Radiation compliance certificates and registrations

Introduction

This section has information for businesses that use or operate radiation sources and radiation apparatus.

It covers topics including:


When to get a certificate of compliance

You need a compliance certificate before you can:

About certificates of compliance

A certificate of compliance shows that a radiation source:

  • is safe to use
  • has adequate shielding
  • meets Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and Northern Territory (NT) codes of practice
  • meets relevant Australian standards.

Certificates must be issued by an accredited company. Read the list of accredited NT radiation companies.

Sealed radioactive material

All sealed radioactive material must have a certificate of compliance. This certificate shows that a radiation source is safe to use. It should mention applicable codes of practice and relevant Australian standards.

Compliance certificates must be re-issued at least once every three years. 

Wipe test

All radiation sources in storage must be wipe tested at least once every ten years. 

For sources in regular use, wipe testing should be carried out at a minimum of every three years. 

Sources used in corrosive environments should be wipe tested more frequently.

Roughly treated sources and older radiation sources should be wipe tested much more frequently.

Wipe testing must be carried out as soon as possible if the source housing is significantly damaged.

Wipe testing must follow NT codes of practice.

Unsealed radioactive material

Storage of unsealed radioactive material must be certified by an accredited person. A certificate of compliance ensures that all radioactive material is stored and used in a safe way.

The radiation dose rate at the boundary of the storage facility must be less than 10 μSv/hour.

Radiation apparatus

All radiation apparatus must have a certificate of compliance issued by an accredited person in the NT.

Compliance certificates must be re-issued at least once every three years. 

When to test medical diagnostic x-ray equipment

Medical diagnostic x-ray equipment must be tested more frequently.

Apparatus typeTesting frequency
Mobile radiographicAnnual
Major radiographicAnnual
FluoroscopicAnnual
MammographicAnnual
Computed tomographicAnnual
Cabinet and securityAnnual
DentalBiennial
VeterinaryBiennial

Read the code of practice on quality management for diagnostic radiography for more information.

Radiation shielding

New and modified medical facilities must meet the following shield design goals:

  • less than 0.1 mGy per week (fraction of 5 mGy per year) for controlled areas
  • less than 0.02 mGy per week (fraction of 1 mGy per year) for uncontrolled areas.

The certificate of compliance may state that it only covers radiation shielding design and is for the purpose of the initial registration of a radiation place. 

If any shielding modification takes place, a certificate of compliance must be reissued and the place must be re-registered.

What a certificate of compliance looks like

A certificate of compliance for a radiation place is a letter that:

  • is signed
  • is dated
  • includes the accreditation number and radiation place location
  • states that it is a Northern Territory certificate of compliance issued under the Radiation Protection Act.

How to get a certificate of compliance

You can get a compliance certificate from an accredited company. Read the list of accredited NT radiation companies.

Reissue certificate of compliance

Compliance certificates must be re-issued at least once every three years. The certificate must be re-issued immediately if one of the following happens:

  • the radiation source is damaged or modified
  • the practice is modified.

Contact Radiation Protection for more information about compliance certificates.


Register a radiation place

A radiation place is anywhere a radiation source is used or stored.

Before you register

Before you apply to register for a radiation place follow these steps.

Step 1. Get a radiation shielding assessment

Shielding helps to keep radiation exposure at acceptable levels for both radiation workers and visitors.

Before you register a radiation place, you need an accredited company to assess radiation shielding of your practice. Read the list of accredited NT radiation companies.

Step 2. Get a certificate of compliance

You need a certificate of compliance for each radiation source and radiation place before you can register a radiation place.

A licensee must not use a radiation source unless a certificate of compliance for a radiation place is prominently displayed.

Compliance certificates ensure the radiation place is safe to occupy, and that radiation sources are safe to use.

Step 3. Read the information about shielding requirements

Shielding requirements are listed below.

Shielding design goals

Medical facilities must follow the requirements outlined in the Northern Territory's guideline on shielding design for new or old facilities.

Shielding must achieve ambient dose equivalent rates of the following:

  • less than 0.1 mSv per week (a fraction of 5 mSv per year) for controlled areas
  • less than 0.02 mSv per week (a fraction of 1 mSv per year) for uncontrolled areas.
Controlled areas

A controlled area is a clearly defined area in which occupational exposure is under the control of the principal licence holder.

Uncontrolled areas

An uncontrolled area is not supervised. Members of the public may have access.

Once radiation shielding design is completed and shielding installed as per the shielding design, you do not need to assess your shielding again unless you modify the radiation place.You should keep photographs and documents that show the radiation shielding is adequate. If you do not keep all documents, you may need to have your shielding design reassessed and tested.

