AdSTM provides and performs a number of “consultancies” related to the application of licensing, inspection and nuclear source security in the areas of medical and industrial applications. The various activities of the consultancies combine elements of small group discussion and observation of partner countries programs pertaining to licensing reviews, inspection procedures, and conduct of inspections of facilities under their regulatory purview.
Support is provided for the regulation of medical and therapeutic use facilities that employ sealed and unsealed nuclear sources for diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine; radiation therapy using sealed and machine produced sources of radiation in the disciplines of brachytherapy, gamma knife, accelerator medical devices, and emerging technologies. Additional associated medical applications where support is provided include linear and cyclotron accelerators to include cyclotron produced nuclear pharmaceuticals used for diagnostic imaging.
Assistance is also provided for industrial application use facilities that use sealed and machine produced sources of radiation in fixed and portable nuclear gauges; industrial radiography; self-shielded, panoramic, and pool irradiators. Well logging and industrial radiography operations performed either at the licensee’s main office or at temporary job site locations using these radiation sources are also focuses of targeted consultancies.
AdSTM services offered and provided include, but are not limited to regulatory advice with the intent of improving licensing review protocols, safety and security protocols, and inspection review processes for licensee’s office use locations and authorized use at temporary job site locations in the field.
Discussions cover the safety evaluation of license application reviews and the associated inspection processes. The AdSTM technical expert(s) will provide advice to help the regulatory body to know what needs to be assessed to determine if the license application is complete how to request additional information (RAI) for areas that are deficient. Opportunities may be arranged for some hands-on experience and if practicable, a safety and security inspection may be arranged where AdSTM observes the regulator performing its duties. After observation of the regulator’s inspection, the AdSTM expert will identify and discuss issues regarding the inspection findings and provide suggestions and recommendations for areas needing improvement and full compliance with the regulatory authority’s rules and regulations. The inspection results and any suggested recommendations to improve the licensee’s radiation production program are provided to the regulatory authority staff. Additional assistance can be arranged that provides advice about comprehensive requirements needed for inspector training and qualification in accordance with NRC policy and standards.
The Radiation Sources Regulatory Partnership (RSRP) program has the general goal of strengthening the daily work performed by regulatory authorities in radiation protection in different parts of the world. This type of assistance relative to Medical and Industrial uses of radiation sources is being provided by AdSTM to several South American, Central American and Caribbean countries, and plans are in place to expand the program to African and Middle Eastern countries that are becoming partners.
In Latin America, AdSTM and NRC staffs assessed the specific needs of each country currently participating in the RSRP during the Second Latin America Regional meeting for the RSRP in Montevideo, Uruguay, November 12-16, 2016. The specific needs for each participating country have been prioritized, and consultancies have been scheduled for 2017 continuing through the first quarter of calendar year 2018.