Safety in radiation practices
We are currently updating our For the users of radiation -pages. Up-to-date information can be found on the Finnish and Swedish pages.
Principles of radiation protection
The purpose of radiation protection is protecting people, society, the environment and future generations from the harmful effects of radiation.
Planning of operations
Radiation practices shall be planned for minimizing radiation exposure as much as possible. A quality management system for the use of radiation must also be created at the planning stage of the operations.
Liability for the use of ionizing radiation
According to the Radiation Act (592/1991), the responsible party is liable for safety in the use of radiation.
Safety licence
A safety licence is required for the use of radiation. Use of radiation includes all practices concerning radiation sources, such as trade in radiation sources and the manufacture, possession, servicing, repairs, import and export of radiation sources. Radiation sources include X-ray equipment, radioactive substances or devices that contain them.
Radiation user’s organization
The extent of the radiation user’s organization and the organization description are essentially dependent on the nature and extent of the use of radiation. In simple circumstances, it is sufficient to appoint a radiation safety officer and describe his or her duties.
Protection of workers
Monitoring of radiation exposure and medical surveillance are part of the protection of workers.
Radiation shielding of premises
The radiation shielding of radiation appliances and the premises of use of radioactive substances must be planned and constructed in a way that ensures that use of radiation does not cause a hazard. The workload and usage methods of the equipment and sources as well as the use of the premises must be taken into account already at the planning stage. Unauthorized acquisition of radiation appliances and radioactive materials must be prevented.
Radiation appliances and quality assurance
All radiation appliances in use must be suitable for their purpose and compliant with the valid regulations and requirements.
Authorities regulating the use of radiation
The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) supervises compliance with the Radiation Act and the regulations and orders issued under it. To some extent, the use of radiation and safety of radiation sources are also supervised by other regulatory authorities, such as Valvira and Finnish Customs, in addition to STUK.