Modifying a radiation place

Your radiation place registration will expire if you modify your practice or shielding. If this happens you must perform a shielding assessment and get a compliance certificate to register the place again.

For more information download the Radiation Protection Information Sheet No. 806 Process for Registration of a Radiation Place.

How to register

To register a radiation place follow these steps.

Step 1. Fill in an application to register a radiation place.
Step 2. Check the fee
Step 3. Submit your application and fee in one of the following ways:

In person
Submit your application and fee at your nearest Receiver of Territory Monies Office.

Email, fax or mail
Phone the Receiver of Territory Monies and pay the fee by credit card.

Enter your payment receipt number on the application form and do one of the following:

Radiation Protection
Department of Health
PO Box 40596
Casuarina NT 0811

radiationprotection@nt.gov.au


Register a radiation source or apparatus

All radiation apparatus and sealed radiation sources must be registered.

Before you register

Before you register you should follow these steps.

Step 1. Get a licence to possess.
Step 2. Make sure your radiation apparatus or source has a current certificate of compliance. You will need to provide copies of your compliance certificates when you apply.

How to register

To register a radiation apparatus or radiation source follow these steps.

Step 1. Fill in one of these forms:

Step 2. Check the fee.
Step 3. Submit your application and fee in one of the following ways:

In person
At your nearest Receiver of Territory Monies Office.

Email, fax or mail
Phone the Receiver of Territory Monies and pay the fee by credit card.

Enter your payment receipt number on the application form and do one of the following:

Radiation Protection
Department of Health
PO Box 40596
Casuarina NT 0811

radiationprotection@nt.gov.au

Apply for a licence to possess a radiation source

A licence to possess is also known as a radiation protection plan. It is a document that describes your current and planned radiation-related procedures.

You need a licence to possess to register any radiation source or apparatus.

How to apply

To apply, follow these steps:

Step 1. Fill in the application for a licence to possess radiation sources on the Department of Health Digital Library.

Step 2. Check and pay the fee:

If you pay over the phone, you must record your receipt number on your application.

Step 3. Submit your application in person, or by mail or email.

In person

At your nearest RTM office.

By mail or email

Radiation Protection
Department of Health
PO Box 40596
Casuarina NT 0811
radiationprotection@nt.gov.au


List of accredited NT radiation companies

You need to get an accredited radiation worker to do any of the following:

  • repair, service, install, test or decommission a radiation source
  • do a shielding assessment
  • do a source security assessment
  • issue certificates of compliance.

Get the complete list of accredited companies in Australia.

List of NT-accredited radiation companies in Australia PDF (238.6 KB)
List of NT-accredited radiation companies in Australia DOCX (180.1 KB)


Apply to be an accredited radiation company or individual

This page has information for companies and individuals who want to install, repair, service and test radiation sources in the Northern Territory (NT).

Who needs accreditation

You need to be accredited to do any of the following:

  • issue certificates of compliance for radiation sources and radiation places
  • decommission a radiation source
  • install a radiation source
  • repair or service a radiation source
  • test a radiation source.

Before you apply

Your accreditation will be restricted depending on your training, qualifications, experience and the type of work you do.

If you install, repair or service radiation sources

You must hold suitable qualifications or hold suitable trade certificates to install, repair or service a radiation source.

Once you have accreditation, you are authorised to do whatever you need to carry out work on a radiation source according to the conditions of your accreditation.

You may issue a certificate of compliance for a radiation source in line with NT radiation codes of practice.

If you decommission radiation sources

Decommissioning a radiation source means that you remove radiation apparatus or a sealed radiation source according to NT codes of practice and standards.

To decommission a radiation source you must:

Ensure that the principal licence holder is authorised to sell a radiation source before proceeding.

If you test radiation sources

You need a certificate of accreditation to test a radiation source. To qualify, you need to provide evidence of relevant:

  • experience
  • qualifications
  • training.

Nationally recognised Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) course

If you have completed a nationally recognised radiation safety officer (RSO) course, you may be able to get accreditation to:

  • test a radiation source according to your accreditation conditions
  • issue a certificate of compliance for a radiation source
  • issue a certificate of compliance for a radiation place.

Medical physicists

A medical physicist be accredited to test radiation sources in areas like oncology, diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine.

In these areas, a medical physicist may be involved with:

  • equipment performance
  • radiation protection
  • dose determination
  • quality assurance procedures
  • radiation source quality control.

Professional societies like the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM) exist to ensure that a medical physicist has suitable qualifications and experience.

Trainee technicians

Trainee technicians can apply for a one year licence to 'otherwise deal' with a radiation source. You must work under direct supervision of a holder of a certificate of accreditation.

