Security of radioactive sources
Radioactive substances are widely used in medicine, industry, research and education. In the past, the focus of legislation controlling the use of radioactive substances has been on safety and the protection of the environment.
However, in the current global security environment governments have identified a need to ensure that potentially hazardous radioactive sources are secured to ensure they cannot be misused by those with malicious intent.
In April 2007, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) approved a national Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Security Strategy.
The Strategy provides a framework to strengthen and enhance Australia's existing arrangements for chemical, biological and radiological material and nuclear security and complements the National Counter-Terrorism Plan which outlines responsibilities, authorities and mechanisms to prevent or respond to, and recover from, acts of terrorism and their consequences within Australia if they occur.
As the New South Wales radiation regulator, the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) has an important role in implementing the radiological elements of the CBRN Security Strategy, as do its stakeholders who are responsible for radioactive sources.
In addressing the security of radiological materials, the Strategy establishes a national approach to the secure possession, use, storage and transport of radioactive sources to minimise the risk of malicious use.
The Strategy requires the NSW Government to audit and keep track of the location of sources, conduct education and awareness programs, manage disused and orphan sources, and respond to threats and incidents.
Code of practice for the security of radioactive sources
A key part of the Strategy is the implementation of the national Code of Practice for the Security of Radioactive Sources (the Code) which was developed by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and the states and territories through the national Radiation Health Committee.
The Code sets out the security requirements that those dealing with a radioactive source must implement in order to decrease the likelihood of the unauthorised access to, or acquisition of, radioactive sources by those with malicious intent.
Regulatory authorities throughout Australia, including OEH, are implementing the Code through the radiation control legislation that they administer.
What the Code applies to
The Code applies to radioactive substances which are in the form of sealed radioactive sources (encapsulated or solid) and does not apply to unsealed radioactive substances.
The Code groups sealed radioactive sources into five categories and allocates security requirements that correspond to the risk posed by sources in each category.
Categorisation is based on the potential for sources to cause harm to human health. Category 1, 2 and 3 sources are higher risk, or 'security enhanced', sources and potentially the most dangerous, with Category 1 being the highest risk.
Category 4 and 5 sources are less likely to cause harm and are not subject to such stringent security requirements as security enhanced sources.
Sources stored together may also be considered security enhanced by aggregation, based on the total activity of the group of sources. The security requirements are then determined as for a single source.
Security enhanced sources used in NSW
In NSW, security enhanced sources are used for:
- in large-scale commercial sterilisation of products such as medical supplies and animal feed
- of donated blood to kill lymphocytes which cause transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GvHD)
- of human and animal tissue, plastics and other objects in cancer and other research.
- in brachytherapy, where the source is placed inside or next to the cancer in the patient,
- in the application of highly targeted doses of radiation to brain tumours ('gamma knife').
- in taking radiographs of engineered structures, for example bridges and aircraft, to detect stresses and faults
- in gauging product characteristics, such as thickness and flows, in industrial processes, such as metal manufacturing.
Page last updated: 05 May 2011
