Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA 74)
The main legislation governing the safety of occupational workers and the general public at nuclear installations. Under this Act, the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and its operating arm, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were set up. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) — now part of the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) — and other inspectorates were part of the HSE.
Note: The NII is now part of the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), which was established as an independent statutory body under the Energy Act 2013.
Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (NIA 65) (as amended)
The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) was established in April 1960 under the Nuclear Installations (Licensing and Insurance) Act 1959, subsequently amended as the NIA 1965. These responsibilities now rest with ONR, which is responsible for:
- Licensing of nuclear installations
- Overseeing implementation of safety principles and practices
- Thorough evaluation of safety cases prior to issuing licences
- Attaching conditions to licences, including:
- Consents — the licensee cannot carry out a particular operation until ONR has consented
- Approvals — the licensee describes general arrangements and obtains ONR approval
- Directions — the licensee is directed to take actions ONR considers necessary
Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR 2017)
These regulations (which replaced IRR 1999) set out the requirements for dose limitation and optimisation of doses to workers and the public. They implement the EU Basic Safety Standards Directive in UK law and establish:
- Dose limits for workers and the public
- Requirements for designation of controlled and supervised areas
- Requirements for personal dosimetry and health surveillance