Radioactive sources safely stored and secured in industry
Industrial companies that store radioactive sources are very motivated to comply with legal requirements for safe and secure storage facilities. This is concluded by the Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection following two inspection rounds.
Checking without wrecking
Companies that carry out non-destructive testing (NDT research) involving radioactive sources use radiation to check the quality of facility components without damaging the latter. Examples include pipelines, machine parts and pressure vessels for liquids and gases. This serves to prevent unnoticed leaks in pipelines and bursting pressure vessels, as the research will reveal cracks or corrosion at an early stage.
Violations corrected in second inspection round
In the first inspection round in 2021, the Authority found violations at half of the inspected companies. Fire resistance of storage facilities was an aspect found to be inadequate in some cases. Another issue was that fire brigades sometimes did not know storage facilities existed. Companies are obliged to report this existence, as the fire department needs to know there are radioactive sources in a storage facility in case of a fire. The presence of radioactive sources requires a different approach to putting out the fire.
The industry association has been informed of the inspection results and asked to share these with their members. In the subsequent second inspection round in 2022, most of the inspected companies were found to be entirely compliant with the rules. Based on this, we conclude that NDE companies are very motivated to meet legal requirements for safe and secure storage facilities.
Check covers 5 areas, but safety comes first
In our inspections we look at safety, to make sure people and the environment are not unnecessarily exposed to radiation. We also check whether the storage facilities are properly secured against abuse, sabotage and theft. Furthermore, we check whether companies have the right permits and whether they employ specialists in the area of radiation protection. Finally, we look at whether the administrative affairs are in order, for instance whether there is an up-to-date company emergency response plan.
Over half the companies checked
In the Netherlands, there are 16 companies that have a license for storing radioactive sources. These companies have a joint total of sixty licensed storage facilities. This is where the radioactive sources are stored when they are not in use. The Authority inspected ten of these companies, including the four largest ones. We checked a total of ten storage facilities all over the Netherlands.