REGDOC-3.6, Glossary of CNSC Terminology - Glossary - Q-R

See quality management.

A recognized level of mastery of task performance in a work-related field, which is normally acquired through successful completion of training. Qualification involves mastery of all the knowledge, skills and safety-related attributes required for successful task performance on the job.

With respect to personnel certification, being eligible and meeting the requirements to be a successful applicant for certification as an RSO.

See breath alcohol technician.

With respect to nuclear criticality safety, a planned and systematic pattern of all means and actions designed to provide adequate confidence that items or services meet specified requirements and will perform satisfactorily in service.

See response.

The emission by a nuclear substance, the production using a nuclear substance, or the production at a nuclear facility of, an atomic or subatomic particle or electromagnetic wave with sufficient energy for ionization. (Source: Nuclear Safety and Control Act)

Means:

1. a device that contains more than the exemption quantity of a nuclear substance and that enables the nuclear substance to be used for its radiation properties; and
2. a device that contains a radium luminous compound.

(Source: Nuclear Substances and Radiation Devices Regulations )

A safety and control area (SCA) that covers the implementation of a radiation protection program in accordance with the Radiation Protection Regulations . The program must ensure that contamination levels and radiation doses received by individuals are monitored, controlled and maintained ALARA. This SCA is one of the 14 within the CNSC SCA Framework.

A radiation safety specialist who implements and administers a radiation safety program on a day-to-day basis. Note: As specified in subsection 15.04 of the Class II Nuclear Facilities and Prescribed Equipment Regulations , the Commission or a designated officer may certify a person for the position of radiation safety officer if the person has successfully completed an examination that is recognized by the Commission and, in the opinion of the Commission or designated officer, the person is capable of performing the duties of the position.

An instrument that is capable of measuring radiation dose rates. (Sources: Class II Nuclear Facilities and Prescribed Equipment Regulations ; Nuclear Substances and Radiation Devices Regulations )

A number by which the absorbed dose in a tissue or organ is multiplied to reflect the relative biological effectiveness (harm) of the radiation in inducing stochastic effects at low doses, the result being the equivalent dose.

See dosimetry types.

The spontaneous transformation of one radioisotope into one or more different isotopes (known as decay products or daughter products), accompanied by a decrease in radioactivity (compared to the parent material). This transformation takes place over a defined period of time (known as a half-life), as a result of electron capture; fission; or the emission of alpha particles, beta particles, or photons (gamma radiation or X‑rays) from the nucleus of an unstable atom. Each isotope in the sequence (known as a decay chain) decays to the next until it forms a stable, less energetic end product. In addition, radioactive decay may refer to gamma‑ray and conversion electron emission, which only reduces the excitation energy of the nucleus.

A nuclear substance that is a radioactive material, as defined in the IAEA Regulations. (Source:  Packaging and Transport of Nuclear Substances Regulations, 2015 )

Note: The IAEA Regulations identify this substance as any material containing radionuclides where both the activity concentration and the total activity in a consignment exceed the values further specified by the IAEA Regulations.

OR

For purposes of nuclear security, any material that emits one or more types of ionizing radiation, such as alpha or beta particles, neutrons or gamma rays.

Radioactive material that is permanently sealed in a capsule or closely bonded in a solid form, and which is not exempt from regulatory control. This term also means any radioactive material released if the radioactive source is leaking or broken, but does not mean material encapsulated for disposal, or nuclear material within the nuclear fuel cycles of research and power reactors.

A teletherapy machine that is designed to deliver doses of radiation produced by a nuclear substance. (Sources: General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations ; Class II Nuclear Facilities and Prescribed Equipment Regulations )

For the purposes of waste management, any material (liquid, gaseous or solid) that contains a radioactive nuclear substance, as defined in section 2 of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, and which the owner has declared to be waste. In addition to containing nuclear substances, radioactive waste may also contain non‑radioactive hazardous substances, as defined in section 1 of the General Nuclear Safety and Control Regulations .

The spontaneous transformation of an atom’s nucleus by expulsion of particles. Radioactivity can be accompanied by electromagnetic radiation. Solids, liquids or gases can be radioactive.

See exposure container.

A substance containing radioactive iodine in a chemical form that has a metabolic pathway similar to iodide, such as inorganic compounds and metabolic forms of organic iodine that are broken down in a living organism. Some examples are the radioisotopes iodine‑125 and iodine‑131.

The measurement of the amount of radioiodine in the body, for the purpose of finding out the associated committed effective dose.

See isotope.

See nuclear substance laboratory.

A material with an unstable atomic nucleus that spontaneously decays or disintegrates, producing radiation. Nuclei are distinguished by their mass and atomic number.

