The Standard for Radiation Protection of the IAEC as a Model for a Revision of the Legal Framework for Radiation Safety in Israel

Abstract

In Israel, a single regulatory body for radiation protection does not exist. Instead, its responsibilities and functions are shared between five government ministries and agencies. Accordingly, the existing legal framework for radiation safety is of a very heterogeneous nature. It is made of laws, acts, orders, and regulations enacted during different periods, according to different principles. Moreover, some of the provisions of those legal instruments are obsolete or quote obsolete documents. The Standard for Radiation Protection (SRP) of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) was recently updated on the basis of the latest version of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Basic Safety Standards (BSS). It is proposed that the SRP of the IAEC serves as a model for a comprehensive framework law that would be structured in a similar manner, i.e., a division into three parts according to the three different types of exposure situation (planned, emergency, existing) defined by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and a subdivision of each part according to relevant exposure categories (occupational, public, medical). The adoption of such a structure would ensure that no aspect of radiation protection is left untreated.