CURRENT STATUS OF Bangladesh in RADIATION PROTECTION

COUNTRY PRESENTATION: BANGLADESH

IAEA/ RCA REVIEW MEETING OF NATIONAL FOCAL POINTS ON RADIATION

PROTECTION7-11 JUNE 2004, BEIJING, CHINA

Dr. C. S. KarimBangladesh Atomic Energy

Commission

Radiation practices of different types are increasing gradually. Now these are applied in a number of areas and have relevance to national

development Consequences of lack of control

May become counter productive??Radiation Control is thus

indispensable

Introduction

Fields of application/ End-user sectors Healthcare Industry Construction Water resources Isotope production Food preservation Oil and gas exploration, etc.

Introduction (contd.)

The Law on Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control Act 1993 BAEC identified as the Competent Authority. BAEC formulated Rules of 1997 Redeeming Features:

Rules consistent with the Basic Safety Standard Empowerment of regulator to frame rules

and regulations Provisions non-discriminatroy: Regulation of BAEC Activities same footing

Legal and Administrative Instruments

Amended law on the creation of an independent regulatory Board

Comments on the draft from the Legal Division of IAEA incorporated Penalty Clause to be revised Draft awaits cabinet approval before enactment by the Parliament

Legal and Administrative Instruments(contd.)

Funding

Fund for regulatory activities are provided from following sources Government Fund License and permit fee Registration Fees from trainees Technical Assistance from IAEA Occasional Financial Assistance (WHO..) for specific activities

GOVERNMENT INPUTS SUBSTANTIAL A project on strengthening taken up

Coordination and Cooperation

Coordination and cooperation with the concerned Ministries and agencies effective and focused MOHFW: National Committee on radiation control Professional associations:

Society of Radiology and imaging Society of Nuclear Medicine Medical Physicist’s Association Society of Radiation Oncologist Association of X-ray Owners Bangaladesh Cancer Society NDT Society, etc.

International agencies (IAEA, WHO..)

Activities of Regulatory Authority

Salient features

Notification and EmpowermentNotification: Electronic and printed media

Professional associations Concerned Ministries MOSICT letter to district administration Nation-wide survey made possible through effective notification measures Empowerment adequate ( NSRC Law)

Activities of Regulatory Authority

Salient features

Authorization NSRC Law: Defines system Application forms prescribed (8 practices) Information collected from survey and site visit

by Inspectors Evaluation done on the basis of set criteria Conditional licenses are sometimes issued. Final license on the basis of revisit and compliance of conditions

Practices Number Licences Issued

Diagnostic radiology 2392 1350 (52%)

Radiotherapy 9 8 (90%)

Nuclear medicine 17 17 (100%)

Industrial radiography 10 9 (90%)

Industrial irradiator 3 3 (100%)

Nuclear gauges and well logging 18 18 (100%)

Research reactor and neutron generator 5 4 (80%)

Radioisotope production 1 1(100%)

Waste storage (under construction) 1 0

Beach sand processing 1 0

Total 2457 1420 (60%)

Inventory of radioactive source by practice as of May, 2004

024

68

101214

161820

Radiotherapy Nuclear

medicine

Industrial

radiography

Industrial

irradiator

Nuclear

gauges and

well logging

Research

reactor and

neutron

generator

Radioisotope

production

Waste

storage

(under

construction)

Beach sand

processing

Practices

Num

ber o

f Pra

ctic

es a

nd L

icen

ses

Issu

ed

Number

License Issued

Activities of Regulatory Authority Licensing

Status of licensing of radiation facilities: May 2004

Activities of Regulatory Authority:Salient features

Elements of verification of compliance are:inspectionRadiological safety assessmentnotification of incidents and accidentsReports on licensing Systematic assessment of licensees

Experience Contd.

COMPLIANCE MONITORING Inspection Inspectors carry out the tasks to assess responsiveness of activities to the related requirements as stipulated in the legal instruments. Types of inspection

Announced, UnannouncedExit meeting : Deficiencies discussed and advicesFollow up: Letter confirming findings

Regulatory Activities

Authorization: Purpose: Compliance with regulatory

requirements Authorization system delineated in NSRC Rules of 1997. prescribed application forms for licenses in 8 different categories developed Evaluation is conducted on the basis of : (a)Information provided by the applicant (b)Information gathered during facility visits

Activities of Regulatory Authority:Salient features

Enforcement NSRC Law: Defines system Monitor and provide suggestions on non-compliance and removal of deficiencies through inspection Inspection plan and Feed back

Classified facilities according to risk of each class of activityDetermined frequency of inspection for each group

Frequency of Inspection by type of Practice

Practice Type Risk Frequency (mo)

Ind. Radiography

Stationary Medium 24

Ind. Radiography

Movable High 12

Medical Teletherapy High 12

Brachatherapy High 12

Diagnostic X-Ray Low 36

Nuclear Medicine

Therapy High 12

Diagnosis Medium 24

Ind. Practices Irradiators High 12

Level gauges Medium 24

Research X-Ray Fluoresence Low 24

Activation,Calibration

Medium 24

Analytical work Low 48

Activities of Regulatory Authority:Salient features

Verification of compliance NSRC Law: Defines system

Important elements:In-Situ inspection Radiological safety assessment Notification of accidents and incidentsReports on licensees and systematic assessment

Removal of deficiencies through inspection Inspection plan and Feed back Security of sources

Activities of Regulatory Authority::Technical Services

Analytical Service There are radioactivity measurement

services in the Health Physics Division (Dhaka) and in the Radiation Monitoring and Waste Management Laboratory. Radioactivity measurements, which may be needed for radiation safety, (leak testing of sealed sources, identification of radionuclides, etc.) can be carried out at the present time in Bangladesh.

Activities of Regulatory Authority::Technical Services Calibration

Calibration services provided to the installation in the government and private sector

Advisory Services Improvement of radiation protection in different practices Improvement of quality Capacity building and planning (i.e. Centres of excellence) Radwaste management and monitoring Maintenance of radiation measuring equipment, etc. Services are available to both the Public and

Private Sectors

Activities of Regulatory Authority:Salient features

Quality Assurance The Quality Assurance program for various radiation practices has not yet been

developed. Licensees, especially those engaged in radiation practices in the health sector, have been instructed to prepare their

respective Q.A programs. The regulator will review the Q.A programs.

Experience in implementation

BAEC established an Individual Monitoring system based on TLD’s which has the capability to cover roughly all the radiation workers The system is costly (roughly USD 450,000) Response from the radiation workers not encouraging (45% coverage) Coverage of critical groups more or less acceptable

Occupational Exposure Control:

Individual Monitoring Service

Coverage increasing due to interventions :MotivationMinistry instructionsLicensing conditionCritical group (industrial, therapeutic and

nuclear medicine) coverage betterX-Ray?? INTER-COMPARISON: Encouraging

Individual Monitoring Service

Practice(Number of facilities)

Number of radiation workers(Estimated)

Number of Radiation workers (Monitored)

Percentage of workers Monitored

Radiodiagnostic(2468 units in 2099 installations)

3000 1249 42%

Radiotherapy ( 9 units) 128 128 100%

Nuclear Medicine ( 16 units) 230 23 100 %

Irradiator, Radiography, Nucleonic Gauge, Oil Logging (37 units)

185 150 81%

Research Reactor and Other Research Facilities (3 Units)

151 151 100 %

Isotope Production, Waste Management

39 39 100%

Number of Issued TLD and Number of Organizations for the Year 2003

42

2224 24

1612

25

13

20

8

14

19

58

32

70

48

23

33

41

21

34

51

2927

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

J an'03 Feb'03 Mar'03 Apr'03 May'03 J un'03 J ul'03 Aug'03 Sep'03 Oct'03 Nov'03 Dec'03

Months

No of Organization No of TLD badge issued

Individual Monitoring Service (contd.)

