To European recognition of specialists involved in radiation protection and medical technologies in

1
To European recognition of specialists involved
in radiation protection and medical technologies
in Latvia

• Marite Caikovska
• (Radiation Safety Centre of Latvia)
• Yuri Dekhtyar
• (Riga Technical University)
• Second EUTERP Platform Workshop
• Definitions, Qualifications and Requirements for
  
• Radiation Protection Experts, Radiation
  Protection Officers
• and Radiation Workers
• Vilnius, Lithuania, 23-25 April 2008

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Legal background for radiation safety in Latvia

• Qualifications system and requirements for
  recognition of RPEs, RPOs are determined by
  legislation.
• Legal background for radiation safety questions
  is formed by
• the Act on Radiation Safety and Nuclear Safety
• (adopted in the new version in 26th October,
  2000, come into force in 21st November, 2000,
  with amendments published until 20th January
  2005)
• a set of regulations issued by the Cabinet of
  Ministers.
• Council Directives (96/29/EAEC, 97/43/EAEC
  98/83/EC, 2003/122/EAEC) and the International
  Basic Safety Standards are implemented in these
  Regulations.

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Proposals for definitions (1)

• New EU proposals for definitions and competence
  requirements for RPEs and RPOs could be useful
  for incorporation of a clear conception for
  harmonization of requirements for mutual
  recognition of radiation protection specialists
  in EU.

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Proposals for definitions (2)
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Proposals for definitions (3)
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Involvement of RPEs

• In the operators controlled area at least one
  RPE
• (or after co-ordination with the Radiation Safety
  Centre employer may assign the functions of the
  expert to RPO)
• is required if in the operators controlled area
  following activities are performed
• operations with radioactive substances,
• operations with ten or more installations of
  ionizing radiation,
• there are more than five employees in this
  facility.

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Involvement of medicine physicists or experts of
medical physics

• For medicine practices regulations specify
  requirements for involvement of medicine
  physicists or experts of medical physics for the
  sources with the highest risk for practices.
• Definition Medical physics expert is a person
  having an education in medical physics and at
  least three years experience in ionizing
  radiation physics or in the technology, which is
  utilized in medical exposure, and which
  competence has been recognized by a Certification
  Commission.

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Involvement of RPOs

• According to national legislation the work with
  ionizing radiation sources is managed by the
  operators authorized RPO.
• RPOs shall be recognized by a Certification
  Commission.

9
Recognition of RPEs and RPOs

• In 2003/2004 were established 2 commissions for
  assessment and certification of radiation
  protection specialists.
• RPEs are recognized by the Radiation Safety and
  Nuclear Safety Expert Certification Commission
  approved by Minister of Environment
• RPOs are recognized by Certification Commission
  approved by director of the Radiation Safety
  Centre.
• Work of commissions is organized in accordance
  with Cabinet regulations and statutes of
  commissions.

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Certificates of RPEs and RPOs

• Specific areas and practices for each RPE or RPO
  are defined and appropriate records are filled in
  the Certificates issued by both certification
  commissions.
• The RPE certificate is not related with certain
  operator,
• Reference to the certain operator is filled in
  the RPO certificate because RPO should be
  authorized by the employer.
• According to the Cabinet regulations the
  recognition of RPEs and RPOs is limited by the
  certain period of validity RPEs - 5 years, RPOs
  3 years.
• After that the recognition could be prolonged by
  appropriate Certification Commission.

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Proposed EU guidance for competence of RPEs
(education and experience)
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Proposed EU guidance for competence of RPOs
(education and experience)
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Requirements for radiation workers

• According to the Cabinet regulations radiation
  workers must have general secondary or vocational
  secondary education and a completed accredited
  vocational secondary further education programme
  in the field of radiation safety and nuclear
  safety.
• The Medical Treatment Law determine education and
  qualification requirements for employees who work
  with sources of ionising radiation in medical
  diagnostics, therapeutic radiology and in
  dentistry.
• The professional conformity of workers shall be
  assessed by the RPO. RPO ensures that workers
  involved in practices using ionizing radiation
  sources are sufficiently trained to implement
  protective measures, requirements of normative
  acts, and are informed of potential risk related
  to given practices.

