Proper Management of Radioactive Wastes

Importers, manufacturers, producers, distributors, sellers, possessors and users of radioactive substance are subject to licence requirements so that the health and safety of workers and directly affected members of the public will be adequately protected and the transfer and disposal of radioactive wastes will be kept under proper management from “cradle to grave”, so as to minimize the potential exposure of indirectly affected members of the public to radiation. It is a general requirement of the licence issued by the Radiation Board (the Board) that radioactive substances are to be returned to the manufacturer when they no longer serve the dedicated purpose of use.

However, the Board has recently received claims by some licensees that they have encountered difficulties in returning their disused radioactive substances to the manufacturer. The stated reasons include (a) the original local agent has asked for exceedingly high disposal premium (in some cases as high as 10 times the original purchase prices); and (b) the manufacturer refusing to take back the disused radioactive substances.

If you are contemplating using radioactive substance for justified purposes, you are strongly advised that you must establish at the outset with the agent and the manufacturer that they will accept the return of the concerned radioactive substance at an agreed premium when it is no longer of use.

Date Posted : 4 November 2013