The central radiation protection registers have been in operation since the Allgemeine Strahlenschutzverordnung 2006 (General 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The obligation to draw up an annual activity balance is no longer applicable.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 Allgemeine Strahlenschutzverordnung 2020 (General 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.