[ annual average dose]

Practice No. of radiation workers

Annual average personal dose equivalent in mSv

Diagnostic Radiology 500 0.295

Nuclear Medicine 230 0.541

Radiotherapy 102 0.261

Industrial Radiography 52 1.604

Calibration

SSDL traceable to PSDL of UK Calibration and standardization of all

monitroing devices throughout the country Table) Cobalt sources of the radiotherapy unit Participation in inter-comparison programs ( JAERI, IAEA/WHO, etc.) with encouraging

results (< 3.5% deviation): Figure

SSDL Services

Year No. of survey meter

No. of pocket dosimeter

No. of TLD / Film Badge

1998 10 9 132

1999 27 9 321

2000 21 10 346

2001 71 16 256

2002 74 10 166

2003 (Provisional)

80 12 180

Total 283 66 1401

Intercomparison of Dose Quality

-3-2.5

-2-1.5

-1-0.5

00.5

11.5

22.5

3

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Year

% d

ev

iati

on

Workplace Monitoring

Workplace Monitoring BAEC recently conducted a nationwide workplace monitoring survey program Operators imparted on the spot training Needs for equipment and gadgets established Impementation by the Licensee

Anticipated problem: Finance for implementation by the private sector

Medical Exposure Control

Medical Exposure Control The authorized Radiation Control Officers (RCO) are responsible for the occupational exposure control in the respective facilities. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the WHO are now being involved to achieve desired success. A feedback workshop of the Radiation Control Officers (RCO) and a National Seminar on the survey findings of X-ray installations have been arranged

Medical Exposure Control

WHO assistance for two training events IAEA: Four training events Open Forum Discussion of RCO’s and

management of nuclear medicine practices Health: Two Centres of Excellence (National

Cancer Institute and Therapeutic Unit (Sylhet) Government committed USD 320k Additional centre of Excellence for nuclear

medicine also planned

Public Exposure Control

Public Exposure Control Efforts to account all radioactive wastes All known radium sources of the country collected, conditioned and stored safely in November 2000 Central Radioactive Waste Processing and Storage facility of BAEC expected to be

ready by June 2003 Environmental monitoring conducted regularly ( selected locations:soil vegetation, aquatic environment Radiation testing of imported food items

Transport Safety

Regulatory body is the competent authority IAEA Transport regulation adopted in the existing regulations Coordination with the Road Transport authority MOST, MOC personnel trained to facilitate coordination at the national level

Regulatory authority empowered to intervene in mitigating effects of a radilogical accident

BAEC included in the disaster management committee. Proposed action plan addressing radiological consequences of a earthquake

A comprehensive national radiological disaster preparedness and mitigation action plan envisaged for inclusion in national plan.

Major facilities are drawing up ERP at the micro level.

Emergency Response Plan

Education and Training

Three strings Regulatory personnel RCO’s of licensed facilities Users/ Practioners

Regulators PG Diploma IAEA courses (group, OJT, TOT) Resource persons for local training

A long-term training policy/ strategy will be formulated

Education and Training

RCO Training Courses ( 1-3 Weeks) for different practices.

Feed-back workshops RCO Training Courses ( 1-3 Weeks) for different practices

Training courses for different practices Total 43 (16 last year) courses 1756 participants (over 900 last year)

IAEA and WHO assisted. BAEC’s planned training institute will strengthen

training in future

Achievements with respect to IAEA Milestones

Operational system of notification, authorization, inspection and enforcement for the control of radiation sources. Bangladesh has achieved the first Milestone of the IAEA model project. BAEC has the capability to cover all radiation workers under IMS. Licensed practices/ facilities have work-monitoring

programs. Good progress toward Milestone 2 of IAEA model

project. Efforts are being made to achieve other Milestones

Conclusions

Strong government commitment and also involvement of all groups of stakeholders essential Radiation protection must override any other consideration of any radiation practice Progress in radiation protection in 2/3 years is

satisfactory Much more to achieve (scopes of radiation practices are increasing sharply) Proactive action program essential