Guardians of Radiation Safety: Who Are Radiation Protection Experts?
The Provision on the Radiation Protection Expert approved by Resolution No. 1493 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 24 December 2024 enters into force on 27 June 2025 as part of the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and harmonization of the national legislation with EU standards.
Certain amendments shall be made to the legislative framework of Ukraine to enable the implementation of activities carried out by radiation protection experts. Therefore, the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On the Use of Nuclear Energy and Radiation Safety” Regarding the Radiation Protection Expert” was adopted under martial law in Ukraine on 16 November 2022. This law established the basic requirements for individuals intending to become radiation protection experts, and designated the competent authority, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU, responsible for recognizing the expert’s competencies.
Uatom.org Editorial Board considers it necessary to clarify who a radiation protection expert is, what qualification requirements are imposed on candidates, and what responsibilities are assigned to a person whose competence as a radiation protection expert has been recognized by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine.
The implementation of the institution of radiation protection experts in Ukraine is an important and timely step in the context of the current challenges facing the state amid the full-scale invasion by the russian federation. Military actions, particularly in areas where nuclear facilities are located, have significantly increased the risks of radiological emergencies and the uncontrolled radiation impact on personnel, the public and the environment.
At the same time, Ukraine as the country with the developed nuclear energy sector and infrastructure for radioactive material management is obligated to comply with international and European radiation protection standards. The “PROVISION” Project was launched as part of Ukraine’s European integration efforts and with the aim of establishing the institution of radiation protection experts in Ukraine. The Project was launched in November 2018, and over the course of two years, experts from the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine and the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS) with the support of the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) developed the Provision on Radiation Protection Experts.
This Provision establishes the qualification criteria, requirements for the scope of knowledge, practical skills, work experience of radiation protection experts, areas of competence, and the procedures for the recognition and termination of competence of radiation protection experts.
Who is a radiation protection expert?
According to the Provision, a radiation protection expert is an individual who meets the qualification characteristics, possesses higher education, work experience, a sufficient level of knowledge and practical skills necessary to provide recommendations on radiation protection of personnel and the public in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine, taking into account international and European standards and practices, and whose competence is recognized by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine.
An expert may be engaged on a civil law basis by nuclear entities, other legal and natural persons, as well as by public authorities to provide recommendations on radiation protection of personnel and the public.
If experts are engaged under an employment contract, they are assigned the functions of a person responsible for radiation monitoring in workplaces, as well as for radiation protection and safety.
What are the tasks of a radiation protection expert?
A radiation protection expert shall provide written recommendations on various aspects of radiation protection for personnel and the public in scheduled, emergency, and current exposure. Their purpose is to ensure effective radiation protection of personnel and the public in accordance with the national legislation and international standards.
In scheduled exposure, an expert shall provide recommendations regarding the justification of practical activities and the establishment of reference levels of exposure (boundary doses) to optimize the exposure of personnel and the public. An expert shall also give recommendations on radiation protection of personnel and the public during siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation, decommissioning, and safe closure of nuclear installations and other facilities involved in the use of nuclear energy.
One of the key responsibilities of an expert is to provide recommendations regarding the classification of workplaces and work areas where there is a risk of exposure to radiation for personnel and the public, as well as observation areas, radiation monitoring, and determination of categories of individuals who may be exposed. An expert also provides recommendations on individual dosimetry monitoring and provision of individual and collective protective equipment.
The scope of competence of a radiation protection expert also includes providing recommendations on environmental monitoring and health surveillance of personnel. Special attention is given to the expert’s role in radiation protection for underage trainees, students, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
Additionally, within the scope of the expert’s competence is the provision of recommendations concerning radon exposure, medical exposure, as well as exposure resulting from the presence of radionuclides in consumer items (building materials, food products, animal feed, drinking water, etc.).
