What are radioactive facilities?
Radioactive facilities, as well as other specific activities related to the application of ionizing radiation, whether industrial, pharmaceutical, or scientific facilities, must be subject to the administrative authorization regime of the Regulations on nuclear and radioactive facilities, RD 1836/1999, of December 3.
In RD 1836/1999, a radioactive facility is considered any facility with a source of ionizing radiation, radiation-producing devices with a power greater than 5kV, or premises, laboratories, and factories that possess, manipulate, or process radioactive materials.
Is X-ray inspection equipment considered a radioactive facility?
This Regulation accepts that a facility will be non-radioactive (exempt) when the device has a type approval issued by the Ministry of Industry and Energy, in accordance with the provisions of Annex II of RD1836/1999.
The VARPE range of equipment has type approval, which offers the user guaranteed safety during its use, considering the equipment as a non-radioactive facility.
Characteristics of a device with type approval
To obtain type approval, the equipment must have:
Safety against leaks
The design of the equipment offers sufficient safety against the leakage of ionizing radiation, both under normal conditions and in other conditions that may accidentally occur.
Low dose rate
The device does not present, under normal operating conditions, a dose rate greater than 1 μSv/h at any point located 0.1m from the accessible surface of the device.
What obligations does the user of a device with type approval have?
To maintain the requirement in X-ray equipment and guarantee the level of safety, the user still has minimum responsibilities that, according to instructions from the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines, we must bring to your attention.
Respect the conditions
Maintain the markings and conditions of the equipment.
Maintenance
You must follow the maintenance program and the periodic verifications that the manufacturer recommends carrying out on the parameters or systems related to the radiological safety of the device.
Reviews
Carry out at least one annual review and another prior to the start-up of the equipment after its installation, after a change of location, or after a breakdown or incident that could affect its safety.
If a device has type approval, the owner does not have to request any type of authorization for its use or have any type of license for the personnel, as it is considered an exempt device.
Discover Varpe’s X-ray inspection equipment and improve the safety, quality, and reliability of your production line. Contact your manager and implement definitive quality control in your line.
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