Approvals and qualifications
Under the Radiation Act and Radiation Decree, the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority has specific obligations concerning different inspections and the stipulation and verification of competences. These obligations include the following:
- stipulating the qualifications required of a radiation safety officer and of other persons working in the user’s organization, and investigating compliance with the said stipulations
- approving the methods for measuring radiation exposure of workers
Qualifications of persons working in a radiation user’s organization
The qualification requirements for a radiation safety officer and other persons in the radiation user’s organization are verified by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Guide ST 1.8. Upon the responsible party’s request, STUK inspects and approves the radiation user’s organization description in connection with processing safety licences and licence modification applications.
In connection with issuing a safety licence, STUK approves the radiation safety officer appointed by the responsible party. The appointed person must have an examination certificate that demonstrates his or her competence to work as radiation safety officer in the related area of qualification. STUK only accepts the examination certificate if it is issued by a training organization whose training programme has been inspected and approved by STUK according to Guide ST 1.8.
Training of radiation safety officers
The radiation safety officer training and examination must comply with Guide ST 1.8 and be approved by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority. When a person completes the examination arranged by a training organization, the training organization issues an examination certificate.
The training organizations approved by STUK to train radiation safety officers, including the validity of the approval.
If the qualification to serve as radiation safety officer was granted in an examination approved by STUK before Guide ST 1.8 became effective (1 June 2004), it remains valid, subject to the requirements set forth in section 2.1 of the guide. Similarly, any qualification to serve as radiation safety officer as referred to in Section 5 of the Radiation Protection Decree (328/1957) remains valid, provided that it has been issued in an examination arranged by an examination board that acted under Government Decision 243/1958.
Methods for measuring radiation exposure of workers
The methods for measuring radiation exposure of workers must be approved by STUK for the purpose according to Section 12 of the Radiation Decree.
Monitoring of radiation exposure must be arranged for workers performing radiation work in accordance with Guide ST 7.1. The individual monitoring of category A workers must be based on personal measurements performed by an approved dosimetric service. The dosimetric service is approved and supervised by STUK. To receive an approval, the dosimetric service must be inspected by STUK and accredited. The inspection determines, based on documentation and, if necessary, testing, that the dosimetric service complies with the requirements set forth in Guide ST 1.9.
The methods for radon measurements at workplaces must be approved by STUK. To receive an approval, a measuring device must be suitable for the intended use and function reliably. If necessary, an approval decision may set usage restrictions for a measuring device or method. More specific instructions for radon measurements at workplaces and the approval of radon measurement methods are specified in Guides ST 12.1 and ST 1.9.