An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) team have said Bosnia & Herzegovina is working to enhance its regulatory system for nuclear and radiation safety, while noting the country's specific areas for additional efforts.
The mission was conducted at the request of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia & Herzegovina and was hosted by the State Regulatory Agency for Radiation & Nuclear Safety (SRARNS).
During the mission, the team, comprising 11 senior regulatory experts from 11 member states, as well as two IAEA staff members, met with key personnel at SRARNS in the capital Sarajevo. Team members observed a regulatory inspection at the Radiology Department of the University Clinical Centre. They also visited the radioactive waste storage facility as well as the dosimetry laboratory of the Institute for Public Health. A visit was also held at the Operational and Communication Centre of Bosnia & Herzegovina, to discuss emergency preparedness and response.
Bosnia & Herzegovina does not operate any NPPs but uses radiation sources for industrial and medical applications. “This IRRS mission was successful thanks to the openness and transparency of the SRARNS,” said Igor Sirc, team leader and Director of the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration. “However, we found that SRARNS faces significant challenges related to human resources and there is an urgent need to address this issue.”
The IRRS team identified good performances including:
- The detailed regulatory requirements defining the competencies of the qualified experts.
- The possibility for pregnant occupationally exposed workers to choose different options for their work conditions in a non-discriminative manner.
The IRRS team made several recommendations and suggestions for the Council of Ministers and SRARNS in order to enhance the regulatory system in line with IAEA safety standards.
They said the Council of Ministers should:
- Provide for adequate human and financial resources to SRARNS to fulfil its regulatory responsibilities and functions for safety.
- Revise and implement the policy for safety and the strategy for the radioactive waste management.
The team also recommended that SRARNS should:
- Apply a graded approach in its regulatory functions and further develop its management system.
- Revise some of the regulations on radiation protection, radioactive waste management, transport activities and emergency preparedness and response and develop additional guidance.
The final mission report will be provided to the government in about three months time.
