Virtual School Helps Standardize Drafting Safety Regulations

Participants in the School have the chance to submit proposals ahead of time for regulations they want help in drafting. Shawn Hunt, a radiation safety officer at the Seychelles Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority, plans to take part in the next edition of the School in 2021 in order to receive assistance in drafting follow-up legislation for addressing specific safety requirements. The regulations will mirror those outlined in the IAEA safety standards and follow current international standards, procedures and guidelines.

"This will only be the second regulation that we as an authority have drawn up," Hunt said. "Any training involving the drafting of regulations is immensely valuable, not only for me personally but for the entire radiation sector and the country as a whole."

Hunt's participation in the School will build on the experiences of other officials from the Seychelles who attended in 2016. Their participation led to the amendment of the country's first Radiation Safety and Security Act, which was adopted in 2014, bringing it in line with international standards.

"The School was a good opportunity to align our regulations with General Safety Requirements Part 3 and the model regulations of the IAEA," said Stephanie Boniface, a senior employment officer at the Ministry of Employment, Immigration and Civil Status of Seychelles. "Additionally, we were able to share experiences with other African countries who were at different stages of drafting their regulations and with facilitators from developing countries like Seychelles, who were able to guide us on how to incorporate these provisions."