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3.2 REGULATORY INSPECTION OF NUCLEAR In case of radiation facilities, the inspection plan

AND RADIATION FACILITIES envisages prioritization of inspection of the facilities
having reported cases of excessive radiation exposures
AERB carries out regulatory inspections of the and the facilities from where periodic safety status
nuclear, industrial and radiation facilities as a safety report is not received (particularly inactive nucleonic
audit measure to ensure compliance with the AERB gauge institutions) as per the specified requirements.
safety requirements and stipulations. In nuclear and As an innovative measure, awareness programmes on
industrial facilities, the emphasis is given on aspects radiological safety aspects were conducted along with
related to project management, safety culture, civil routine inspection activities to improve compliance
construction, quality assurance, equipment storage & to regulatory requirements. While AERB has been
preservation, fabrication and erection of major safety effectively regulating the high hazard nuclear facilities
related components, documentation, commissioning and other radiation applications, it is facing challenges
& operation activities, industrial & fire safety, nuclear in bringing the widely spread Diagnostic X-ray facilities
security, radiological monitoring and emergency under its regulatory control. In this connection, AERB
preparedness. AERB adopts a graded approach in continues to conduct special unannounced inspections
conducting regulatory inspections. The number of in major cities / towns in the country and seal the facility
planned inspections of a nuclear facility depends on its or issue warnings to the facilities which fail to meet the
hazard potential and may vary from 1 to 8 inspections regulatory and safety requirements.
in a year. The scope and depth of these inspections
depend on the consenting stage of the facility and the Though the X-ray equipment are of low hazard
activities at the site. In addition to these, additional potential, it is important that they are installed
inspections are conducted to gather information after and operated in accordance with radiation safety
important events or to observe specific activities. requirements specified by AERB.

AERB has
posted onsite AERB SOT provides The regulatory inspections are carried out by HQ
observers known continuous surveillance over and its regional centres viz. the Southern Regional
as Site observers 19 Nuclear Facilities at Four Regulatory Centre (SRRC), Chennai; Eastern Regional
Team (SOT), at NPP sites Regulatory Centre (ERRC), Kolkata and Northern
four NPP sites Regional Regulatory Centre (NRRC), Delhi. In addition,
[Rawatbhata, Kalpakkam, Kakrapar and Kudankulam]. Directorate of Radiation Safety (DRS) / Radiation Safety
These SOT observe activities at the operating as well Agency (RSA) in some of the States are also authorised
as under construction plants at these sites and submit to carry out regulatory inspections for ensuring radiation
report to AERB headquarter on daily basis. This has safety of medical diagnostic radiology (X-ray) equipment
led to establishment of continuous regulatory presence installed in the respective States.
at these sites, covering twelve operating, two under
commissioning and five under construction NPPs. AERB follows a graded approach in determining
At other NPP sites, AERB conducts unannounced the safety significance of the deviations observed during
inspections, apart from routine announced inspections regulatory inspections of nuclear and radiation facilities.
to observe the actual state of the facility and the way in The reported deviations are categorised as White, Grey,
Orange and Red findings, in the increasing order of
which it is being operated and maintained.
safety significance and are as described below:

52 AERB Annual Report 2019