Radiation Legislation

This document provides an update to 2004 justification regulations guidance. The 2004 regulations were updated by the Justification of Practices Involving Ionising Radiation (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (April 2018). The new guidance is compatible with Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom.

These regulations (amended 2018) cover many environmental factors, although for this site only radioactive substances and waste are relevant. The regulations only cover England and Wales and make provisions for environmental permits that regulate the holding of radioactive material and the accumulation and disposal of radioactive waste. (Regulation in Scotland is still based on compliance with the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, and the Scottish statutory instruments made under it.

These regulations cover much more than radioactive material transport. They reference and use ADR where ADR refers to the European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road. It is likely that this regulation will be updated or replaced 2019 / 2020.

These Regulations impose duties on employers and those with responsibilities for carrying out activities including optimizing and justifying medical exposures, and administering ionising radiation for diagnostic or treatment benefit. Whilst these regulations are broadly similar to the 2000 regulations (which are now repealed), they do expand requirements in certain areas – for example, formal recognition of Medical Physics Experts, and the licensing of the administration of radioactive substances to persons for diagnosis, treatment or research.

The Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017 (IRR17) are the principal set of UK radiation protection regulations for all users of ionising radiation.