Explanatory note

These Regulations prescribe the sites whose licensees are subject to a lower limit of liability per incident under section 16(1) of the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 as amended by the Energy Act 1983.

Essentially the sites prescribed are the sites of small installations. They are prescribed in regulation 3 by reference to the type and designed thermal power output of any nuclear reactor with its associated fuel (defined by regulation 2) and by reference to the activity of other radionuclides which may also be present. Higher levels of activity are permitted if there is no nuclear reactor. They are also allowed in respect of radionuclides in the form of sealed sources which are defined.

The Regulations provide for cases where nuclear matter of different levels of activity is present. In such cases the activity of each such radionuclide is to be divided by the limit set for its class and the limit is set by adding together all the fractions thus produced. The result must not be more than one.

The Regulations provide (regulation 5) overall limits of mass for fissile material. The levels are lower than critical mass. Fissile material which may be in associated nuclear fuel is excluded in applying the limits.

The amount of associated nuclear fuel which may be held on a site is controlled under the nuclear site licence.

The Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials 1973 Revised Edition (As Amended) published in Vienna in 1979 by the International Atomic Energy Agency are on sale at HMSO.