This publication is the new edition of the International Basic Safety Standards. The edition is co-sponsored by seven other international organizations European Commission (EC/Euratom), FAO, ILO, OECD/NEA, PAHO, UNEP and WHO. It replaces the interim edition that was published in November 2011 and the previous edition of the International Basic Safety Standards which was published in 1996. It has been extensively revised and updated to take account of the latest finding of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, and the latest recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The publication details the requirements for the protection of people and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation and for the safety of radiation sources. All circumstances of radiation exposure are considered.

This report is intended to be of assistance to both regulators and users of radiation sources in nuclear medicine applying the International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS). Regulators will find it useful for reviewing applications for authorization and for inspection. Users of radiation in nuclear medicine may follow the guidance provided in order to comply with the BSS requirements or the equivalent national requirements.

The International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS), jointly sponsored, inter alia, by the IAEA, ILO, WHO and PAHO, establish requirements on the legal persons responsible for designing, running and decommissioning practices involving ionizing radiation. These requirements are basic and general in nature. This report is intended to be of assistance to both regulators and users of radiation sources in diagnostic radiology and interventional procedures using X rays in applying the BSS to this practice. Regulators will find it useful for reviewing applications for authorization and for the inspection of the practice. Users of radiation in radiology may follow the guidance provided in order to comply with BSS requirements or equivalent national requirements. Experts recruited on IAEA missions to advise on the implementation of the BSS for the practice of diagnostic radiology and interventional procedures using X rays are expected to use this regulatory guidance report rather than their own national regulations and guidance. --Publisher's description.

This publication identifies the fundamental safety objective and associated safety principles that underpin the IAEA's safety standards and its related safety programme. They provide the basis for requirements and measures for the protection of people and the environment against radiation risks, the safety of facilities and activities that give rise to radiation risks, including, in particular, nuclear installations and uses of radiation and radioactive sources, the transport of radioactive material and the management of radioactive waste.

This Safety Guide provides recommendations and guidance on fulfilling the requirements of IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 3 for ensuring radiation protection and safety of radiation sources in medical uses of ionizing radiation with regard to patients, workers, carers and comforters, volunteers in biomedical research, and the public. It covers radiological procedures in diagnostic radiology (including dentistry), image guided interventional procedures, nuclear medicine, and radiotherapy. Recommendations and guidance are provided on applying a systematic approach to ensure that there is a balance between being able to utilize the benefits from medical uses of ionizing radiation and minimizing the risk of radiation effects to people.

Jointly sponsored by the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, International Atomic Energy Agency, International Labour Office, International Organization for Medical Physics, Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization