Nuclear Regulations in the Kingdom of Jordan

Azmi Banibaker MHP, ARRT R MR

Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL
Physics 575
Professor Laurence Friedman

Welcome.
This presentation is about the nuclear regulation in Jordan. Jordan is small
country of 5 million people, located in the heart of Middle East. Jordan
adopts the international regulatory regulations. Jordan is not nuclear country
but lately, the International Agency for Atomic Energy granted Jordan a
small nuclear reactor dedicated for training and peaceful purposes. This is
the first of its kind in Jordan. Last year Jordan started to produce isotopes for
medical use. Jordan has therapeutic and diagnostic ionizing radiation
systems

The occupational safety in Jordan before 1987 was limited to ratifying the
international labour conventions.

Among the 17 ILO Conventions which Jordan as so far ratified, the following are
examples which relate to occupational safety and health:
Convention ( 81), 1947 Labour Inspection
Convention ( 106), 1957 Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices)
Convention ( 119), 1963 Guarding of Machinery
Convention ( 120), 1964 Hygiene (Commerce and Offices)
Convention ( 123), 1965 Minimum Age (Underground Work)
Convention ( 124), 1965 Medical Examination of Young Persons “

Jordan issued the first law regarding nuclear safety in 1987. This law
established a nuclear commission as a small department with the ministry of
energy and mineral resources. In 200l a new law was introduced, this law
established an independent nuclear commission by separating the Jordan
nuclear commission from its mother, the ministry of energy and mineral
resources.
This law canceled the first nuclear law of 1987.

Rule making in Jordan

Jordan is a kingdom ruled by the king, parliament, and appointed
government. The process of rule making has three steps: 1- the government
or the parliament introduces a proposal of law. 2-The government formulates
the law and forwards it to the parliament for approval.3- the approved
proposal introduced to the king to sign it. The law takes effect after it gains
the signature of the king and appears in the National official Register.

This is the new nuclear regulation law as it appears in the Official register.

We are Abullah the second, king of Jordan.

According the article #31 of the Jordan constitution, and in reflection to
the decision of the parliament, we approve the following law and we order
to publish this law and add it to the laws of the kingdom.

The law of nuclear energy and radiation protection

Law # 29 for year 2001
Part:
1. Shows the name of the law and its effective date.
2. Definitions, such as the commission, the president, nuclear energy,
ionizing radiation, exposure, equivalent dose …

3- Creation and authority:

a- States that the Jordanian nuclear commission energy is established as
an independent organization.
b- The main location of the commission is Amman, the capital and it
may have regional offices.

4- Goals of the commission;

a –improve uses of nuclear energy.
b-protect the environment and health of man and his property form
radiation.
C- Monitor radiation protection.
d-Provide the infrastructure to help use nuclear energy in all peaceful
aspects.
5-shows the rules of practice that should be implemented in order to achieve
the goals of part # 4, it is composed of 11 proposed actions to be taken by
the commission for example, the commission should perform research,
theoretical and practical studies in energy, nuclear sciences, and radiation
protection. Establish the technical principles and rules for mining of
uranium, thorium, and zirconium.

6- Shows the structure of the commission. The minister of energy and

mineral resources heads the commission. The commission is composed of a
board of seven members selected for 4 years that is in addition to the
directors of natural resources, environmental protection agency and the
general director of the commission who is designated by the prim minister.

7- Shows responsibilities and authorities of the board. This part includes

11 subparts of what and how to do policies.

8, 9 and 10- regulates meetings and works of the commission,

Responsibilities and authorities of the general manager of the
commission.
 11, 12 and 13- authorizes collections of fees for licenses and regulates the
financial resources of the commission.

14- Assigns the commission to be the legal inheritance of the old

commission.

15- A-prohibits all activities related to nuclear and radioactive materials

without license, these activities include:
a) Create, start or manage any nuclear establishment.
b) circulating, import, export, own, trade, activate, rent, transport,
store, discard, or produce including discovering, milling,
grounding, transforming, or mining any nuclear source or any
material that produce ionizing radiation.
c) Use of ionizing radiation, or do any work related to it.
B- All persons who are silenced prior to this law must adjust their situation
according to this law.

