L.-E. Holm
International Commission on Radiological Protection
On behalf of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), it is a great privilege and pleasure to welcome you all to the Interna-tional Conference on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources here in beautiful Bordeaux.
The objective of the conference is to promote a wide exchange of information on key issues relating to the safety and security of radioactive sources, which will include finding a solution to situations resulting from past activities and defining a global cooperative approach to the continuous control of radioactive sources during their life cycle.
Radioactive sources are extensively used around the world in medicine, industry, agriculture, research and education. Loss of control over some radioactive sources has resulted in the spread of ‘orphan’ sources, some of which have caused serious injuries and death to people. The possibility that radioactive sources could be used for criminal purposes to contaminate the environment or densely populated areas has caused additional concern. All this highlights the importance of ensuring proper control of radioactive sources during their life cycle. The safety and security of radioactive sources therefore remain a matter of concern and high priority for international organizations dealing with the safe management of radiation.
The primary aim of the recommendations of ICRP is to provide an appropriate standard of protection for humans and the environment without unduly limiting the beneficial actions giving rise to radiation exposure. This aim cannot be achieved on the basis of scientific concepts alone. All those concerned with radiological protection have to make value judgements about the relative importance of different kinds of risk and about the balancing of risks and benefits. In this, they are no different from those working in other fields concerned with the control of hazards.
ICRP’s recommendations presume that, as a precondition for proper radiological protection, sources of radiation exposure are subject to proper security measures. This presumption is reflected in the International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS) issued in 1996 by six international organizations.
There has been a close connection between ICRP’s recommendations and the
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BSS, right from the early 1960s. The BSS have always followed the estab-lishment of new ICRP recommendations; for example, the 1977 and the 1990 ICRP recommendations were the basis for the revised BSS published in 1984 and 1996, respectively.
ICRP has for a long time been concerned about radiation accidents, some of which have had very serious consequences. ICRP has published recommen-dations on how to prevent radiation accidents and how to mitigate the conse-quences in the event of such an accident. When ICRP’s current recommendations were developed, measures to specifically protect against terrorism or other malicious acts were not in focus. However, much of the necessary security is already part of safety, and when it comes to a particular issue, it is a national decision as to whether additional security measures are required.
Great progress has taken place in the safety and security of radioactive sources over the last decade. ICRP welcomes the efforts that the IAEA has committed to this issue over the years, as reflected in the various conferences, particularly those in Dijon in 1998, Buenos Aires in 2000 and Vienna in 2003.
The conference in Rabat in 2003 demonstrated that a good regulatory infra-structure is an important aspect of the safety and security of sources. The approval by the IAEA Board of Governors and the IAEA General Conference of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources in 2003 was a major step forward. Since then, many countries have expressed their commitment to work towards implementing the requirements of the Code of Conduct.
ICRP has expressed its view on the need for control of radioactive sources in several publications. The Code of Conduct is in line with ICRP’s views on safety and security, and adherence to these requirements will strengthen the control of radioactive sources. There is often a discussion about how security relates to safety. In the international standards, the BSS, security has always been an integral part of safety. The concept of safety means prevention of accidents and, should they occur, mitigation of their conse-quences. Security means prevention of unauthorized actions by ensuring that control is not relinquished or improperly acquired. A radioactive source that is secure (i.e. kept under proper control and physically protected) is not necessarily also safe (i.e. unlikely to harm people). Conversely, a radioactive source cannot be judged to be safe if it is not secure. Therefore it follows that, for radioactive sources, security is a necessary, but not a sufficient, element of source safety. Source security is a subsidiary to source safety.
I am pleased that so many delegates have been nominated by their governments to attend this meeting. This 2005 conference in Bordeaux will give us a better understanding of the risks posed by radioactive sources, and will
ADDRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION
25 help us find ways to reduce the likelihood of a radiological accident. I also hope that when we leave the conference we shall have a common understanding on the feasibility of creating a global system for ensuring the safety and security of radioactive sources.
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