Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority ( no, Statens strålevern, abbreviated to NRPA) is a Norwegian public agency under the

Ministry of Health and Care Services The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services (''Helse- og omsorgsdepartementet'') is a Norwegian government ministry in charge of health policy, public health, health care services, and health legislation in Norway. It is led by the Mi ...

headquartered in Østerås, Bærum municipality, Greater Oslo Region. It works as an authority in the area of

radiation protection Radiation protection, also known as radiological protection, is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "The protection of people from harmful effects of exposure to ionizing radiation, and the means for achieving this". Expos ...

and

nuclear safety Nuclear safety is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "The achievement of proper operating conditions, prevention of accidents or mitigation of accident consequences, resulting in protection of workers, the public and the ...

. NRPA falls under the Ministry of Health and Care Services, but serves all ministries and departments on issues relating to radiation.

History

The NRPA was created on January 1, 1993 through the consolidation of the former Nuclear Energy Safety Authority with the National institute of Radiation Hygiene.

Structure

The NRPA is responsible for: overseeing the use of radioactive substances and fissile material, coordinating contingency plans against nuclear accidents and radioactive fallout, monitoring natural and artificial radiation in the environment and at the workplace, increasing our knowledge of the occurrence as well as monitoring risk and effects of radiation. It has regional offices in

Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies in Northern Norway. The municipality is the ...

and

Sør-Varanger Sør-Varanger ( sme, Máttá-Várjjat, fkv, Etelä-Varenki, fi, Etelä-Varanki, russian: Сёр-Вара́нгер/Syor-Varánger) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town ...

and is divided into three sections: *Department of Emergency Preparedness and Environmental Radioactivity *Department of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety *Department of Planning and Administration

International cooperation

NRPA is involved in extensive international cooperation. This includes cooperation on standards of management, but also a growing collaboration on

research Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...

across borders. NRPA cooperates with

International Commission on Radiological Protection The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is an independent, international, non-governmental organization, with the mission to protect people, animals, and the environment from the harmful effects of ionising radiation. Its r ...

(ICRP), and

International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 195 ...

(IAEA).

References

External links

Official website (Norwegian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority Government agencies established in 1993 Medical research institutes in Norway

Public Health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

Radiation protection organizations