Validation process of the Radiation Safety and Security Regulations 2018 starts

The Ministry of Employment, Immigration and Civil Status in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is in the process of validating the draft Radiation Safety and Security Regulations 2018.

As part of the validation process, the IAEA expert, Trevor Boal, came to Seychelles to participate in the review of the draft regulations and provide technical support to the discussions with stakeholders.

His meeting with the technical team which participated in the drafting of the Regulations on October 22 and 23, 2018 was to discuss the different parts of the regulations and on October 25 and 26 to discuss the comments brought forward by the stakeholders during the validation workshop on Wednesday October 24.

Mr Boal worked for 15 years as a scientific officer with the regulatory body for Radiation Safety in the State of Victoria in Austria and for 17 years as a Regulatory Standards specialist at the IAEA. He was the technical officer responsible for coordinating the revision of the International Basic Safety Standard for Radiation Protection.

The main objective of this validation workshop of the draft Radiation Safety & Security Regulations is to ensure adequate protection and safety of workers and the general public in the acceptable use of radiation and radioactive materials.

Seychelles became a member of the IAEA in September 2002 and the Radiation Safety and Security Act, which is a statutory framework and national regulatory infrastructure in accordance with international standards, was assented in October 2014.  As a member, we are obliged to introduce national law and regulations for the safety of sources of ionizing radiation, radiation protection, safe management of radioactive waste and the safe transportation of radioactive material.

The Ministry of Employment, Immigration and Civil Status as the Competent Authority, has among its various responsibilities to establish regulations governing radiation safety and security, enforce the radiation safety and security legislation in order to ensure the safe use of radioactive materials among importers and suppliers of radioactive equipment or sources, persons involved in radioactive activities such as medical and dental practices and those in possession of industrial radioactive equipment and laboratories in the country.