Security of Radioactive Sources in Radiation Facilities

FOREWORD
Activities concerning establishment and utilisation of nuclear facilities and use of
radioactive sources are to be carried out in India in accordance with the provisions of
the Atomic Energy Act, 1962. In pursuance of ensuring safety of members of the
public and occupational workers as well as protection of environment, the atomic
energy regulatory board (AERB) has been entrusted with the responsibility of laying
down safety standards and enforcing rules for such activities. The Board has, therefore,
undertaken a programme of developing safety standards, safety codes, related guides
and manuals. While some of these documents cover aspects such as siting, design,
construction, operation, quality assurance and decommissioning of nuclear and radiation
facilities, other documents cover regulatory aspects of these facilities.
Safety codes and safety standards are formulated on the basis of internationally accepted
safety criteria for design, construction and operation of specific equipment, systems,
structures and components of nuclear and radiation facilities. Safety codes establish
the objectives and set requirements that shall be fulfilled to provide adequate assurance
for safety. Safety guides and guidelines elaborate various requirements and furnish
approaches for their implementation. Safety manuals deal with specific topics and
contain detailed scientific and technical information on the subject. These documents
are prepared by experts in the relevant fields and are extensively reviewed by advisory
committees of the Board before they are published. The documents are revised when
necessary, in the light of experience and feedback from users as well as new
developments in the field.
In India, radiation sources are being widely used for societal benefits in industry,
medical practices, research, training and agriculture. It has been reported from all
over the world that unsecured radioactive sources caused serious radiological accidents
involving radiation injuries and fatalities. Particular concern was expressed regarding
radioactive sources that have become orphaned (not under regulatory control) or
vulnerable (under weak regulatory control and about to be orphaned). There is a concern
about safety and security of radioactive sources and hence the need of stringent
regulatory control over the handling of the sources and their security. In view of this,
this guide is prepared which gives provisions necessary to safeguard radiation
installations against theft of radioactive sources and other malevolent acts that may
result in radiological consequences. It is, therefore, required that the radiation sources
are used safely and managed securely by only authorised personnel. This guide is
intended to be used by users of radiation sources in developing the necessary security
plan for sources.
Consistent with the accepted practice, ‘shall’ and ‘should’ are used in the guide to
distinguish between a firm requirement and desirable option respectively. Appendices
and bibliography are included to provide further information on the subject that might
be helpful to the user. Approaches for implementation, different to those set out in the
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