Your supervisor must provide a letter to the manager of Radiation Protection stating that you will be supervised during training. Send the letter to Radiation Protection using one of the contact methods listed below.

How to apply

To apply follow these steps.

Step 1. Fill in an application for a certificate of accreditation form.
Step 2. Check the fee.
Step 3. Submit your application in one of the following ways.

In person
Submit your application and fee at your nearest Receiver of Territory Monies Office.

Email, fax or mail
Phone the Receiver of Territory monies on (08) 8999 1606 and pay the fee by credit card.

Enter your payment receipt number on the application form and do one of the following:

Radiation Protection
Department of Health
PO Box 40596
Casuarina NT 0811

Fax: (08) 8922 7334
envirohealth@nt.gov.au


Codes of practice

This page has information about radiation codes of practice in the Northern Territory (NT). 

Acquiring a radiation source

A licensee to possess a radiation source may only acquire a radiation source with a current licence to do so. It is a breach of the Radiation Protection Act to acquire a radiation source without a licence that authorises possession and acquire.

Download the acquiring a radiation source code of practice

Alteration to current radiation protection plan

This code explains and provides regulatory advice for an application to alter an approved radiation protection plan. An application for a variation in the radiation protection plan is simply an application for a licence to possess. You have to pay a fee of $115.

Download the alteration to current radiation protection plan code of practice.

Approved form for certificate of compliance 

This code explains and provides regulatory advice for a certificate of compliance for a radiation source or radiation place. The certificate of compliance for a radiation source or radiation place must be re-issued at least at three-yearly intervals. This corresponds to the maximum interval for renewal of all licenses under the Radiation Protection Act. A certificate of compliance may only be issued by a holder of a certificate of accreditation under the Radiation Protection Act.

Download the approved form for certificate of compliance code of practice.

Certificate of compliance for a radiation place

This code explains and provides regulatory advice for a certificate of compliance for a radiation place. The certificate of compliance for a radiation source or radiation place must be re-issued at least at three-yearly intervals. This corresponds to the maximum interval for renewal of all licenses under the Radiation Protection Act. A certificate of compliance may only be issued by a holder of a certificate of accreditation under the Radiation Protection Act.

Download the certificate of compliance for a radiation place code of practice.

Disposal of a radiation source

A radiation source must not be abandoned. Sufficient funds must be set aside to provide for the safe disposal of all radiation sources. Disposal basically means that the source is no longer useful and is to be decommissioned as waste. A current holder of a licence to possess and sell may sell a radiation source that is useful. Disposal may only occur if the licensee to possess holds a licence to dispose of a radiation source.

Download the disposal of a radiation source code of practice.

Guideline on shielding design

This document is a guideline on obtaining a certificate of compliance for a radiation place. 

The responsibility for providing adequate shielding resides with the operator. A certificate of compliance for a radiation place is required to register the radiation place. This certificate of compliance must be obtained from a third party service provider, who holds a current certificate of accreditation. A certificate of compliance provides assurance that shielding is adequate for the practice.

It is recommended that each operator uses the design goals that are shown on page six of this guideline as risk constraints for their practice.

Download the guideline on shielding design code of practice.

Quality management for diagnostic radiography

Third party service providers accredited under the Radiation Protection Act to carry out work defined as install, test, repair, service and decommission may use this guideline in parallel with Service Checks for Diagnostic Equipment.

The required tests are essentially concerned with the radiation safety of x-ray equipment. As patient dose ultimately depends on the complete imaging process, the tests must be supplemented with other radiographic and image quality tests as part of a complete quality management program

Download the quality management for diagnostic radiography code of practice.

Service checks for sealed radioactive material

Third party service providers who undertake maintenance on this type of equipment may use this guideline to issue a certificate of compliance for the equipment. The third party service provider is accredited to carry out work under the Radiation Protection Act. Work is defined as install, test, repair, service and decommission. Conditions may be imposed on the certificate of accreditation.

Download the service checks for sealed radioactive material code of practice.


Fees and contacts

This page has information about radiation registration fees and contacts.

Fees

Northern Territory Government applicants do not have to pay fees. GST is not charged on radiation licence applications or registrations.

ItemRevenue unitsFee
Apply for a licence to possess a radiation source100$135
Apply for a single accreditation100$135
Register a radiation apparatus100$135
Register a radiation place100$135
Register a sealed radiation source100$135

Contacts

For more information about radiation registrations and certificates contact Radiation Protection.

Radiation Protection
Department of Health
PO Box 40596
Casuarina NT 0810

Phone: (08) 8922 7152
radiationprotection@nt.gov.au