{"id":7470,"date":"2026-02-11T12:16:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T18:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crpa-acrp-bulletin.ca\/?p=7470"},"modified":"2026-02-11T12:16:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T18:16:11","slug":"le-groupe-de-travail-acrp-ccsn-renforce-la-culture-de-radioprotection-du-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crpa-acrp-bulletin.ca\/fr\/2026\/02\/11\/le-groupe-de-travail-acrp-ccsn-renforce-la-culture-de-radioprotection-du-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"Le groupe de travail ACRP-CCSN renforce la culture de radioprotection du Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For some time now, The Canadian Radiation Protection Association (CRPA) has been meeting with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to exchange information relevant to all stakeholders in the licensee community regarding challenges in our regulatory system.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

The primary goal of these biannual CRPA-CNSC exchanges is to promote a strong radiation protection culture among CNSC licensees across Canada. CRPA representatives relay your questions, comments, and suggestions and all topics are discussed, so please feel free to contact us with your concerns. This working group is a unique opportunity to make your voice heard.<\/p>\n

The official minutes of the working group\u2019s discussions are available in the member-only section of the CRPA website<\/a>. CRPA members can log in to read the full minutes of the meeting held on May 29, 2025<\/a>, and I am including a brief synopsis of the discussion below.<\/p>\n

Consolidation of use types<\/h2>\n

CNSC provided an update on the consolidation of use type groups for nuclear medicine licences. The categories have now been consolidated into two new types\u2014Diagnostic and Therapeutic<\/em> and\u00a0Diagnostic, Therapeutic, and Human Research<\/em>\u2014which were approved in March and became effective at the end of April 2025.<\/p>\n

CNSC noted that the process is still being fine-tuned. Updated information, including new use types and payment formulas, is available on the CNSC website. The licence application guide (REGDOC-1.6.1) has not yet been revised to reflect these changes. CNSC will merge existing licence conditions but will not introduce new ones. For licensees holding multiple licences, the latest expiry date will be used on the new consolidated licence.<\/p>\n

Compliance with Radiation Protection Program, Section 25, and instrumentation<\/p>\n

CNSC provided a high-level update addressing ongoing performance issues among nuclear medicine licensees, as documented in annual regulatory oversight reports over the last several years. CNSC staff have been considering these issues in the context of compliance with Radiation Protection Program, section\u00a025 (RP25).<\/p>\n

CRPA members raised concerns regarding RP25, specifically that instrumentation calibration requirements appear to have shifted from 100% to 50%, which contradicts regulatory standards. CNSC committed to following up with radiation protection (RP) to clarify the rationale for this change.<\/p>\n

Radiation safety officer time<\/h2>\n

Concerns about insufficient radiation safety officer (RSO) time persist across jurisdictions. CNSC reiterated that it does not prescribe or recommend specific time allocations, leaving such decisions to the applicant authority (AA). However, AAs often lack a full understanding of the operational demands of radiation safety programs.<\/p>\n

RSOs are working to define expected time commitments based on specific tasks, though early feedback from senior management has been mixed. A national poll revealed significant inconsistency in how organizations assign dedicated RSO time.<\/p>\n

Definition of servicing<\/h2>\n

The working group revisited the definition of \u201cservicing\u201d under the Nuclear Substances and Radiation Devices\u00a0(NSRD) Regulations, which define it as maintenance beyond what is required for routine use.<\/p>\n

Concerns were raised about third-party contractors performing servicing work without sufficient operational training. If a contractor requires device operation for servicing, they must undergo appropriate training and be added as authorized users under the servicing licence.<\/p>\n

Meeting dates<\/h2>\n

The working group meets at least twice per year. Most recently, the group met on December 5, 2025, to discuss the following:<\/p>\n