Regulatory Requirements and Standards

Abstract

Regulatory requirements are all applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders, guidelines, directives and interpretations, issued to organizations by governmental body or regulatory authority. These regulations govern how organizations manage their staff, activities and facilities in order to ensure safety. Standards make things work by providing specifications (guidelines or requirements) for products, services and systems. If used consistently, they ensure quality, safety and efficiency. They may take the form of a Reference Document that provides details about the criteria involved. Among the IAEA’s key publications are its Safety Standards, which provide the fundamental principles, requirements and recommendations to ensure nuclear safety. They serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment and contribute to a harmonized high level of safety worldwide. Activities such as the medical uses of radiation, the operation of nuclear installations, the production, transport and use of radioactive materials, and the management of radioactive waste must be subject to standards of safety. The Safety Standards consists of three sets of publications: the Safety Fundamentals, the Safety Requirements and the Safety Guides. While the first one of these establishes the fundamental safety objective and principles of protection and safety, the second set out the requirements that must be met to ensure the protection of people and the environment. The Safety Guides provide recommendations and guidance on how to comply with the requirements.