S.I. No. 152/2012 - European Communities (Ionising Radiation) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 18th May, 2012.

I, PHIL HOGAN, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act 1972 (No. 27 of 1972) and for the purpose of giving further effect to certain provisions of Council Directive 96/29/Euratom laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionizing radiation, hereby make the following regulations.

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Ionising Radiation) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

Entry into Force

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on 14th May 2012.

3. The Radiological Protection Act, 1991 (Ionising Radiation) Order, 2000 (S.I. No. 125/2000) is hereby amended as follows:

(a) in Article 22(2), by substituting for paragraph (c) the following:

“whenever so requested by the Institute, the Institute is provided by the undertaking with a copy of the dose record for each exposed worker, apprentice and student referred to in sub paragraph (a),”

(b) in Article 22, by inserting after paragraph (8) the following:

“(9) An approved dosimetry service carrying out individual dose monitoring or assessment in pursuance of paragraph (1) shall provide the Institute with a copy of the results of such monitoring or assessment for each exposed worker, apprentice, student or person subject to accidental or emergency exposure.”

(c) the following Article 24 is substituted for Article 24 of the Principal Order:

“Approval of Radon Measurement Laboratories and Dosimetric Services

(1) A radon measurement laboratory shall not do any act in pursuance of this Order unless—

(a) in a case where its principal place of business is in the State, it complies with the general criteria for the operation of testing laboratories specified in International Standard ISO 17025 (or its equivalent for the time being) and is accredited for the purposes of this Order by the National Accreditation Board or such other body as the Minister may appoint for the purposes of this Article, and

(b) in a case where its principal place of business is in a Member State (other than the State), it is approved by the relevant competent authority for approving or authorising such services or laboratories in that State, or it is accredited by a body that is recognised by the European Co-operation for Accreditation as a body which is competent to grant such accreditation under International Standard ISO 17025 (or its equivalent for the time being).

(2) In deciding whether a laboratory should be accredited under paragraph (1)(a), the National Accreditation Board or other body referred to in that paragraph shall—

(a) apply the criteria specified in International Standard ISO 17025 (or its equivalent for the time being), and

(b) where appropriate, require the use of proficiency testing schemes.

(3) The National Accreditation Board or other body referred to in paragraph (1)(a) shall maintain a register of laboratories accredited by it under that paragraph.

(4) A dosimetric service shall not do any act in pursuance of this Order unless—

(a) it stands for the time being approved for such act by the Institute in accordance with paragraphs 5, 6 and 7.

(5) The Institute may, by a certificate in writing, approve (in accordance with such criteria as may from time to time be specified by the Institute) a dosimetry service for such of the purposes of this Order as are specified in the certificate.

(6) A certificate made pursuant to paragraph (5) may be made subject to conditions and may be amended or revoked by the Institute.

(7) An application for approval pursuant to paragraph (5) shall be made to the Institute in such format as the Institute may from time to time designate and shall include such particulars as the Institute may from time to time designate.

(8) The Institute shall maintain a register of services approved by it under paragraphs 5, 6 and 7.

(9) An approval or accreditation of a dosimetric service for the purposes of Article 24.1 of S.I. No. 125 of 2000 which is in force immediately before the commencement of these Regulations shall be deemed to constitute an approval granted for the purposes of Article 24.4 as inserted by these Regulations until the date specified in such existing approval or accreditation as the date of its expiry or 1 April 2013, whichever date is the earlier.”

Given under the Official Seal of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government,

14 May 2012.

PHIL HOGAN,

Minister for the Environment Community and Local Government.