REGULATING THE OPERATION OF IRRADIATION FACILITIES IN GREAT-BRITAIN -A GOAL-SETTING APPROACH

There has been a long tradition of health & safety legislation in Grea t Britain, going back to the 19th century. The structure of this legis lation was prescriptive in nature, and targeted at particular industri al activities. A modem regulatory system was introduced in 1974 by the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act (HSWA). These have been further rein forced by the introduction of the Management of Health and Safety at W ork Regulations 1992 (MHSWR). Since the HSWA was passed, there has bee n a progressive reform of the law, seeking to replace industry-specifi c legislation with a modem approach in which regulations, whenever pos sible, express goals and general principles and detailed requirements are placed in codes and guidance. In this way, flexibility is allowed for technological development, within a framework of mandatory regulat ions. The paper gives details of the regulations applicable to industr ial irradiators in Great Britain. The approach to inspection of irradi ation facilities by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), the relevant enforcement authority under the HSWA, is described. The management str ucture required by the operator is outlined. Industry specific guidanc e and liaison with plant operators is discussed.