The Actions and Roles of EAN in the ALARA Community: Past, Present, and Future

1. European ALARA NetworkThe actions and roles of EAN in the ALARA community: past, present and future 5th RECAN Workshop – Almaty - Kazakhstan 24-09-2009

2. 1996-2009 • 1996 : EAN founded by the European Commission. • Creation of the EAN as a not for profit association: self-sustainable since 2005. • 2009 : 8  20 countries • 14 in the Administrative Board • Coordination : CEPN - HPA 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

3. Organization of EAN since 2005 • In June 2005, adoption by the Steering Group of a Cooperation Charter (EAN “Terms and Conditions”), which defines new objectives and means for the next five years. • In parallel, creation of EAN association as legal entity under the French law (non-for-profit NGO) • Three entities operate the network: • Bureau: Chairperson (BfS-Germany), Secretary (HPA, UK) and Treasurer (CEPN, France), nominated by the Administrative Board, • Administrative Board (AB): representatives from the 14 countries (RB/TSOs/Ops/Research Centres) supporting the network coordinated by CEPN • Steering Group (SG): representatives of institutes member of EAN (1 per country) - take main decisions about the work performed by the network. 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

4. Budget • Costs: 85,000 € in 2009 workload of the coordinator (CEPN) and assistant coordinator (HPA) and T&S costs. • Coordinator: ~70 man.days, • Assistant coordinator: ~20 man.days, • T&S and other costs (bank, website, etc.): ~12,000 €. • Resources: • Fees from organizations: • Free amount: between 4,000 and 8,000 €/year, • From 10 countries paying fees in 2005 to 14 in 2009, • 78,800 € in 2008 and about 85,000 € in 2009. • + in-kind contributions (i.e. partially self sustainable): • CEPN: ~20 man.days, • HPA: ~ 7 man.days. • Participation of Members to SG meetings and WG for free 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

5. EAN Objectives • To maintain and developcompetences in radiation protection, with special emphasis on ALARA for all types of exposures in routine operations and emergency situations • To contribute to harmonisation of radiation protection policies and practices, particularly concerning ALARA, at regulatory and operational levels • To cover all types of practices within the different sectors • To cover radiation protection themes relevant to all sectors, as well as themes specific to one or more sector(s). 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

6. EAN Activities - Workshops • 11 Workshops addressing relevant topics: • Decommissioning, NORM industry, internal exposures, holistic approach of risk management, industrial radiography, ALARA in the medical sector and radiopharmaceuticals, site rehabilitation, inspection & control, waste management. • More than 700 participants: between 50 to 80 at each Workshop from 10 to 20 countries. • About 100 recommendations produced: • EU, ICRP, IAEA, National Authorities, Operators, E&T organisms, etc. 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

7. EAN Activities – 12th Workshop http://www.alara2009.at • “ALARA in Safety and Security of Radiation Sources” • Vienna, Austria – 21st - 23rd October 2009 • S1: « Setting the Scene » • EU HASS Directive • IAEA activities on the control of sources • ALARA in Security and Safety of Radiation Sources: an ICRP perspective (Pub. 96, 101, 103, 109, 111) • … • S2: Security and Safety Measures • Operation of the Register on High Activity Sealed Sources in Germany • Improved security measures for radiation sources in Norway - A case study of irradiation facilities in hospitals • Reclassification of security at a waste disposal repository • ALARA principle in collecting radioactive sources: the Spanish experience • How to combine security and safety of radioactive sources and good patient service in public of large hospitals • Safety and Security of Sealed Radiation Sources for Industrial NDT Applications • … 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

8. EAN Activities – 12th Workshop http://www.alara2009.at • S3: Planned Exposure Situations • Training programmes of workers dealing with security: national and regional aspects • Aero-gamma measurements as an important tool after a nuclear accident • Experience of Georgian authorities in recovering orphan sources • … • S4: Emergency situation management (malevolent acts) • Minimizing the radiation exposure risk of first responders during emergency situation management • The UK Health Protection Agency’s response to Po-210 Incident in London 2006 • Radiation Protection Measures during the Investigation of Po-210 traces in Hamburg in 2006 • IAEA emergency preparedness and response programme • On the use of an ALARA tool to countering nuclear or radiological terrorism • S5: Justification & optimisation in the use of security devices • Use of X-ray Body Scanner Equipment in the UK and matters to consider to keep doses ALARA • Radiation Protection Control Area around Passenger Baggage X-Ray Units • Type testing of basic-protection devices in Germany • S6: WGs Recommendations - Conclusion 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