The relative susceptibility to damage from radiation for cells, tissues, organs and organisms. Not to be confused with radiosusceptibility, which is the relative susceptibility to develop genomic instability and cancer.

See radon progeny.

The following radioactive decay products of radon‑222: bismuth‑214, lead‑214, polonium‑214 and polonium‑218. (Sources: Radiation Protection Regulations ; Packaging and Transport of Nuclear Substances Regulations, 2015 )

Note: These nuclear substances are emitted when radon gas undergoes radioactive decay. Polonium‑218 and polonium‑214 emit alpha particles and are responsible for the bulk of the dose to the respiratory tract resulting from inhaled radon. All four of these short-lived radon progeny have half-lives of less than 30 minutes. Also known as radon decay product.

With respect to fitness for duty, a statistically random and unannounced basis for selecting which workers designated in safety-critical positions will be subject to alcohol and drug testing, so that each worker has an equal probability of being selected and tested. See also safety-critical position.

A small, hollow, borosilicate-glass cylinder having approximately equal length and diameter.

risk achievement worth; see importance measures

See root-cause analysis.

See reliability-centred maintenance.

reactor coolant system

risk decrease ratio; see importance measures

The quantity (k_eff ‑ 1) / k_eff, where k_eff is the effective neutron multiplication factor. The reactivity of a subcritical assembly is a negative quantity indicating the degree of subcriticality. The reactivity of a critical assembly is zero.

A modification of a fissile assembly that results in a positive incremental change of reactivity.

See containment.

See primary heat transport system.

Any fission or fusion reactor, including structures, systems and components:

• that are necessary for shutting down the reactor, ensuring that it can be kept in a safe shutdown state
• that may contain radioactive material and which cannot be reliably isolated from the reactor
• whose failure can lead to a limiting accident for the reactor
• that are tightly integrated into the operation of the nuclear facility
• that are needed to maintain security and safeguards

The person in a reactor facility who is responsible for operating and monitoring the systems of a reactor unit, in accordance with the licence, policies and procedures. Also called authorized nuclear operator; control room operator.

See plant state.

A reduction in reactor power initiated by any of a reactor’s safety circuits. A reactor trip rapidly shuts down the reactor in response to the detection of certain abnormal and potentially dangerous conditions or by operator decision.

With respect to fitness for duty, an element of for-cause testing, where workers in safety-critical or safety-sensitive positions are required to submit to testing when there is reasonable cause to believe, through observed behaviour, physical condition or after receiving credible information, that the individual is unfit to perform their duties, due to the adverse effects of alcohol or drug use. See also fitness for duty; for-cause testing; post-incident testing; pre-placement testing.

With respect to nuclear material accounting, accounting for changes to the physical inventory (such as chemical and physical form, irradiation status) of an individual batch of nuclear material.

Any person or environmental entity that is exposed to radiation, a hazardous substance, or both. A receptor is usually an organism or a population, but it could also be an abiotic entity such as surface water or sediment.

A Canadian educational institution with a federal or provincial charter, or a foreign educational institution whose diplomas are accepted by a recognized Canadian institution or university.

A Canadian university with a federal or provincial charter, or a foreign university whose degrees are accepted by a recognized Canadian university.

Has the meaning assigned to that word by section 3 of the Access to Information Act. (Source: Nuclear Safety and Control Act)

Note: The Access to Information Act states that a record means any documentary material, regardless of medium or form.

The provision of alternative (identical or diverse) structures, systems and components (SSCs), so that any one can perform the required function regardless of the state of operation or failure of any other SSC.

See conventionally true value.

See continuing training.

With respect to site evaluation for a new nuclear facility, a specific area to be studied. The spatial characteristics of a region will vary for each hazard being studied. For example, the region being investigated for groundwater effects of a nuclear power plant may be substantially different from the region being investigated for effects due to atmospheric releases.

A person who has received confirmation under subsection 19(3) from the Commission that their use of a package has been registered. (Source: Packaging and Transport of Nuclear Substances Regulations, 2015 )

The Registrar of the Commission.

(Sources: Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Rules of Procedure; Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission By-laws)

Note: The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Rules of Procedure further state that the Registrar is appointed under section 16 of the NSCA.

The “operational” part of a law. In Canada, a regulation is made under a specified Act, the means by which Parliament makes laws. A regulation commonly deals with matters such as what is meant by certain terms used in the Act, procedures and processes that must be followed or standards that must be met in order to comply with the Act. Often referred to as delegated legislation or subordinate legislation, a regulation is not made by Parliament but by someone to whom Parliament has delegated the authority to make it. The Commission has the authority under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA) to make regulations, with the approval of the Governor in Council, for matters related to its mandate.

A commissioning activity that requires approval of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission in order for commissioning to proceed.

