# The Radioactive Substances (Hospitals) Exemption Order 1990, Article 2: Interpretation


(1) In this Order—
“activity” means the number of spontaneous nuclear transformations occurring in a radioactive substance in a period of one second;
“alpha emitters” means radionuclides (including those which are decay products of others present) which emit alpha particles;
“closed source” means an object free from patent defect which consists of or includes one or more radionuclides firmly incorporated on, in or sealed within solid inert non-radioactive material so as to prevent the dispersion of any radioactive material in normal use;
“decay products” means, in relation to any radionuclide, the radionuclides succeeding it in the same radioactive series;
“hospital” means—
(a) any institution for the reception and treatment of persons suffering from illness (including any mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983 or, in Scotland, the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 and any injury or disability requiring medical or dental treatment or nursing);
(b) any maternity home;
(c) any institution for the reception and treatment of persons during convalescence or persons requiring medical rehabilitation;
(d) any nursing home or mental nursing home within the meaning of Part II of the Registered Homes Act 1984 or, in Scotland, section 10(2) and (3) of the Nursing Homes Registration (Scotland) Act 1938;
(e) any clinic, dispensary or out-patient department maintained in connection with any such institution or home, and
“hospital premises” shall be construed accordingly;
“liquid” includes a liquid with solid matter in suspension in it;
“patient” includes an expectant or nursing mother and a lying-in woman;
“waste collection authority” means a collection authority within the meaning of Part I of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 or a waste collection authority within the meaning of Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990;
“site licence” means a disposal licence within the meaning of Part I of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 or a site licence within the meaning of Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990;
“the Act” means the Radioactive Substances Act 1960.
(2) Any reference in this Order to the sum total activity is a reference to the sum total ascertained by measurement by a reliable method or, where it is not reasonably practicable to ascertain the sum total by measurement, the sum total estimated in a reliable manner.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1990/2512/article/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/radioactive-substances-hospitals-exemption-order-1990/article-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.