9. EAN Activities - Newsletters and Website • 24 Newsletters published - 2 per year: • Main articles: technical or scientific papers, international comparison of regulations or practices, recommendations of Workshops, • News, announcements, etc. • Website as an important mean for diffusing information - publication of all the work: • www.eu-alara.net • Between 150 and 300 visitors/month. • A mailing-list (forum) to exchange information and for requests: • ean-request@ml.free.fr « subscribe » 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

10. EAN Past Activities - Sub-networks • Setting-up of sub-networks by EAN member when a specific topic or sector should be discussed deeper: • Activity does not have to be validated • Information at SG meetings, • Self-sustainable. • Sub-network on research reactors (EASN) created in 2002: • Specific RP issues related to RR (good practices, incidents, etc.), • 3 meeting (2006-2008): discussions and exchanges, closed in 2009. • Participation to EC projects in networking • on NORM (2y) • on NDT (1y) 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

11. EAN Activities - Sub-networks • Sub-network of radiation protection authorities (ERPAN) created in 2006 : • Meeting once a year - 16 European RB represented, • Meetings consist in oral presentations by participants on inspection activities from the practical point of view, • Apart from the meetings, e-mail exchanges between participants and joined-inspections. 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

12. Diffusion of the information by national contact points • Important role of national contact persons to diffuse the information: • Within their institution, • To members of national RP societies, • To specific contacts (societies in the medical sector, in NDT, etc.) depending on the topic, • Sometime link to EAN website on organization website. • Through the publication of Workshop’s recommendations in national RP journals (France, UK, Germany). • Their roles and duties will be redefined for the future. 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

13. Brainstorming Seminar – near Paris May 2009 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

14. Statements for continuing EAN activities • Efficiency of EAN is now demonstrated: • A time-saving search tool: providing a rapid means of getting answer to question, through a contact list of experts, • An alerting mechanism: information on incidents can be disseminated quickly (e.g. 60Co in steel, lift buttons). Also new RP issues can be identified and disseminated. • An information provider: providing a source of information, and actively sharing and disseminating information to help raise standards, • A forum for discussion and problem solving: this could also be considered as a resource for external stakeholders, for example it could be tasked by EC or ICRP to consider specific issues. 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

15. Future Evolution and Perspectives • Improve the EAN visibility and openness • The participation to the SG should not be limited to only one organisation per country, • EAN SG should promote the creation of national ALARA groups, coordinated by national contact points, • Encourage the participation of new members (no minimum fees),  • Encourage the participation of other stakeholders (other networks, professional associations, representatives of participating organisations other than contact persons, etc.be encouraged. • Renewal of the EAN Terms and Conditions • Establish a 5 years (2010-2014) Roadmap • New Deliverables • EAN Experts position papers (endorsed by EAN Members), • Topical WGs (eg. on ALARA culture for IRPA) instead of subnetworks • Development of actions in education and training (preparation and participation to training courses), • Establishment of a reflection on existing good ALARA programmes in collaboration with ERPAN. 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

16. Future Evolution and Perspectives • The Newsletter should be renewed (e-format) to become more attractive and promoting more practical papers on ALARA implementation in different sectors • The Website should be re-designed as an international ALARA portal • Publication of Incidents feedbacks (links with IRID-RELIR-…) • Participation to the mailing list should be more activel encouraged (chat-rooms on topical issues) • 13rd Workshop on “ALARA in the Medical Sector” (in Norway?) 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009

17. Future Evolution and Perspectives • Participation to funded projects (EAN is facilitator in establishing international consortiums) • Call for tender by EC for the setting-up of a medical ALARA network (EMAN): Tender submitted in April 2009 with the participation of EAN members (SSM, CEPN, BfS) & professional societies (ESR, EFOMP, EFRS, EURADOS). • Call for tender by EC for the realization of 2 training modules aiming at improving the ALARA culture of the safety managers (TRASNUSAFE): Tender accepted with the participation of EAN, CEPN, SCK-CEN Mol. • Bilateral agreements and contracts with EAN are possible and welcome (international TSO?) • EAN is a bridge between all stakeholders involved in ALARA 5th RECAN Workshop – 09-2009