National Atomic Energy Agency

Under the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 18 January 2005 on positions important for ensuring nuclear safety and radiological protection and radiological protection inspectors (Journal of Laws, No 21, Item 173) only those individuals who hold special national authorizations granted by the PAA President may be employed in particular positions in nuclear facilities and in other entities involving exposure to ionizing radiation. The aforementioned provision constitute the implementation of the Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996 laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public.

In accordance with the aforementioned Regulation, the condition for obtaining authorizations is, among other things, good health condition, suitable education, professional experience, completion of training on radiological protection and nuclear safety in the scope required for the specific type of authorizations and, finally, passing of an examination before the PAA President’s examination board.

In certain cases the PAA President may exempt an individual from the requirement to attend training (but the PAA President may not exempt him/her from the examination). The conditions for admittance to examination without training are determined in § 6 of the Regulation of 18 January 2005. A candidate applying for the admittance to examination without required training should submit an application (or his/her employer depending on the type of authorization) to the PAA President providing evidence that he/she meets required conditions as set out in the Regulation. The PAA President should respond to the application within 30 days.    

The President of National Atomic Energy Agency is a competent authority within the meaning of the Act of Parliament of 18 March 2008 on Principles with Regard to Recognition of Professional Qualifications Acquired in the European Union’s Member States (Journal of Laws No 63, Item 394) to issue decisions on the recognition of qualifications to perform the following regulated professions in the Republic of Poland:

1. Nuclear regulatory inspector,
2. Radiation protection officer except for radiation protection officer in laboratories using X-ray devices for medical diagnostics purposes, interventional radiology, surface radiotherapy and radiotherapy of non-cancerous diseases,
3. Positions important for ensuring nuclear safety and radiological protection:

• Research reactor operator
• Research reactor dosimetrist
• Research reactor senior dosimetrist
• Research reactor shift manager
• Research reactor manager
• Deputy director for nuclear safety and radiological protection in organizational entity with nuclear research reactor
• Specialist for nuclear material accountancy
• Operator of spent nuclear fuel storage facility
• Head of radioactive waste repository
• Head of radioactive waste management facility
• Operator of accelerator used for other than medical purposes, with the exception of accelerators used for vehicle control at border crossings
• Operator of accelerator used for vehicle control  at border crossings
• Operator of accelerator used for medical purposes, and of teleradiotherapy equipment
• Operator of equipment for brachytherapy with radioactive sources

During the procedure concerning recognition of qualifications to be employed in the above positions, the President of National Atomic Energy Agency may require the  applicant to attend the adaptation internship or competence test. Detailed procedures in this respect are specified in the Regulation of 21 January 2009 on adaptation internship and competence test in the course of proceedings concerning the recognition of professional qualifications in the field of nuclear safety and radiological protection, acquired in the European Union’s member states (Journal of Laws No 25, Item 154).

In accordance with the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 5 March 2009 on regulated professions in case of which it is possible to start procedure on recognition of qualifications (Journal of Laws No 38, Item 302) the President of National Atomic Energy Agency may also initiate procedure for the recognition of qualifications of a service provider in the event when they intend to perform for the first time services in the territory of the Republic of Poland in the following regulated professions:

1. Radiation protection inspector except for radiation protection inspector in laboratories using X-ray devices for medical diagnostics purposes, interventional radiology, surface radiotherapy and radiotherapy of non-cancerous diseases,
2. Positions important for ensuring nuclear safety and radiological protection:

• Research reactor operator
• Research reactor dosimetrist
• Research reactor senior dosimetrist
• Specialist for nuclear material accountancy
• Operator of spent nuclear fuel storage facility
• Operator of accelerator used for other than medical purposes, with the exception of accelerators used for vehicle control at border crossings
• Operator of accelerator used for medical purposes, and of teleradiotherapy equipment
• Operator of equipment for brachytherapy with radioactive sources