Radiation Protection Regulations (SOR/2000-203)

Equivalent Dose Limits

• 14 (1) Every licensee must ensure that the equivalent dose received by and committed to an organ or tissue set out in column 1 of the table to this subsection, of a person described in column 2, during the period set out in column 3, does not exceed the equivalent dose set out in column 4.

  	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4
  Item	Organ or Tissue	Person	Period	Equivalent Dose (mSv)
  1	Lens of an eye	(a) Nuclear energy worker	One-year dosimetry period	50
  		(b) Any other person	One calendar year	15
  2	Skin	(a) Nuclear energy worker	One-year dosimetry period	500
  		(b) Any other person	One calendar year	50
  3	Hands and feet	(a) Nuclear energy worker	One-year dosimetry period	500
  		(b) Any other person	One calendar year	50

• (2) For the purpose of subsection (1), where a dosimeter-wearing period or a bioassay-sampling period extends beyond the end of a dosimetry period set out in column 3 of the table to that subsection, the period is extended to the end of the dosimeter-wearing or bioassay-sampling period or by two weeks, whichever extension is shorter.

• (3) When skin is unevenly irradiated, the equivalent dose received by the skin is the average equivalent dose over the 1 cm² area that received the highest equivalent dose.

Emergencies

• 15 (1) The effective dose limits and equivalent dose limits prescribed in sections 13 and 14 do not apply to a person participating in the control of an emergency.

• (2) A licensee who requests a person to participate in the control of an emergency shall ensure that the person does not receive an effective dose greater than 50 mSv or an equivalent dose to the skin greater than 500 mSv unless that person is taking an emergency action described in Column 1 of the table to subsection (3).

• (3) A licensee who requests a person participate in the control of an emergency shall ensure, if that person takes an emergency action described in Column 1 of the table to this subsection, that the person does not receive an effective dose greater than that described in Column 2 or an equivalent dose to the skin greater than that described in Column 3.

  	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
  Item	Action	Effective dose (mSv)	Equivalent dose to the skin (mSv)
  1	Actions to minimize dose consequences, for members of the public, associated with the release of radioactive material	100	1 000
  2	Actions to prevent health effects of radiation that are fatal or life-threatening, or that result in permanent injury	500	5 000
  3	Actions to prevent the development of conditions that could significantly affect people and the environment	500	5 000

• (4) If, on the request of a licensee, a person takes actions described in more than one item of the table to subsection (3), the licensee shall ensure that the effective dose received by that person does not exceed 500 mSv and that the equivalent dose to the skin received by that person does not exceed 5 000 mSv.

• (5) A licensee shall limit the effective dose and equivalent dose received by and committed to persons participating in the control of an emergency to as low as is reasonably achievable, social and economic factors being taken into account.

• (6) A licensee shall notify as soon as feasible the person who received the dose of radiation and the Commission in the event that the licensee becomes aware that any of the dose limits prescribed in subsection (2), (3) or (4) may have been exceeded.

• (7) A licensee shall not request that a pregnant woman participate in the control of an emergency.

• (8) The dose limits prescribed by subsections (2), (3) and (4) and sections 13 and 14 may be exceeded by a person who acts voluntarily to save or protect human life.

When Dose Limit Exceeded

16 When a licensee becomes aware that a dose of radiation received by or committed to a person or an organ or tissue may have exceeded an applicable dose limit prescribed by section 13 or 14, the licensee must

• (a) immediately notify the person and the Commission of the dose;

• (b) require the person to leave any work that is likely to add to the dose if the person may have or has received a dose that exceeds a dose limit for a nuclear energy worker;

• (c) conduct an investigation to determine the magnitude of the dose and to establish the causes of the exposure;

• (d) identify and take any action required to prevent the occurrence of a similar incident; and

• (e) within 21 days after becoming aware that the dose limit has been exceeded, report to the Commission the results of the investigation or the progress that has been made in conducting it.

Authorization of Return to Work

17 When the Commission or a designated officer authorized under paragraph 37(2)(h) of the Act authorizes the return to work of a person referred to in section 16, the authorization may specify conditions to protect the health and safety of the person.

