2023 Federal Provincial Territorial Radiation Protection Committee Meeting Summary

The Federal Provincial Territorial Radiation Protection Committee (FPTRPC) was created in 1993 to advance the development and harmonization of practices and standards for radiation protection within federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions, and communicate these to the people of Canada. This supports the shared responsibility of federal and provincial/territorial governments to keep Canadians safe from unnecessary radiation exposure.

The committee includes representatives from

• Health Canada (Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate),
• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), Directorate of Environmental and Radiation Protection and Assessment, and
• representatives from various ministries in the provinces and territories.

The Department of National Defence also takes part, and Employment and Social Development Canada’s Labour Program acts as an observer.

The committee meets every year to allow radiation protection regulatory officials from across Canada to share information, discuss challenges, and recommend courses of action. The latest meeting took place virtually on October 16, 18, and 20, 2023. A training day for committee members took place on October 25.

Provincial and territorial members in attendance presented information in response to committee areas of interest that had been determined earlier in the year. The format provided a better understanding of regional differences and sharing of best practices regarding nationwide issues.

Topics included the following:

• Jurisdictional requirements for X-ray dosimetry
• Biodosimetry
• Radiation Protection in Dentistry: Recommended Safety Procedures for the Use of Dental X-Ray Equipment, Safety Code 30 (2022)
• Non-ionizing radiation
• Information on radiation emitting devices on Canada.ca

The meeting also included presentations from federal members. Health Canada made presentations on the following:

• Radiofrequency (RF) – radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) activities
• Ionizing and Acoustic Radiation Physical Sciences Division (IARPSD)
• Laser devices as pest control products

CNSC shared information on the following:

• The role of CNSC’s Protective Actions Group in the event of a nuclear emergency
• New practical guidance for mental health and psychosocial support in radiological and nuclear emergencies

In addition to these presentations, Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED) presented on ISED RF Exposure Updates and the FPTRPC representative from Manitoba discussed high exposure notification (HEN).

During the annual business meeting, members heard reports from the various working groups, appointed a new vice provincial/territorial chair, and discussed trends in their jurisdictions. The 2023-24 executive members are

• Federal co-chair – Narine Martel, Health Canada
• Federal co-chair – Caroline Purvis, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
• Alternate federal co-chair – Keith Henderson, Health Canada
• Provincial/territorial co-chair – Ingvar Fife, CancerCare Manitoba
• Provincial/territorial vice co-chair – Madelaine Fedorowich, Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development
• Past provincial/territorial co-chair – Brent Preston, Saskatchewan Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety

The annual meeting concluded with a training session on naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) management, facilitated by Health Canada. The purpose of this training was to

• give participants a common understanding of the current NORM Guidelines, which would serve as the basis for future discussion and updates;
• cover the specific topics that were requested using the revised information (e.g., the information being added for NORM industries);
• cover the current context (what industry is actually doing); and
• present the challenges of the current guidelines and ask for feedback on some specific issues.

More Information

If you would like more information about FPTRPC activities, please visit the Health Canada website.