The prescribed limit for the general public, as specified in the Radiation Protection Regulations. This limit is 1 milliSievert (mSv) per calendar year, and it protects the public from radiation resulting from the normal operation of a nuclear facility or activity regulated under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act.

A regulator’s enforcement option to focus efforts on specific areas of non‑compliance. This scrutiny may include:

• increasing the frequency of inspections or of meetings with the licensee
• adding more reporting requirements
• broadening the scope of inspections
• modifying inspection techniques/strategies (for example, root-cause analysis, augmented inspections)

Outage work required by a code or a standard that is referenced in a licence (mandatory work) or other work that was committed by the licensee to the CNSC through formal correspondence (committed work) including:

• periodic inspection program (PIP) inspections in the last outage of a PIP cycle
• PIP work that is required to allow the extension of an existing disposition that will expire before the next planned outage

For certification purposes, the experience a person has gained in performing duties related to those of the position being sought.

The ability of a structure, system or component to perform, in accordance with its defined specifications, its required function under given conditions for a defined time period or upon demand.

A series of orderly steps for identifying system and subsystem functions, functional failures and dominant failure modes; prioritizing them; and selecting applicable and effective preventive maintenance tasks to address the classified failure modes.

Direct monitoring of reliability parameters of a structure, system or component (for example, failure frequency, downtime due to the maintenance activities, or outage rate).

The reliability goals to be achieved by the plant systems. The purpose of these targets is to compare them with actual plant performance, in order to identify deviations from expected performance.

Any measures that may be carried out to reduce the radiation exposure due to contamination of land areas through actions applied to the contamination itself (the source) or to the exposure pathways to humans.
Note: Often remediation is used to restore land areas to conditions suitable for limited use under institutional control.

For exposure devices, a device that enables the sealed source assembly to be moved to and from a working position by the operator while at a safe distance from the exposure container. Note: The remote control includes the control mechanism and also, where applicable, the control cable, control cable sheath and necessary connections and attachments. Also called control mechanism; cranking mechanism; drive mechanism.

A place at which uranium is removed from its place of natural deposit by means of surface activities for the purpose of evaluating a potential ore body. (Source: Uranium Mines and Mills Regulations )

Any activity that allows a failed or degraded structure, system or component to function as per original design; repair may be permanent or temporary.

For reactor facilities, the substitution of a structure, system or component (SSC) with an identical SSC or with an SSC that has been approved as equivalent through an equivalency process.

A postulated nuclear criticality accident that is used to demonstrate compliance with the CNSC criticality safety requirements on the mitigation of nuclear criticality accident consequences.

See continuing training.

The sum of heat originating from radioactive decay, fission in the fuel in the shutdown state, and the heat stored in structures, systems and components.

With respect to dosimetry, the result of a dose measurement under defined conditions divided by the conventionally true dose that would be received under those conditions.

OR

See emergency response.

With respect to nuclear security, a team that comprises members of the onsite nuclear response force at a nuclear facility and is assigned to mount an effective intervention there.

An organization to which the design authority has assigned responsibility for the design of specific parts of a nuclear facility.

See senior health physicist.

An area to which public access is controlled in order to protect individuals from exposure to radiation and radioactive materials. Also called controlled area.

With respect to nuclear material accounting, a subset of Group 1A nuclear material that has been identified as unrecoverable and is stored in the material balance area. This Group 1A nuclear material may be transferred to retained waste upon approval of CNSC staff. After transfer, the only reporting requirement is to provide an inventory listing upon request.

An employee is deemed to be working in a restricted capacity due to a work-related injury or illness resulting in the employee being unable to perform their regular permanent job (i.e. is accommodated in another role), or is unable to work the normal time period of their pre-injury or illness work days (i.e. reduced hours of work).

risk increase ratio; see importance measures

The chance of injury or loss, defined as a measure of the probability and severity of an adverse effect (consequence) to health, property, the environment or other things of value; mathematically, risk is the probability of occurrence (likelihood) of an event multiplied by its magnitude (severity).

See importance measures.

An assessment of the radiological risks associated with normal operation and potential accidents involving a nuclear substance or licensed activity. A risk assessment will normally include consequence assessment and associated probabilities.

See importance measures.

See importance measures.

An approach to decision making that includes risk insights as one of the factors in determining a course of action.

See importance measures.

Any radionuclide identified as a Category 1 or Category 2 radioactive source in table 1 of annex I of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources [8].

An objective, structured, systematic and comprehensive analysis for determining the underlying causes of a situation or event.

Any bioassay that involves collecting and analyzing samples or taking measurements on a body at scheduled intervals, or at predetermined times, during normal operations.

radiation personal protective equipment

risk reduction worth; see importance measures

radiation safety data sheets (associated with the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System)

See radiation safety officer.