Dosimetry Services

Application for Licence to Operate

18 An application for a licence to operate a dosimetry service must contain the following information in addition to the information required by section 3 of the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations:

• (a) a description of the proposed operation of the dosimetry service;

• (b) the proposed management system;

• (c) the types of dosimetry services proposed to be provided;

• (d) the precision, accuracy and reliability of the dosimetry services to be provided; and

• (e) the proposed qualification requirements and training program for workers.

Obligations of Licensees

19 Every licensee who operates a dosimetry service shall file with the National Dose Registry of the Department of Health, at a frequency specified in the licence and in a form compatible with the Registry, the following information with respect to each nuclear energy worker for whom it has measured and monitored a dose of radiation:

• (a) the worker’s given names, surname and any previous surname;

• (b) the worker’s Social Insurance Number;

• (c) the worker’s gender;

• (d) the worker’s job category;

• (e) the date, province and country of birth of the worker;

• (f) the amount of exposure of the worker to radon progeny; and

• (g) the effective dose and equivalent dose received by and committed to the worker.

Labelling and Signs

Labelling of Containers and Devices

• 20 (1) No person shall possess a container or device that contains a nuclear substance unless the container or device is labelled with

  • (a) the radiation warning symbol set out in Schedule 3 and the words “RAYONNEMENT — DANGER — RADIATION”; and

  • (b) the name, quantity, date of measurement and form of the nuclear substance in the container or device.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of a container or device

  • (a) that is an essential component for the operation of the nuclear facility at which it is located;

  • (b) that is used to hold nuclear substances for current or immediate use and is under the continuous direct observation of the licensee;

  • (c) in which the quantity of nuclear substances is less than or equal to the exemption quantity; or

  • (d) that is used exclusively for transporting nuclear substances and labelled in accordance with the Packaging and Transport of Nuclear Substances Regulations, 2015; and

  • (e) that contains a radium luminous compound, provided that radium is the only nuclear substance in the device and the device is intact and has not been tampered with.

• (3) Paragraph (1)(b) does not apply in respect of a container that is used to temporarily hold nuclear substances.

Posting of Signs at Boundaries and Points of Access

• 21 (1) Every licensee must post and keep posted, at the boundary of and at every point of access to an area, room, vehicle or enclosure, a durable and legible sign that bears the radiation warning symbol set out in Schedule 3 and the words “RAYONNEMENT — DANGER — RADIATION”, if

  • (a) there is a nuclear substance in a quantity greater than 100 times its exemption quantity in the area, room, vehicle or enclosure; or

  • (b) there is a reasonable probability that a person in the area, room, vehicle or enclosure will be exposed to a dose rate greater than 25 µSv/h.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of a vehicle containing a consignment, as defined in the Packaging and Transport of Nuclear Substances Regulations, 2015.

Use of Radiation Warning Symbol

22 Whenever the radiation warning symbol set out in Schedule 3 is used,

• (a) it shall be

  • (i) fully visible,

  • (ii) of a size appropriate for the size of the container or device to which it is affixed or attached, or the area, room or enclosure in respect of which it is posted,

  • (iii) in the proportions depicted in Schedule 3, and

  • (iv) oriented with one blade pointed downward and centred on the vertical axis; and

• (b) no wording shall be superimposed on it.

Frivolous Posting of Signs

23 No person shall post or keep posted a sign that indicates the presence of radiation, a nuclear substance or prescribed equipment at a place where the radiation, nuclear substance or prescribed equipment indicated on the sign is not present.

Records to Be Kept by Licensees

• 24 (1) Every licensee must keep a record of the name and job category of each nuclear energy worker.

• (2) Every licensee must keep a record of doses of radiation and retain it for a period ending on the fifth anniversary of the day on which the information is collected.

Radiation Detection and Measurement Instrumentation

25 Every licensee must ensure that instruments and equipment that are used for radiation measurements are selected, tested and calibrated for their intended use.

Coming into Force

26 These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are approved by the Governor in Council.