Bundesportal | Sending notifications of high-activity sealed radioactive sources to the HRQ register

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Publisher

Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)

Last update or date of publication

January 15, 2019

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In Germany, high-activity sealed radioactive sources are used in industry, commerce, medicine, research and agriculture. Industrial applications include, for example, the calibration of measuring instruments. In medicine, radiation sources are used, among other things, in radiotherapy.

Since 2005, legal provisions have been in place in Germany for the control of ‘high-activity sealed radioactive sources’ (HASS), in other words, radiation sources whose activity level is so high that misuse can pose a high risk.

You must send a notification of the transfer, receipt, other presence of a high-activity sealed radioactive source or the implementation of leakage tests to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) via the HRQ register.

No notification to the HRQ register is required for handling radiation sources whose activity level is below that for high-activity sealed radioactive sources.

The HRQ register enables complete monitoring of the presence of high-activity sealed radioactive sources in Germany. Notification takes place in secure electronic form via an internet platform of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection.

None. The data required for the notification of high-activity sealed radioactive sources can be found in Annex 9 to the StrlSchV.

Can I do it online? Yes
Do I need to do it in writing? Yes
Do I need to attend in person? No

Preconditions

You hold a licence to handle radioactive substances whose activity level is higher than that for high-activity sealed radioactive sources.

Basis for legal action

Annex 4, Table 1, column 4 to the StrlSchV – Levels for high-activity sealed radioactive sources

Annex 9 to the StrlSchV – Data on high-activity sealed radioactive sources (HASS) which are listed in the register of high-activity sealed radioactive sources (HRQ register)

Section 167 of the StrlSchV – Loss/disappearance

Section 84 of the StrlSchV – Register of high-activity sealed radioactive sources

Section 85(4) of the StrlSchV – Mandatory notification

Procedure

You must first register before you can send a notification about a high-activity radioactive source.

Notification of high-activity sealed radioactive sources (HASS) can only be done via the internet.
Download the application form on the HRQ register website, fill it in (on screen if possible), sign it and send it by post to the address given, or by fax to the BfS fax number.
You will receive a personal username and password for access.
You can log in on the homepage of the HRQ register with these credentials which will take you to the main page for licence holders.
From there, go to the input screen for first notifications or to the summary of notifications already sent.
The data for the notification can be found in the radiation source certificate attached to the HASS and the dispatch or testing protocols.
The ‘HASS identification number’, or HRQ-Identifizierungsnummer, corresponds to the serial number of the radioactive source.
When the notification is registered in the HRQ register, an email will be automatically generated and sent to the authority indicated in the notification informing them of the receipt of your notification.
The competent supervisory authority will check that your notification is complete and matches your licence. If the results of this check are positive, the authority will mark the data as checked and correct. If there are problems with the notification, you will be informed by email.

HRQ register website

Deadlines

The radiation protection supervisor must immediately notify the HRQ register of transfer, receipt or loss/disappearance of high-activity sealed radioactive sources and any changes to the information already recorded. The HRQ register must be informed about the leakage check within 1 month of implementation.
Within 1 month, the competent authority will check that the data submitted is complete and matches the licence granted.

Processing time

If you are registering for the first time, you will receive your access credentials within a few days.
Notifications to the HRQ register are made online and therefore there is no time delay.

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