Issuance of Level 1 and 2 permits

• Issuance of level 1 and 2 permits
Level 1 permits for the fields and specialities in Annex 1 to the Norms on the issuance of practice permits for nuclear activities and the designation of radiation protection experts are issued, by the legally established entity undergoing authorization or by the authorization holder carrying out authorized activities in the nuclear field, to persons who meet the following conditions:
a) they perform job duties that involve carrying out authorized nuclear activities;
b) they are, as a rule, high school graduates and have completed a training programme in the field of radiation protection endorsed by CNCAN;
c) they are medically fit to work in an ionizing radiation environment;
d) they have the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge.
- Personnel holding a level 1 practice permit must comply with the duties set out in Annex no. 2 to the Norms on the issuance of practice permits for nuclear activities and the designation of radiation protection experts.

- The level 1 practice permit issued by the legally established entity/authorization holder is valid for 5 years.

- For persons undergoing training, level 1 permits must be issued with a validity of no more than 1 year, provided that it has been verified that they have acquired the radiological safety knowledge needed to carry out the practice. The status of person undergoing training must be mentioned in the permit.

- In order to obtain a level 1 permit or to obtain an extension of the validity of the existing one, candidates must prove their theoretical and practical knowledge of the elements of radiation protection and legislation applicable to the practice they are to carry out, and must demonstrate that they know how to use the installations with radiation sources, the radiation protection equipment and the dosimetric monitoring instruments specific to the practice/activity they carry out.

- The theoretical and practical knowledge of level 1 permit holders must be verified when the permit is issued and thereafter at intervals of 5 years.

- The examination consists of written and oral tests, as well as a practical test.

CNCAN issues the level 1 permits provided for in Art. 11 para. 1 of the Norms on the issuance of practice permits for nuclear activities and the designation of radiation protection experts to persons with schooling and specialized training appropriate to the position, in accordance with Art. 14 para. 1 letter b of the same norms, proposed by the authorization holder to perform the duties of radiological safety officer for the conduct of activities with insignificant radiological risk.
- CNCAN verifies, by means of a written test, the level of knowledge of radiation protection, of legislation and of the instructions given by the supplier of the installation.

- Personnel holding a level 1 practice permit issued by CNCAN must comply with the duties set out in Annex no. 2 to the Norms on the issuance of practice permits for nuclear activities and the designation of radiation protection experts.

- The level 1 permit issued by CNCAN is valid for 5 years.

- The validity of the level 1 permit issued by CNCAN may be renewed by examination.
CNCAN issues level 2 practice permits to persons who lead work with radiation sources or with nuclear installations or who are proposed by the authorization holder to act as radiological safety officers for the conduct of practices with significant radiological risk.
- Level 2 practice permits are issued for the fields and specialities in Annex no. 1 to the Norms on the issuance of practice permits for nuclear activities and the designation of radiation protection experts, are valid for 5 years and may be renewed following an examination conducted in accordance with these norms.
Level 2 practice permits are issued by CNCAN to the persons proposed by the authorization holder who meet the following conditions:
a) health: they are medically fit to work in an ionizing radiation environment;
b) education and length of experience in the field for which the permit is requested;
c) passing the knowledge verification examination;
d) payment of the examination fees and tariffs provided for by the regulation in force, proven by documents (Regulation on fees and tariffs).
- Personnel who hold a level 2 practice permit and lead work with radiation sources or with nuclear installations must comply with the duties set out in Annex no. 3 to the Norms on the issuance of practice permits for nuclear activities and the designation of radiation protection experts.

- Personnel who hold a level 2 practice permit and act as radiological safety officers must comply with the duties set out in Annex no. 4 to the Norms on the issuance of practice permits for nuclear activities and the designation of radiation protection experts.
The conditions of education and length of experience to be met by the persons for whom the issuance of level 2 practice permits is requested are the following:
a) a bachelor's degree obtained through specialized university studies in the nuclear field for which the practice permit is requested, and experience in the field of:
1. at least six months worked in the respective field and speciality, if a radiation protection course was attended and completed, with an examination, during the studies;
2. at least one year worked in the field;
b) teaching staff who teach university courses in radiation protection or specialization courses in the fields and specialities for which the issuance of the permit is requested, or who lead practical work with students in the fields mentioned, and who have one year of experience;
c) a bachelor's degree obtained through university studies in medicine and a certificate of competence in radiology, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, radiation hygiene or another speciality with competence in diagnostic radiology or radiotherapy, at least as a specialist physician;
d) a bachelor's degree obtained through long-cycle university studies in physics, chemistry, industrial chemistry or engineering, and experience in the field for which the issuance of the permit is requested of:
1. at least 1 year in the respective nuclear field, where the candidate has completed a level 2 or 3 radiation protection training programme endorsed by CNCAN;
2. at least 2 years;
e) a degree obtained through short-cycle higher education studies in physics, chemistry, industrial chemistry or engineering, completion of a radiation protection training programme for the respective nuclear field endorsed by CNCAN, and at least 2 years of experience in the field;
f) secondary or post-secondary education, completion of a radiation protection training programme endorsed by CNCAN, and at least 6 years of experience in the field;
- Proof of length of experience is provided by submitting copies of the level 1 or, as the case may be, level 2 practice permits.

The request to register candidates for the examination is made by a letter signed by the legal representative of the legally established entity concerned, specifying for each candidate the surname and first name, date and place of birth, schooling, specialized training, and the field, speciality and level for which the permit is requested. Proof of payment of the examination fee and tariff shall be submitted, together with the telephone/fax number or e-mail address at which the date scheduled for the examination session can be communicated.
- Candidates must prove that they meet the legal conditions required for the issuance of the permits by submitting a file containing copies of: the diplomas, the certificates of completion of the radiation protection training programmes, the health certificate, in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Health and Family, and the identity document.
The examination session consists of the candidate taking, in writing, a test made up of 60 questions, each with several possible answers. The candidate must identify the correct answer. As a rule, the test will have 20 questions on radiation protection, 20 questions on legislation and 20 questions specific to the speciality for which the permit is requested; some questions may be in the form of problems.
- The content of the test is established by the examination board before the start of the session. The test will be taken on form FORM-ARI-01 in Annex no. 6.1 to the Norms on the issuance of practice permits for nuclear activities and the designation of radiation protection experts, which will be completed by each candidate individually.

- For each additional speciality examined, 20 specific questions corresponding to that speciality are added.

- A candidate is considered to have passed if he or she has answered at least 80% of the questions correctly.

- The examination lasts at least one hour.

- The members of the examination board may ask the candidates additional oral questions after the test has been marked, in particular to support and clarify certain answers to the test questions.

- The examination board may make recommendations regarding additional training of the candidates, including attending a radiation protection training programme endorsed by CNCAN.