set out separately in each radiation practice licence, different conditions and obligations there depend on the specific nature of the radiation practice.
Radiation safety is ensured if three basic principles are followed:
- Justification for radiation practices - proving that the benefits of radiation practices exceed the harm
- Optimization of radiation
- Limitation of exposure doses.
When using a radiation source, it is important to follow the manufacturer's instructions for use and other relevant technical instructions to ensure the safety of the source, workers and other persons.
The purpose of physical protection is to ensure construction, technical and operational measures to prevent and stop the risk of illegal removal of a source of radiation.
The holder of a radiation practice licence is obliged to develop and implement a quality management system of radiation safety that ensures compliance with the requirements provided for in legislation and the conditions specified in the radiation practice licence.
The holder of a radiation practice licence organises the monitoring of individual doses of exposed workers and the submission of monitoring data to the dose register.
- Individual doses of exposed workers of category A is continuously monitored at workplaces and monitoring is performed at least once per month.
- Individual dose monitoring of exposed workers of category B must be sufficient to demonstrate that the workers are correctly classified in category B.
The holder of a radiation practice licence ensures the exposed worker the following by taking into account the nature of the work and the conditions of the workplace:
- Initial radiation safety training within six months of commencement of employment and thereafter refresher training course once every five years
- Initial guidance before the commencement of radiation practice and in the future repeated instruction once a year in case of moderate and high-risk radiation practices and, if necessary, additional guidance.
The holder of a radiation practice licence organises:
- Medical examination of a category A exposed worker before starting work and thereafter once a year
- Medical examination of category B exposed worker in accordance with the procedure provided for in the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Immediate emergency medical examination of exposed workers in case of exceeding dose limit rates.
The holder of a radiation practice licence ensures the inventory of radiation sources and radioactive waste and appropriate radiation monitoring.
The following is submitted to the issuer of the licence once a year by 1 March:
- Summary of the annual occupational exposure doses received by the exposed worker. To evaluate the individual doses using a computational method, see the instructions for assessing the individual doses of exposed workers
- Report on the inventory of radiation sources
- Report on inventory of radioactive waste and emissions
- Results of radiation monitoring of the radiation source control and/or monitoring area in accordance with the conditions set out in the radiation practice licence
- And other reports provided for by the licence.
The holder of a radiation practice licence notifies the Environmental Board immediately of:
- Loss and theft of a radiation source
- An incident or accident in the course of radiation activities, as a result of which the exposed worker or resident has received a higher dose of radiation than the limits.
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Last updated: 02.12.2022
