Under direction of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Leader, the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Control (VARANSAC) held the Review Meeting of the Ordinance on Radiation Safety and Control on March 26th, 2008 in Hanoi. Attending the meeting were the MOST Vice Minister, Mr. Nguyen Van Lang, who opened the Meeting, and more than two hundreds representatives from various Ministries, provincial Departments of Science and Technology (DOSTs), radiation users, radioactive source dealer, and several centers providing training service on radiation safety.

 The Meeting attendees

The Ordinance on Radiation Safety and Control was passed by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on June 25^th, 1996 and came into effect on January 1^st 1997. The Ordinance is a landmark legal instrument and laid the foundation for the Vietnam legal system in the field of atomic energy. It has been significantly supporting the state management in order to ensure the safety of human and environment and also stimulating radiation applications in the country.

 Dr. Ngo Dang Nhan, Director General of the VARANSAC addressed the Meeting

Dr. Ngo Dang Nhan, Director General of the VARANSAC addressed the meeting by reviewing the implementation of the Ordinance. He emphasized successes in implementing the Ordinance, especially in the last 3 years – 2005-2007. On the other hand, he also pointed out inadequacies of the Ordinance and other relevant instruments, against the context of rampant development of radiation and nuclear applications recently, that prove the requirement for legal ammendments.  

The meeting then heard the Ordinace reviewing and evaluation reports by representatives of DOSTs, the Ministry of Health, Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute, Nuclear Science and Technique Institute, NEAD Company (importing and exporting radiation), Alpha Company (providing service NDT), Schlumgerger Company (using radiation source for NDT) and Hanoi University Of Technology. The reports provided a picture of real situation of radiation applications and radiation cotrol nationwide and also affirmed that the Ordinance is not matching well with the practice of atomic energy applications nowaday.

Another part of the Meeting was introduction of the web-based radiation authority information system in vietnamese language (RAISVN) which was designed by the VARANSAC. Once this system is in use, a radiation facility could access to information of radiation sources possessed by that facility and an authority could access to information of radiation sources and facilities controlled by that authority. Futhermore, the system is functioned to allow a radiation facility to apply for a licence online, it would effiecently support the state management regarding the licencing task.

The meeting enforced the relationships between the state central authority and local authorities, between authorities and radiation end-users. They had chance to present difficulties of themselves in implementing the Ordinace and to suggest ammendments for the legal system. For the state central authority, the meeting is among different activities to strenghthen the state management for radiation and nuclear safety and control.