16-all persons who are licensed to do any activity in part # 15 must follow
the following rules:
1) Provide radiation protection according to the source of radiation and
its hazards and assign Radiation safety officer.
2) Use the international signs to show the presence and hazards of
radiation.
3) Provide health physics program to run the radiation protection
program and review the radiation detection program.
4) Provide medical and health program to ascertain healthy environment.
This program must :
a. Provide occupational health protection for the workers against
radiation and chemical exposure.
b. Perform periodical occupational medical exam.
c. Provide the medical examiner all what he needs to perform his
duty.
d. Examine the worker who are exposed to radiation and provide
them with medical treatment.
5- Establish documentation for all medical, accidents, occupational
diseases and secret records.
6-Immediately notify the commission and civil defense by any
possible means about any accident that may cause environment
pollution or that may expose any person to dose exceed the maximum
permissible dose, or lose of, or obliterate, or lose the control over any
 source of ionizing radiation, this notification must be followed when
possible by written documentation.

17-if the licensee failed to take the suitable protection measures; the
commission may take any measure to protect the community on the account
of the licensee.

18- Despite the fact of part # 15, no person shall:

a-introduce any nuclear or radiological waste material into the kingdom,
using, dealing, Transporting, storing, discarding or burying it inside the
kingdom”
b-treat any nutritional material with ionizing radiation, that includes,
selling, distribute, and use it without special license from the commission.
C-dispose or bury nuclear waste product of any activity inside the kingdom
without direct supervision from the commission.

19- Lists the cases that the license would be canceled, or suspended.
a) The licensee provides incorrect information or used illegal ways to get
the license.
b) The licensee violates the regulations in or according to this law.
c) Unavailable of a radiation licensed worker.
d) Presence of radiation hazards to environment, licensee, or worker.

20- Prohibits the employment of any person under the age of 18.

21-authorizes the legal actions against any person who does any of what
mentioned in part 15 or 18 without license.

22- Gives the commission the power and authority of law enforcement:
 a- to inspect any site for unlicensed nuclear activities.
b- seize any unlicensed material

23- This part lists the fines and penalties for violating the regulations.
For example, imprisonment for 1-3 years, and/or fine of $15-45
thousands for violating any of parts #15 and # 18.

24- Authorizes the court to hold any possessions of any person who is under
Judiciary process status.

25- Gives the commission authority to put the regulations to execute this
law.

26-the prim minister may put any regulations to enforce this law.

27-this law cancel the 1987 law and any law or regulation contradicts this
law.

In 2003 the government issued the regulations for licensing radiological

activities.
Under “we are Abdullah the second son of Al-Hussein, king of Jordan”
we find the following:
1) Name of this regulation and the effective date.

2) Definitions.

3) Process of application for license.

4) Types of licenses:
A- Medical licenses: physicians, physicists, technologists.
B- Industrial.
c- Research and laboratory.
d- Radiological services such as calibrating and maintenance.
e- Radiation protection specialist: therapeutic, diagnostic, and nuclear
medicine, nuclear reactors, nuclear waste materials, nuclear
emergency, personnel, and environment radiation detection.
f- Radiation protection officer.
5, 6,7,8,9, and 10 states the requirements for all kind s of licensees
mentioned in # 4. All applicants are required to have minimum education
and must have at least 30 training hours in radiation protection.

11) Regulates the workers status before this regulation took effect.

12-classified the radiological and nuclear facilities into 2 groups: large and
small and put requirements for Radiation Protection Officer (RPO).

13, 14, 15,16,17,18 and 19 states the process and requirements of licensing
the facilities, its location, construction and practicing.

20- States that radiation level exemption according to the International

Nuclear Agency.

21- Requires 3 days pre-permission for importing, exporting, transporting,

circulating or storing of medical nuclear materials with short half-life.

22- Authorizes the commission to issue licenses.

For questions please contact the author at
banibaker@hartford.edu