In situations of emergency exposure, an expert provides recommendations on the following issues:
- preparedness for emergency situations and response to them, establishment of reference dose levels for optimizing exposure of personnel and the public, exposure of the public and occupational exposure during an accident or emergency;
- radiation environmental monitoring;
- transition from emergency exposure situations to current exposure situations;
- investigation and analysis of emergency situations and accidents.
In situations of current exposure, a radiation protection expert provides recommendations on the following issues:
- analysis of the current exposure situation and risk assessment;
- implementation of radiation protection measures, particularly in areas where radioactive materials remain as a result of previous activities that were not subjected to state oversight, or following radiation accidents;
- environmental radiation monitoring and implementation of measures to minimize radiation impact;
- protection against radon in indoor environments, as well as against radionuclides that may be present in consumer products, including building materials, food products, animal feed, and drinking water.
The expert’s competence also shall include providing recommendations on methods and procedures for monitoring the exposure of aircrew and space vehicle crews caused by cosmic radiation.
All the aforementioned areas of work are accompanied by recommendations for the development of written radiation protection procedures in accordance with legislative requirements and international standards.
Who can become a radiation protection expert?
A radiation protection expert can be an individual who holds at least the Second (Master’s) Degree of Higher Education in the relevant specialty, obtained in Ukraine or a foreign education recognized according to the established procedure, and who has at least five years of work experience in the field of nuclear energy use and radiation safety.
Additionally, an expert shall possess a sufficient scope of knowledge and practical skills regardless of the declared area of competence, in accordance with Annex 2 to the Provision, as well as a sufficient scope of knowledge and practical skills corresponding to the declared area of competence, in accordance with Annex 3 to the Provision. For example:
- radiation protection during the use of sealed/unsealed radiation sources in industry, scientific research, and educational processes;
- radiation protection in the medical field (radiology, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, veterinary medicine);
- radiation protection at all life cycle stages of nuclear installations (NPPs, research reactors, storage facilities, critical assemblies, etc.);
- protection during the transport, waste management, and extraction of mineral resources;
- radiation protection of aircrew and space vehicle crews;
- medical physics, public health, monitoring of radon and consumer products.
A radiation protection expert cannot be a person who is a citizen (subject) of a state recognized by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as an aggressor or occupying state.
How to become a radiation protection expert?
An individual intending to become a radiation protection expert shall submit an application to the SNRIU in paper or electronic form, in accordance with legislative requirements. The Application shall include personal data, contact information, the chosen area of competence, and, if applicable, details of a representative along with a document confirming his/her authority.
Documents stipulated by Article 341 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Use of Nuclear Energy and Radiation Safety” shall be attached to the Application, as well as additional materials confirming the candidate’s experience and professional reputation (a brief report on achievements, awards, references, recommendations, information on publications, etc.), if necessary.
The SNRIU shall register the Application on the day of its receipt, and a preliminary review shall be conducted within 15 working days. In order to review and develop proposals on the Applications, the SNRIU shall establish an Certification Commission, which shall include experts from the SNRIU, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, representatives of scientific institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, and representatives of the National Commission on Radiation Protection of the Population of Ukraine (subject to their consent). Representatives of international organizations may also be involved in the commission’s activities with an advisory vote. Members of the Commission serve on a voluntary basis.
The candidates shall have the right to participate in reviewing their Applications at all stages of review and decision-making, provide explanations and/or comments, including evidence, in written or oral form.
In case of violations of the requirements established by the Law and the Provision, or incompleteness of the submitted data, a candidate shall receive a notification with demands to rectify the violations within a specified period. To rectify the identified violations, the SNRIU shall establish a deadline of at least ten calendar days, which may be extended, if necessary. Upon receipt of the revised Application and accompanying documents within the established timeframe, the Application shall be revised through the regular procedure. If the violations are not rectified, a decision shall be made to refuse recognition of the expert’s competence or to deny the extension of the expert’s competence recognition.
The SNRIU may temporarily suspend the review of an Application, for example, at the candidate’s request or if external circumstances make the review impossible. Such circumstances may include a court proceeding that affects the decision, candidate’s illness, long-term business trip, or service outside the place of residence. Once these circumstances are resolved, the review process will be resumed.
