The
French ''Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire'' (IRSN) ("Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety Institute") located in
Fontenay-aux-Roses
Fontenay-aux-Roses () is a Communes of France, commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris.
In 1880 a girls school École Normale Supérieure was opened in the town. It was one of ...
is a public official establishment with an industrial and commercial aspect (EPIC) created by the AFSSE Act ( - French Agency of Sanitary Environmental Security) and by February 22, 2002 decreed n°2002-254. The IRSN is placed under the conjoint authority of the
Defence minister
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
, the
Environmental minister, the
Industry minister The industry minister is a cabinet position in a government.
The title may refer to the head of the governmental department that specializes in industry. This position may also be responsible for trade and employment, areas that fall under the mi ...
and the
Health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
and
Research minister.
The IRSN gathers more than 1500 experts and researchers from the
Institut de protection et de sûreté nucléaire (IPSN - Protection and Nuclear Safety Institute) and the
Office de protection contre les rayonnements ionisants
An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific du ...
(OPRI - Ionizing radiations protection office). These scientists are thus competent on
nuclear
Nuclear may refer to:
Physics
Relating to the nucleus of the atom:
* Nuclear engineering
*Nuclear physics
*Nuclear power
*Nuclear reactor
*Nuclear weapon
*Nuclear medicine
*Radiation therapy
*Nuclear warfare
Mathematics
*Nuclear space
*Nuclear ...
safety,
radioactive
Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is consid ...
protection and control of nuclear and sensitive materials.
The IRSN realize investigations, expertise assessments and studies on the fields of nuclear safety, protection against
ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation (or ionising radiation), including nuclear radiation, consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that have sufficient energy to ionize atoms or molecules by detaching electrons from them. Some particles can travel ...
, protection and control of nuclear material, and protection against voluntary ill-advised acts.
History
2001: creation of IRSN by law no. 2001-398 of 9 May 2001, article 51. IRSN was created from the merger of the Institute for Nuclear Protection and Safety (IPSN), which was part of the Commissariat à Atomic Energy (CEA) and the Office for Protection against Ionizing Radiation (OPRI), which was attached to the Ministry of Health, with the aim of creating a new public research and expertise establishment, independent of industrialists.
2002: operation of IRSN specified by decree no. 2002-254 of February 22, 2002.
2007: operation of IRSN modified by decree no. 2007-529 of April 6, 2007 to take account of law no. 2006-686 of June 13, 2006, relating to transparency and security in nuclear matters.
2016: operation of IRSN amended by decree no. 2016-283 of March 10, 2016 creating articles R592-15 et seq. in the environment code and repealing decree no. 2002-254 of February 22, 2002.
Organization
Presentation
IRSN has nearly 1,816 employees, including many specialists, engineers, researchers, doctors, agronomists, veterinarians and technicians, competent experts in nuclear safety and radiation protection as well as in the field of control of sensitive nuclear materials.
This staff is spread over 9 sites in France, with the Institute's headquarters located in Fontenay-aux-Roses. The largest facilities are located in Fontenay-aux-Roses, Vésinet and Cadarache. Establishments are also present in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, Orsay, Saclay, Tournemire, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and Tahiti. This last antenna is responsible for monitoring radioactive fallout from former French nuclear tests in French Polynesia.
See also
*
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is one of only two nuc ...
(the IRSN published studies about Chernobyl's consequences in France and Europe)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Institut de radioprotection et de surete nucleaire
Government agencies of France
Medical and health organizations based in France
Nuclear research institutes
Nuclear safety in France
2002 establishments in France
Hauts-de-Seine
Radiation protection organizations