Ethics Guidelines
Part B - Guidelines for Projects Involving Ionising Radiation
Section 3 - Licences and Purchasing
3.1 It should be noted that the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) Laboratory Manager (telephone 03 6232 3354) is also the AAD's Radiation Safety Officer (RSO), and has the general responsibility for coordinating the use and/or possession of radioisotopes in relation to AAD functions, including expeditions. It should be noted that the Laboratory Manager also has certain statutory responsibilities under the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (ARPANS) Act (1999). It is essential that applicants keep the Laboratory Manager fully informed at all times of their work programs and progress.
3.2 Radioisotopes purchased for use in the Antarctic shall be purchased only from reputable suppliers acceptable to the relevant Statutory Authorities. In practice in Australia, the reputable suppliers will be approved by all Statutory Authorities. The onus is on the purchaser to ensure that this is the case and that all other Statutory Authority or AAD requirements are met.
3.3 The following Statutory Authorities may be involved:
3.3.1 The Statutory Authority in the home state of the purchaser unless the purchaser is covered by Commonwealth Regulations. This is necessary if the purchaser has the source delivered there initially and when the source is taken back to that state from the Antarctic. This Statutory Authority shall be consulted prior to purchase.
3.3.2 The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANS) shall issue the licence for radioisotope work undertaken in ANARE programs as part of the Australian Antarctic Division's licence. Approval must therefore be obtained via the AAD's Laboratory Manager prior to commencing work in the Antarctic, on sub-Antarctic Islands or on ship. The approval process can take up to 6 weeks. It is therefore necessary to seek advice from the Australian Antarctic Division's RSO in the early stages of planning a project, and to lodge an application well in advance.
3.3.3 Users employed by the AAD must follow the same procedure as 3.3.2, and will be listed on the AAD's licence through the AAD applying to have a licence variation.
3.3.4 The AAD will not be prepared to accept licence responsibility for persons not employed by the AAD upon their return to Australia.
3.3.5 It should be noted that suppliers of radioactive materials to ANARE programs are required to be licensed with ARPANSA, irrespective of the location of the supplier supplying the radioactive materials.
3.4 The suppliers of radioactive materials shall provide all required documentation and any relevant certification.
3.4.1 Sealed sources, especially those of any appreciable activity, will normally have been tested for compliance with particular standards and will have compliance certificates. A housing for the gauge will not normally have been individually tested but the type should have been tested and a summary of test results should be available.
3.4.2 Documentation accompanying sealed sources should include details of the source encapsulation and housing and details of radiation levels around the housed source.
3.4.3 Suppliers of unsealed radioisotopes should be informed by the user that the radioisotopes will be used in Antarctica and the user should enquire about any extra safeguards which will be required in cold temperatures. The supplier should offer alternate packaging where appropriate.
3.4.4 Suppliers of unsealed radioisotopes should provide proper documentation, such as chemical form, volume, activity and radiation levels as packed.
3.5 Whilst the AAD may provide temporary storage, ship, and otherwise logistically assist users not being employees of the AAD, such persons shall take full responsibility for use, storage and disposal of the radioisotopes and details of this shall be known by both the on-site RSO and the AAD's RSO prior to logistical assistance being given.
The AAD may have concurrent licence responsibilities for the same isotopes during interim storage and transit, but this in no way relieves the person from other organisations of his/her primary responsibilities and obligations. This includes adhering to any conditions imposed on the licence, as passed on by the AAD's RSO.
(ASP&C)
May 2002
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