New Zealand Legislation: Regulations

18 Exposure to radiation

• (1) No person shall intentionally expose any other person to radiation from any radioactive material or an irradiating apparatus except for medical reasons or other purposes authorised by the terms of a licence.

  (2) Subject to subclause (3) of this regulation, every person who is for the time being in control of any radioactive material or an irradiating apparatus shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that—

  • (a) Except in the case of exposure to radiation for therapeutic purposes, the dose equivalent received by any person from radiation emanating from the irradiating apparatus or radioactive material is the minimum practicable; and

  • (b) Except in the case of exposure to radiation for therapeutic purposes or for medical diagnostic purposes or as permitted by the terms of a licence, the dose equivalent referred to in paragraph (a) of this subclause does not exceed—

    • (i) The reference dose equivalent, in the case of persons employed to work with such radioactive material or irradiating apparatus, except that in the case of women of reproductive capacity the dose equivalent shall not exceed one-quarter of the reference dose equivalent in any period of 3 months nor during the period of pregnancy following its diagnosis; or

    • (ii) 0.1 of the reference dose equivalent, in the case of other persons.

  (3) If the circumstances are such that sufficient protection cannot reasonably be provided so as to fulfil the requirements of subclause (2)(b) of this regulation, the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP Publication 26), shall be followed.