Regulatory Infrastructure and Transport Safety Section

The goal of the Section is to foster the development of regulatory infrastructures in Member States needed for the control of radiation sources, safe transport of radioactive material and the management of information that assists the States in improving their radiation, transport and waste safety systems. It does this through education and training; sharing knowledge and information with and among Member States; and targeted review services.

As part of its education and training programme, the Section runs the Post Graduate Educational Course in Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources, as well as a range training courses on specialized topics in radiation safety. It also helps Member States develop their own tailor-made national strategy for education and training in this area.

The Section maintains several tools to help Member States and regulators network and share acquired knowledge and experience. One of them is the Radiation Safety Information Management System (RASIMS), a web-based platform that enables the States to collect, analyse and view information on the status of their national infrastructure for radiation, transport and waste safety.

Another tool is SARIS, the IAEA’s Self-Assessment of Regulatory Infrastructure for Safety tool. SARIS helps the States evaluate their level of compliance with IAEA Safety Standards. Regulators can also draw on the services of the Regulatory Authority Information System (RAIS), which is designed to maintain the national register of sources and related regulatory information.

Finally, the Control of Sources Network (CSN) provides regulators with a platform to share knowledge and experience in the establishment and maintenance of a functional, effective and efficient system for the regulatory control of radiation sources.

To assist Member States to establish or strengthen their regulatory infrastructure, the IAEA also offers several independent review missions. Through these, Member States can compare their national regulatory infrastructure with the requirements of the IAEA Safety Standards. The Section works on several of these missions, including the Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS), the Advisory Missions on Radiation Safety Infrastructure (AMRAS), the Transport Safety Appraisal Service (TRANSAS), and the review of Education and Training Infrastructure (EduTA).

The Section, in collaboration with the Nuclear Security of Materials and Facilities Section of the Division of Nuclear Security, provides assistance to countries through dedicated extrabudgetary Regulatory Infrastructure Development Projects (RIDP).