The Radiation Safety Act 2016 was enacted in March 2016 and comes into effect on 7 March 2017.
The Act introduces several changes relevant to dental practice including:
- a new licensing requirement for owners of radiation sources
- removal of the earlier restriction that user licences for dental purposes could only be issued to dentists or medical practitioners
- a tightening of the rules relating to people acting under the direct supervision or written instructions of a licensee
- a provision that enables users to avoid user licensing if they are authorised under regulations to be made under the Act.
The Council has worked closely with the Office of Radiation Safety during recent months, in the hope that dentists, therapists, hygienists and orthodontic auxiliaries can avoid user licensing requirements under this provision.
The Council has been advised that a public consultation document is imminent that covers the Ministry of Health’s initial proposals regarding the proposed exemption regulations. The Council will make a submission on behalf of its regulated practitioners, but dental associations and individuals can also make submissions once the consultation document has been released on the Ministry of Health’s website.
