ASN Report 2017

301 ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2017 Chapter 10  - Sources of ionising radiation and their industrial, veterinary and research applications Smoke detectors containing radioactive sources Devices containing radioactive sources have been used for several decades to detect smoke in buildings, as part of firefighting policy. Several types of radionuclides have been used (americium-241, plutonium-238, radium-226). The activity of the most recent sources used does not exceed 37 kBq, and the structure of the detector, in normal use, prevents any release of radioactive substances into the environment. New non-ionising technologies have gradually come to compete with these devices. Optical devices now provide comparable detection quality, and can therefore satisfy the regulatory and normative fire detection requirements. ASN therefore considers that smoke detection devices using radioactive sources are no longer justified and that the seven million Ionisation Chamber Smoke Detectors (ICSDs) installed on 300,000 sites must be progressively replaced. The regulatory framework governing their removal was put in place by the Order of 18th November 2011 and two ASN resolutions of 21st December 2011. This regulatory framework aims at: ཛྷ ཛྷ planning the removal operations over ten years; ཛྷ ཛྷ supervising the maintenance or removal operations that necessitate certain precautions with regard to worker radiation protection; ཛྷ ཛྷ preventing any uncontrolled removals and organising the collection operations in order to avoid detectors being directed to an inappropriate disposal route, or even simply being abandoned; ཛྷ ཛྷ monitoring the pool of detectors. Six years after the implementation of the new regulatory system for ICSD removal and maintenance activities, as at 31st December 2017 ASN had delivered 320 notification acknowledgements and 7 national licenses (delivered to industrial groups with a total of 104 agencies) for ICSD removal and fire safety systemmaintenance activities. Furthermore, five A smoke detector. companies are authorised to perform ICSD decommissioning operations, thereby guaranteeing a disposal route for all the existing detectors. With regard to tracking of the pool of ICSDs, in 2015 IRSN put in place, in collaboration with ASN, a computerised system enabling the professionals working on a facility (maintenance technicians, installers or removers) to file annual activity reports electronically. The transmitted information is nevertheless not exhaustive enough to allow a conclusive assessment. ASN maintains close relations with Qualdion, an association created in 2011 which certifies the companies that comply with the regulations relative to radiation protection and fire safety. The list of Qualdion-certified companies is available on the association’s website page 1 . ASN participates with the association in communication campaigns targeting the holders of ICSDs and professionals (Expoprotection trade fair, Mayor’s trade fair, etc.). Surge suppressors Surge suppressors (sometimes called lightning arresters), not to be confused with lightning conductors, are small objects with a very low level of radioactivity used to protect telephone lines against voltage surges in the event of lightning strike. These are sealed devices, often made of glass or ceramic, enclosing a small volume of air containing radionuclides to pre-ionise the air and facilitate sparkover. The use of surge suppressors has been gradually abandoned since the end of the 1970s, but the number remaining to be removed, collected and disposed of is still very high (several million units). When installed, these devices represent no risk of exposure for individuals. There can be a very low risk of exposure and/or contamination if these objects are handled without the necessary precautions or if they are damaged. ASN issued a reminder of this to Orange (formerly France Télécom ), which has begun an experimental process of inventorying, removing, sorting, storing and disposing of surge suppressors in the Auvergne region and has proposed a national removal and disposal plan. This plan was presented to ASN and led in September 2015 to the granting of a license governing the removal of all surge suppressors containing radionuclides present on the Orange network in France and their storage on designated sites. The search for a disposal route is in progress in collaboration with Andra, the French national agency for radioactive waste management. This removal plan is being implemented progressively over an eight-year time frame. Lightning conductors Radioactive lightning conductors were manufactured and installed in France between 1932 and 1986. The ban on the sale of radioactive lightning conductors was declared in 1987. This Order did not make the removal of installed radioactive lightning conductors compulsory. Consequently, there is no obligation at present to remove the radioactive lightning conductors installed in France, except in certain ICPEs (Order of 15th January 2008 setting the removal deadline at 1st January 2012) and certain installations under Ministry of Defence responsibility (Order of 1st October 2007 setting the removal deadline at 1st January 2014). 1. www.lne.fr/certification/certification-label-qualdion