Management of French Radioactive Sources: SIGIS Workshop Insights

1. French National Radioactive Sources Register (SIGIS) International Workshop on National Sources Registry 20-23 March 2017, Vienna celine.reuter@irsn.fr (IRSN – source expertise unit)

2. Regulatory background (1/3) International regulatory framework • Euratom Council Regulation 1493/93 (european transfers) • Euratom Directive 2013/59 • IAEA recommendations • Code of conduct • Guidance on the import and export of radioactive sources (especially about sources of categories 1 and 2 according IAEA definition)

3. Regulatory background (2/3) French provisions pertaining to radioactive sources revised to take into account international framework • Public health code (2007 release) • which activity requires an authorization • rules to follow for various movements (import/export, supply, acquisition to use, source taking back) • supplier inventory every 3-months • Labour code (2007 release) • training and surveillance of the staff • control of facilities • user inventory every year

4. Regulatory background (3/3) IRSN role • Management of the national register of radioactive sources • Control of compliancy of source movements towards authorization framework • Expertise to the national authorities if requested before granting authorizations

5. Actors Contrôle des sources French Nuclear Safety Authorities (ASN, DSND, Local representative of the governement) Industrial users (8000) ANDRA National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management Association RESSOURCES financial provisions Customs International organisations Medical users (2500) Industrial suppliers(220) Medical suppliers (65)

6. 45000 SEALED SOURCES recorded in database USE RADIONUCLIDES ACTIVITÉ 7% 52% 11% 30% MBq GBq TBq

7. The national register of radioactive sources Basic principles • Each source transfer is only possible between two authorized persons • Each source transfer must be recorded in the national register prior to the physical transfer • Forms filled in by the supplier and the user • IRSN Visa to prove and to endorse the record in the national register • Report of all irregular transfers to the competent authorities • Yearly cross check: inventories vs national register • Commitment of the supplier for source « back trip »

8. SIGIS : the national register database Operated since 2002 A database belonging to IRSN shared with ASN

9. Authority IRSN Copy of paper sheet notifying authorization Transmission of pre-formatted forms to the licensee Licensee / user SIGIS : Registration of data FIRST STEP Registration of these features into the « steady » part of SIGIS

10. SIGIS : registration of dataSECOND AND THIRD STEPS • Second step : movements • Endorsement of the forms sent by the licensee • Registration of features of the movement in SIGIS • Automatic update of the amount of radioactive sources owned by the user • Disused sources : sources removed from the inventory if taking back certificate (register updated) • Third step : Cancellation • Check if inventory is empty for users (IRSN) • Check if there is no more sources disseminated by the supplier (IRSN) • Notification of cancellation sent by authorities • Removal of the account of the licensee

11. SIGIS : the contents • The « alive » authorizations • Previous releases (due to each change) • The « planed » authorizations • The « cancelled » authorizations • menus for devices, source models, accidents • Recordkeeping of movements • Exchanges generated along the life of an authorization (either by authorities or IRSN) • Many integrated queries

12. Authorization data IRSN VISA proving that the transfer was registered in the national register Customs data limit of validity List of concerned radionuclides destination French forms for source transfers (1/2) • Each source transfer must be recorded in the national register prior to the physical transfer using an pre-formatted form • Import/export forms : • Filled in with list of concerned radionuclides and activity, description and supplier/recipient • Data forms are registered in SIGIS database

13. Automatic controls on borders • Transfer forms are controlled on borders • Since January 2017, SIGIS is connected with DELT@-G (Customs Database) • DELT@-G receive automatic informations from SIGIS about movements declared at customs • Automatic checks are performed Time spared Highest security because of no more possibility to falsified forms

14. Authorization data IRSN VISA Source data Supplier data Use description Device including source data Source to exchange Supplier commitment French forms for source transfers (2/2) Purchase sealed sources forms : • Filled in with source and device references, radionuclide and activity, description and location of use, and mentionned user and supplier authorization • Contain a supplier commitment for taking back sealed source when not used anymore or after 10 year use

15. Focus on management of used sources When a source is not used anymore : The usual return route • Obligation of the user: to get rid of all disused sources • Obligation of the supplier : take back all sources on request of the user, with no condition • General rule: a source cannot be used for more than 10 years What else • Financial provisions to ensure the safe management, in case the supplier is out of business • Orphan sources (seldom met) : discovery of a source out of regulatory control  characterization and sent to ANDRA • But there are limits due to operating rules of ANDRA shallow-land repository

16. Outstanding points • An system co-operated by two different bodies • Registration and endorsement PRIOR TO the movement • Registration of sources from highest activities levels down to exemption levels • A fifty year old register

17. Conclusions and Future prospects • The system allows currently the management of 10000 authorizations and 40 000 sealed sources • The system has been renovated 3 years ago • to use new technology (internet for example) • to open the system to authorities (or institutional partners) spread out across the territory and to the users/suppliers • To upload and download forms at different stages of validation (still in progress)