The grounds for refusing to accept an application for review include particularly the submission of an application to extend the period of expert’s competence recognition after the expiration of the current competence recognition period, or the circumstances provided for by the Law of Ukraine “On Administrative Procedure.” In the event of the candidate’s voluntary refusal, death, or other grounds provided for by the Law of Ukraine “On Administrative Procedure,” the review of the Application shall be terminated.
The final stage of the preliminary review of the Application is its submission to the Certification Commission. Based on the preliminary review results and revision of the Certification Commission’s recommendations, the SNRIU shall make a decision either to allow the candidate to take the qualification exam or to refuse recognition of expert’s competence or to extend the expert’s recognition period.
What’s next?
Candidates applying for radiation protection expert status shall take a qualification exam arranged by the Certification Commission.
The candidates shall pass the qualification exam using exam papers prepared in advance based on examination questions and approved by the SNRIU, taking into account the proposals of the Certification Commission. The papers include four sections:
- 30 test questions dealing with general knowledge for all candidates.
- four theoretical questions related to the selected area of competence.
- one legislative question in accordance with the chosen area.
- two practical tasks covering radiation protection in the chosen area of competence.
The exam shall be conducted in the state language and in written form. The allotted time for completion is two hours, which may be extended by additional two hours, if necessary. During the exam, restrictions apply to the use of information sources, except for the regulatory framework, access to which is provided during the practical tasks.
Before the exam, each candidate shall be registered and shall select an exam paper, the number of which shall be recorded in the register. All answers shall be written on specially marked sheets provided by the SNRIU and signed by the candidate. In any violation of the exam rules, a report shall be drawn up, based on which a decision shall be made to exclude the candidate from the exam and consequently to refuse recognition of the expert’s competence.
The evaluation of answers takes up to two working days. The maximum score is 100 points. The exam is considered passed, if the candidate obtains at least 80 points. The results shall be recorded in the examination register and signed by the Chairperson and Secretary of the Commission.
Based on the examination results, one of the following decisions shall be made within three working days:
- recognition or extension of competence;
- refusal to recognize or extend competence.
The decision shall contain information on the area of competence, the recognition period or justification for refusal. It comes into effect from the moment the candidate is officially notified.
In case of refusal, a person may reapply
- after six months (for initial recognition);
- after three months (for extension), but no later than one month before the expiration of the current competence validity period.
Information on the decision made shall published on the SNRIU website no later than three working days after its adoption.
Termination of competence
In the event the expert submits a relevant application or fails to properly fulfill their duties, the SNRIU shall make a decision on early termination of competence.
The issue of improper performance of duties by an expert shall be considered in the presence of this expert.
Information on the decision to terminate the expert’s competence shall be promptly published on the SNRIU’s official website.
In compliance with the requirements established by the Provision on the Radiation Protection Expert, SNRIU experts have developed and approved the Provision on the Certification Commission of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine. Additionally, a draft Procedure for Training, Advanced Qualification, and Knowledge Examination of Radiation Protection Experts has been developed and is currently undergoing the established approval process for subsequent state registration in the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. The need to develop this Procedure arises from the fact that according to the Provision on the Radiation Protection Expert, individuals intending to become experts, and experts seeking to extend their competence recognition period shall pass an exam, and experts shall improve their qualifications at least once every five years.
Thus, the adoption of the new legislative framework regulating the recognition and further activities of the radiation protection experts represents a significant step towards harmonizing Ukrainian legislation with European approaches.
Against the backdrop of increasing risks associated with the war and vulnerability of the critical infrastructure, this initiative is both justified and timely.
From now on, every candidate intending to become an expert shall follow a clearly structured path: from training and knowledge examination, through application submission, to passing the qualification exam and official recognition of competence. This path requires not only profound knowledge, but also strong motivation and readiness to bear professional responsibility.
Uatom.org Editorial Board