Radiation protection registers

table of content

General information

The central radiation protection registers have been in operation since the Radiation Protection Ordinance 2006) came into force. This has made it possible to comply with the reporting obligations under radiation protection law online. The radiation protection registers can be accessed both by those obliged to report and by authorities within the scope of their jurisdiction.

The database is operated by the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology.

Access to the central radiation protection registers is provided at strahlenregister.gv.at (→ BMK)German text (Central Dose Register) and edm.gv.at (→ BMK)German text (Central Source Register). After registration of the person responsible for registration/reporting, the access authorisation is checked and access is activated.

The Central Register of Radiation Sources

Holders of a radiation protection licence are required to register. This also includes holders of type approval. The notification obligations also extend to users of type-approved equipment.

Notification is required for sealed radioactive substances, abandoned (i.e. found) sources, radioactively contaminated material and type-approved equipment.

Innovations with the entry into force of the new radiation protection law on 1 August 2020

Sealed radioactive sources must continue to be administered in the Central Source Register (→ BMK)German text, although the import notification must now also be submitted using the forms provided in the application. This does not mean any additional work for the user but makes it easier to allocate the imported sources and prevents duplicates in the database.

Holders of a type approval continue to have the obligation to give notification about the placing on the market of such devices. However, this notification must now be made immediately and covers not only equipment containing radioactive substances but also pure X-ray equipment.

Also, new is the obligation of the user of a type-approved device to administer it in the Central Source Register (→ BMK)German text. This includes reports of a transfer, if radioactive materials are contained, also of the shipment, the disposal as radioactive waste and a loss or theft.

The obligation to draw up an annual activity balance is no longer applicable. However, the Central Source Register (→ BMK)German text will continue to provide this function and thus offer those obliged to report the data the opportunity to clearly compare the receipt and transfer with reports from foreign transporters in accordance with Council Regulation 1493/93/Euratom.

The Central Dose Registry

The Central Dose Register (→ BMK)German text stores the results of physical and medical checks on exposed workers.

Data from physical monitoring are transferred from the approved dosimetric service to the Central Dose Register (→ BMK)German text. These are, for example, results of personal dosimetry, incorporation monitoring or dose determination for flying personnel. A prerequisite is that the holder of the radiation protection licence has passed on the complete data for the company and the exposed worker to the dosimetric service.

Approved physicians, occupational health services and hospitals that perform examinations according to the Radiation Protection Ordinance 2020 will transfer the results of the health assessment to the database.

Holders of a licence for the employment of external personnel will have access to the Central Dose Registry. This is required to apply for and administer radiation protection passports online (for example, registration of the monthly dose balance).

Innovations with the entry into force of the new radiation protection law on 1 August 2020

Significant changes concern the radiation protection passport. This is now only obligatory for external workers working abroad and can now also be issued for category B exposed workers. This removes administrative hurdles, which for example, affected students in foreign research institutions. The radiation protection passport fee for issuing radiation protection passports is no longer applicable.

Further facilitation is the omission of the final examinations for category A exposed workers.

In connection with natural radiation, new exposure situations have been defined and included in the list of "fields of activity" to be reported to the approved dosimetric service.

Enterprises affected

Holders of radiation protection licences who employ exposed workers must arrange for the determination of the personal dose and (for exposed persons in Category A) for the assessment of their health suitability. This also applies to companies that are obliged to determine doses due to increased radiation exposure during work with natural radioactive substances or due to radon at the workplace. The transfer of the data to the Central Dose Register (→ BMK)German text is carried out by the approved dosimetric service.

If a licence holder intends to use workers in foreign-controlled or monitored areas abroad, a radiation protection passport must be applied for.

Each licence holder who holds sealed radioactive substances is obliged to report to the Central Source Register (→ BMK)German text. Anyone who intends to transport sealed radioactive substances from abroad to Austria or from Austria to another country is also required to notify the Central Source Register (see chapter "Shipment of radioactive substances").

The marketing of type-approved equipment (now also pure X-ray equipment) must be recorded immediately in the Central Source Register (→ BMK)German text by the holder of the type-approval. The user must be registered in the system in order to administer the equipment (and, if applicable, the radioactive source) in the Central Source Register. A notification obligation exists in the case of purchase, transfer, return to the manufacturer or the holder of the type approval, shipment, disposal as radioactive waste, loss or theft.

Requirements

Registration in the Central Source Register

  • as a holder of a radiation protection licence
  • as a holder of a type approval
  • as a user of a type-approved device

Registration in the Central Dose Registry

  • as a holder of a licence for work carried out by external workers, provided that this work is carried out abroad and the external workers require radiation protection passports
  • as an approved dosimetric service
  • as an approved physician

Competent authority

The radiation protection registers are kept by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (→ BMK).

Contact: strahlenregister@bmk.gv.at

Procedure

The use of the Central Radiation Protection Register does not require any official procedure – apart from the one-time registration and activation by the competent authority.

Registration is carried out at strahlenregister.gv.at (→ BMK)German text (Central Dose Registry) or edm.gv.at (→ BMK)German text (Central Source Registry).

Costs and fees

The use of the central radiation protection registers is free of charge.

Further information

Further links

Legal bases

Protection from radon at the workplace:

Expert information

Last update: 20 February 2023

Responsible for the content: Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology