The Radiation Health Committee is seeking any views on a new standard aimed at establishing a consistent approach to equipment compliance testing across States and Territories.

Consultation tabs

• The Issue(active tab)

Start/End Date: 

Tuesday 9 November 2021 - 14:00 to Friday 10 December 2021 - 17:00

Compliance testing, to confirm the radiation safety and performance of diagnostic and interventional X-ray units, is carried out to various extents in all jurisdictions. The results of the tests can be used by regulators as a basis for registering the units or for authorising use. Compliance standards can also be used to specify requirements for new units, for on-going performance testing, and for signalling when units are no longer compliant and may need remedial action or replacement.

The draft standard has been written on the basis of four modalities (Computed Tomography, mammography, fluoroscopy, and general X-ray equipment) and is designed so that it can be revised in future with the addition of requirements for other modalities.

You may use the online webform available below or submit your comments via email to rhc@arpansa.gov.au.

Here is the link:

https://www.arpansa.gov.au/radiation-health-committee-compliance-testing-standard

¨IRPA Perspective on "Reasonableness" in the Optimisation of Radiation Protection¨, has been published and can be accessed from the link below.

Link to file

¨IRPA Perspective on "Reasonableness" in the Optimisation of Radiation Protection¨ is addressed to all radiation protection professionals and organisations involved across all fields of protection, as well as other interested parties involved in optimisation of protection.

This IRPA document is the result of an extensive work that included two consultations to which a total of 14 Associate Societies responded, covering a wide geographical base and representing around 80% of the total IRPA membership of individual professionals, and also several international/national organisations responded to invitations to comment on the second consultation.

Consultation is now open on the National Strategy for Radiation Safety and Implementation Plan.

Date published: 6 October 2021

The draft National Strategy for Radiation Safety and Implementation Plan has been released for a period of public consultation by the Department of Health. The department is seeking feedback from stakeholders and users of radiation technologies through online submissions until Tuesday, 7 December 2021.

Developed in partnership with the states and territories, the draft National Strategy for Radiation Safety and Implementation Plan aims to develop a consistent approach to radiation protection across Australia. It focuses on bringing the existing elements of radiation safety together to ensure a more cohesive and harmonised approach is followed across the country.

You can provide your feedback via the Department of Health’s Consultation Hub.

ARPS is seeking feedback and input on the future of radiological protection.

Drew Watson and Brent LeVert are representatives of the Australasian Radiation Protection Society (ARPS) and participants of a task group of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA).

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has taken the first step on the journey towards new general recommendation with the publication of a paper  “Keeping the ICRP Recommendations Fit for Purpose”.

We kindly ask that you consider the ‘future of radiological protection’ and provide your feedback as follows:

a.            General comments
b.            Specific comments, with reference to line/lines in ICRP paper (link above).
c.             Additional issues that should be considered by the ICRP - with rationale.
d.            Thoughts on direction for improvement of the system.
e.            Other

The aim at this stage is not to capture the details of every aspect of the revision of the System of Protection but rather to focus on the bigger picture as this is the first step of a long process that will take 6 – 8 years.

Please provide your feedback via email to secretariat@arps.org.au; preferably by the 20^th September 2021.

An ICRP workshop on the Future of Radiological Protection will take place on 19 – 20 October. This will be accessible online, see https://mailchimp.icrp.org/the-future-of-radiological-protection

Science & Technology Australia invites candidates for several positions on there Board.

To nominate, the nominee must be a member of an STA ordinary member (non-affiliate). You can find the full list of eligible organisations here.

They are seeking outstanding candidates to make an active, thoughtful, skilled and principled contribution to STA.

In line with our Reconciliation Action Plan commitments, we particularly welcome nominations from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

They are also seeking nominations from candidates with experience or qualifications in law/governance, financial management, or HR.

STA encourages candidates from other traditionally under-represented groups including people with disability, members of the LGBTIQ+ community, and strong cultural diversity.

Candidates from the historically under-represented States/Territories – especially Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Western Australia – are also encouraged to nominate.

Positions currently vacant 
They are currently accepting nominations for the following Cluster Group representatives (you will find a position description for the roles here) for two-year appointments to the STA Board:

• Aquatic Sciences*
• Medical and Cognitive Sciences*
• General member representative (Non-disciplinary based. Must be a member of an ordinary member in any cluster and a member of or employed by a member in the General Cluster)

*Must be a member of an ordinary member in the cluster for which you nominate.

Before nominating, please read the position description for STA Board Members. It outlines responsibilities and time commitments. Please also note that nominees must sign a declaration that their cluster-aligned membership organisation is aware of their nomination.

Nominations can be made online here.

KEY DATES

• 30 August 2021 – Applications open
• 1 October 2021 – Applications close
• 4-15 October 2020 – Cluster Elections
• 28 October 2020 – Announcement of new Cluster Representatives

The NSW Government is reviewing the Act to ensure that the objectives of the Act are still valid and the terms of the Act are able to secure those objectives.

The Act regulates radioactive substances and equipment in New South Wales, to ensure that radiation is used, stored and disposed of safely.

The EPA has responsibilities under the Act, including issuing licences to manage or use radioactive substances and equipment, and regulating radiation practices in NSW.

The EPA has developed an Issues Paper as part of the review of the Act, in consultation with the Radiation Advisory Council and NSW government agencies. The Issues Paper will help individuals and organisations to provide submissions on the review of the Act.

Matters addressed in the Issues Paper include:

• Policy objectives of the Act
• Authorisation of radiation practices
• Security of radioactive sources
• Enforcement provisions
• Radiation Advisory Council

The AIP is hosting exciting presentation for National Science Week. Check it out by following:

https://www.aip.org.au/event-4436525

From 17–21 May 2021 CASANZ are holding a virtual event. There theme this year draws upon Air Quality in Unprecedented Times.

The event will provide an update on the state of science and advancements within the air quality industry, whilst also reviewing Air Quality in Unprecedented Times, taking a closer look at what impacts the bushfires, COVID-19 pandemic has had on humans, on societies, the environment and economies.

https://www.casanz.org.au/casanz2021/

The Spanish Society of Medical Physics and the Spanish Society for Radiological Protection have been arranging their 7th Joint Congress, which will be held from 31st May to 4th June of 2021 in Online format. All organizational details are posted on the website http://www.congresosefmsepr.es/.

It is a Spanish Congress, but we want the participation of colleagues from all over the world, for this, we have enabled a free special fee, which will allow visualize all the plenary lectures in their original language during the days of the Congress (from May 31 to June 4 ) and these conferences will remain accessible for viewing in english (translated or subtitled) on the Congress platform from June 7th to July 5th.

In addition, during the days of the Congress you can also participate in networking with the rest of the participants.

For this reason, we ask you to collaborate with the dissemination of the event, we have indicated the website of the event and attached a 1st newsletter that hereinafter you will begin to receive from our Technical Secretariat. We ask you to make the best possible broadcasting through your website, social networks, newsletters, press releases,….

If you need any clarification or extra documentation, do not hesitate to contact us or our technical secretariat, cevents, congresosefmsepr@cevents.es .