REQUIREMENTS FOR RADIATION PROTECTION EDUCATION, TRAINING AND INFORMATION IN SPAIN.

At this moment, the Spanish government is working on the transposition to the Directive 2013/59/Euratom. The requirements for radiation protection education, training and information for the present are as described below.

RADIATION PROTECTION EXPERT
Head of a Radiation Protection Service (RPS) or a Radiation Protection Technical Unit (RPTU).
The person is defined in the Royal Decree 783/2001- Regulation on Sanitary Protection against Ionising Radiations
The training requirements, initial and continuous, are defined in Spanish legislation  IS-03, CSN :
The diploma is awarded by the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN). It is required:
• To have the degree of Bachelor, engineer, architect or equivalent
• PR knowledge equivalent to a 300-hour course.
• Minimum experience of 3 years in the case of nuclear and radioactive facilities or 6 months in the field of X-ray facilities.
• Medical certificate of fitness for the job

RADIATION PROTECTION OFFICER.

Supervisors-Radioactive facilities for scientific, medical, agricultural, commercial or industrial purposes
Are described in Royal Decree 1836/1999-Regulation on Nuclear and Radioactive Facilities.
Training requirements and guidelines for standardizing operator courses are defined in CSN guideline 5.12: Approval of training courses for radioactive facilities supervisors and operators, 1988
Licences are granted by the CSN to each individual on a personal and non-transferable basis, valid for a field of application and will have a minimum term of validity of 5 years, renewable for a period equal to that of the first concession (requesting it at least 2 months in advance). It is required:
• To have a university degree.
• To have specific knowledge in PR, in the requested application field (35h-54h depending on the field) with the successfully completion of a CSN approved training course.
• Medical certificate of fitness for the job

Directors-Radiodiagnostic facilities.
are described at the Royal Decree 1085/2009, approving the Regulation on Installation and Use of X-ray Apparatus for Medical Diagnosis.
The training requirements are regulated in the instruction of the CSN IS-17 of 2008

Accreditations are granted by the CSN to each individual on a personal and non-transferable basis, valid for a field of application (General radiodiagnosis: valid for any application within the medical radiodiagnosis of humans and animals; Dental or podiatric radiodiagnostic: valid only for dental or podiatric radiology) and do not expire. It is required:
• Graduates in Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, or graduates in podiatry
• To have specific knowledge in PR, in the requested application field (18h-35h depending on the field) with the successfully completion of a CSN approved training course.

EXPOSED WORKER

An exposed worker (EW) is defined in the Royal Decree 783/2001- Regulation on Sanitary Protection against Ionising Radiations.
The EWs may require specific licence or accreditation, granted by the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), in some situations.

Training of exposed workers without licences.
• All EWs, even if they do not require licences, must know the fundamentals of the RP, procedures and emergency plans of the facility to which they are registered, at the level of depth appropriate to their responsibility. The holder of the practice must inform and train the workers.
• Continuous training of the EWs: it is also defined in national regulations, although in many cases its content and periodicity are not defined. This training must also be registered in the radiological card of the EWs.
• Additional training on a specific technique or equipment: Additional training is necessary for the performance of quality and safe work, especially if we consider emerging technologies. Specialized training is one of the bases of the PR optimization programs. In the medical sector, RD 815/2001 of Justification of medical exposures specifically includes additional training, generally by the equipment supplying companies.
• Specialized unregulated training: Specialized training aims to provide greater knowledge about a specific subject and is intended for professionals in the sector, with and without a licence.

Training of exposed workers with licences, accreditations and certifications.

Operators -Radioactive facilities for scientific, medical, agricultural, commercial or industrial purposes
Are described in Royal Decree 1836/1999-Regulation on Nuclear and Radioactive Facilities.
Training requirements and guidelines for standardizing operator courses are defined in CSN guideline 5.12: Approval of training courses for radioactive facilities supervisors and operators, 1988
Licences are granted by the CSN to each individual on a personal and non-transferable basis, valid for a field of application and will have a minimum term of validity of 5 years, renewable for a period equal to that of the first concession (requesting it at least 2 months in advance). It is required:
• To have compulsory secondary education or equivalent.
• To have specific knowledge in PR, in the requested application field (30h-46h depending on the field) with the successfully completion of a CSN approved training course.
• Medical certificate of fitness for the job

Operators-Radiodiagnostic facilities.
Are described at the Royal Decree1085/2009, approving the Regulation on Installation and Use of X-ray Apparatus for Medical Diagnosis.
The training requirements are regulated in the instruction of the CSN IS-17 of 2008
Accreditations are granted by the CSN to each individual on a personal and non-transferable basis, valid for a field of application (General radiodiagnosis: valid for any application within the medical radiodiagnosis of humans and animals; Dental or podiatric radiodiagnostic: valid only for dental or podiatric radiology) and do not expire. It is required:
• Compulsory secondary education, Second Degree- Vocational Training or equivalent
• To have specific knowledge in PR, in the requested application field (17h-23h depending on the field) with the successfully completion of a CSN approved training course.

Radiation Protection expert technician requirements.
The person is defined in the Royal Decree 783/2001- Regulation on Sanitary Protection against Ionising Radiations
The training requirements, initial and continuous, are defined in Spanish legislation IS-03, CSN :
Certifications are granted by the RPE (Head of the SPR or UTPR) certifying the qualification, guaranteeing the compliance with the training and experience requirements:
• Second Degree- Vocational Training or equivalent.
• PR knowledge equivalent to a 40-hour course in the requested application field (Category A: nuclear and radioactive facilities; Category B: X-ray facilities for medical diagnostic purposes)
• Experience and practice. A minimum of three months in tasks must be accredited, of which at least one must correspond to practice in the specific tasks of the working position to be performed.