National Provision for Radiation Protection Advisory Services

Tender description

As the radioactive substances regulator in England, Environment Agency employees working in the radioactive substances regulation function routinely come into contact with ionising radiations. There are numerous legal duties placed on the Environment Agency as an employer relating to health and safety and many of these can be discharged by suitably qualified and experienced staff who in our employment. The Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 require that employers who engage in 'work with ionising radiations' must consult '...such suitable radiation protection advisers as are necessary ...'. While the Environment Agency is not strictly speaking a radiation employer, we have discussed whether we need to appoint a radiation protection adviser with colleagues in the Health and Safety Executive and the Office for Nuclear Regulation and have received advice that it would be consistent with good practice to appoint one. The current Environment Agency contract to provide these services will end on 30 June 2019 and consequently we now need to re-open the competition for these services. Specifically, the contract is required to provide radiation protection advisory services throughout England for National and Area Based teams requiring radiation safety advice, support and training.