Protection from Harmful Radiation Act 1990 (NSW)

Protection from Harmful Radiation Act 1990 No 13

An Act to make provision for the regulation and control of the sale, use, keeping and disposal of radioactive substances and radiation apparatus; to repeal the Radioactive Substances Act 1957; and for other purposes.

Part 1 Preliminary

1 Name of Act This Act may be cited as the Protection from Harmful Radiation Act 1990.

2 Commencement This Act commences on a day or days to be appointed by proclamation.

3 Objects of Act (1) The objects of this Act are as follows— (a) to secure the protection of persons and the environment from exposure to ionising and harmful non-ionising radiation to the maximum extent that is reasonably practicable, taking into account social and economic factors and recognising the need for the use of radiation for beneficial purposes, (b) to protect security enhanced sources from misuse that may result in harm to people or the environment, (c) to promote the radiation protection principles, (d) to promote the ecologically sustainable development principles. (2) The radiation protection principles are as follows— (a) justification of a practice by assessing that the benefits of the practice involving exposure to ionising radiation outweigh any detriment, (b) optimisation of protection by ensuring that each of the following is kept as low as reasonably achievable taking into account economic and social factors— (i) the magnitude of individual doses of ionising radiation, (ii) the number of people exposed to ionising radiation, (iii) the likelihood of exposure to ionising radiation, (c) dose and risk limitation by setting dose limits or imposing other measures so that the health risks to any person exposed to ionising radiation is kept below levels that are generally considered to be unacceptable. (3) A person is to take the radiation protection principles into consideration when exercising functions under this Act or under a licence. (4) A person must take the ecologically sustainable development principles into consideration when exercising functions under this Act or a licence. (5) In this section— ecologically sustainable development principles means the principles and programs described in the Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991, section 6(2).