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Education and training system in radiation
protection

• National training courses of radiation protection
  for personnel are established for Radiation
  Workers in different areas
• medicine,
• industry, research, service,
• scrap metal gathering and others.
• On-the-job training for oncology specialists is
  performed by Oncology Centre in Riga.

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Education and training system for medicine
physicists (1)

• Academic course for BSc and MSc in Medical
  Physics is organized by the Riga Technical
  University (RTU) (in cooperation with the
  University of Latvia and Riga Stradina
  University)
• 4.5 year bachelor curriculum Medical Engineering
  and physics
• Professional Bachelor degree in medical physics
• Engineering qualification in biomedical
  engineering
• 1 year master curriculum Medical Engineering and
  physics
• Professional Master degree in medical physics

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Education and training system for medicine
physicists (2)

• The system for practice has been developed by
  RTU
• Students are provided with initial practice to
  get the first skill on processing technologies
  and measurements.
• At the next step the students are directed to
  industry to acquire an experience on technologies
  development and machine design.
• After that the clinical practice is offered to
  bring students to the radiology wards.
• Finally the students select the practical
  placements to develop their qualification
  projects.

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Education and training system for medicine
physicists (3)

• Training facilities are provided at the RTU lab
  that is equipped with instruments for radiation
  measurements and tests of the X-ray beam quality.
  
• The conventional, dental, mammography and
  surgical arc-type X-ray machines, computer
  tomography, film development machines are
  available.
• The lab also is in use to improve skill on
  radiation protection for professionals involved
  in medicine.
• The lab is offered for co-operation with other
  countries.

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The overview of the RTU training and teaching lab
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The computer topography is use to train staff and
students
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The computer tomography machine
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The conventional x-ray machine
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The mammography x-ray machine
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The dental x-ray machine
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Education and training system in radiation
protection

• Infrastructure in Latvia is self-sustainable in
  great majority of fields.
• Exceptions are those fields, where little number
  of personnel is employed, for example, nuclear
  medicine, radiotherapy.
• Specialists for these fields are trained in other
  countries and are sent to IAEA courses.

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Implementation of the new EU proposals (1)

• In our opinion
• proposals for EU BSS about definitions and
  competence requirements for RPEs and RPOs are
  good enough for implementation to national
  legislation of EU countries.
• Concerning to Latvias legislation
• we have implemented EU BSS and IAEA guidelines.
• We have accepted minimal requirements recommended
  for RPEs by IAEA, but with less experience in
  performing or managing.

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Implementation of the new EU proposals (2)

• Proposed criteria of core competence for RPEs
  could be an appropriate tool for assessment of
  applicants.
• Similar requirements are applied to applicants in
  our legislation too.
• The Experts Certification Commission assesses
• education and experience of each applicant,
• his/her professional capability to perform
  physical, technical and radiochemical
  measurements (in respect with duties) and
  provision of the radiation safety measures,
• professional knowledge to evaluate doses and
  radiation safety level, to develop quality
  control systems, to provide radiation safety
  culture,
• capability to elaborate qualitative documentation
  on radiation safety and protection in accordance
  with national and international regulations,
• language skills (using of both official state and
  one of the IAEA languages).

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Implementation of the new EU proposals (3)

• In our point of view implementation of new
  proposals for EU BSS will not change all our
  recognition system.
• It could be introduced in our legislation for
  more clearance in concept of RPEs and RPOs.
• EU BSS could be useful for mutual recognition of
  RPEs and RPOs in EU countries.
• After implementation of proposals for EU BSS to
  national legislation of all EU countries common
  agreement for mutual recognition of RPEs and RPOs
  could become as the next step.

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Thank you for attention!