Radiation Safety Act 1999

Safety plans — licence holders must have:

• An approved Radiation Safety and Protection Plan — a written document identifying hazards, safety measures, training programs, and monitoring procedures for how radiation is used
• For dangerous sources: an approved Security Plan detailing who can access the source and what security measures are in place
• For transporting dangerous sources: an approved Transport Security Plan

Safety standards — equipment and premises must:

• Comply with government-set radiation safety standards (technical rules about safe radiation levels and equipment)
• Hold a certificate of compliance (an inspection certificate issued by an accredited expert) before use

Restrictions on handling:

• You need approval to acquire (buy or receive) a radiation source
• You need approval to relocate a source out of Queensland
• You need approval to dispose of radioactive material — you cannot just throw it away
• You cannot abandon a radiation source — maximum penalty is 2,500 penalty units (approx. $340,000+ for corporations)

Key safety principles

The law is built around three ideas:

1. Justification — radiation use must do more good than harm
2. Limitation — exposure must stay below safe dose limits
3. Optimisation (ALARA) — exposure must be kept as low as reasonably achievable

Penalties

Breaking these rules can result in significant fines:

• Possessing a dangerous source without a licence: up to 2,500 penalty units (serious fines, potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars)
• Using a source without a licence: up to 400–2,500 penalty units depending on the source type
• Company executives can be personally criminally liable for serious offences committed by their company

Why does this matter to you?

If you work in healthcare, mining, construction, research, or any industry using radiation equipment, this law directly controls how you must operate. Operating without the right licence or safety plan is a serious criminal offence. If you're a patient receiving X-rays or nuclear medicine treatment, this law exists to protect you from unnecessary radiation exposure.