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Laws and regulations

Here you will find laws, ordinances, and guidelines applying to nuclear engineering, nuclear safety, waste management, and radiation protection in Germany. The Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) summarizes these legal texts in the Handbook on Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection. It took over this task on 30 July 2016 from the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS).

Radiation Protection Act

Radiation Protection Act

Comprehensive protection against harmful radiation in medicine, protection against radon in homes, and better preparedness for emergencies – these are central areas of the Radiation Protection Act. The Radiation Protection Act is supplemented by the Radiation Protection Ordinance.

Person mit verschiedenen Apparaten zur kosmetischen Anwendung

Ordinance on Protection against the Harmful Effects of Non-ionising Radiation in Human Applications (NiSV)

With the Ordinance on Protection against the Harmful Effects of Non-ionising Radiation in Human Applications (NiSV), the use of optical radiation and ultrasound as well as electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields for cosmetic purposes is regulated.

Handbook on Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (older version in print)

Handbook Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection

The Handbook on Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection contains legal and sublegal regulatory documents applicable in Germany. The documents concern to the fields of nuclear safety, disposal, transport of radioactive material as well as protection against ionising and non-ionising radiation. In addition, the Handbook offers international provisions and further information about nuclear technology and radiation protection.

Radon – a hardly noticed risk

Ordinance on Protection against the Harmful Effects of Ionising Radiation

The "Ordinance on Protection against the Harmful Effects of Ionising Radiation" (the Radiation Protection Ordinance) contains requirements for protection against radon in living and working spaces as well as for occupational and medical radiation protection. With the entry into force of the Radiation Protection Ordinance on 31 December 2018, the old Radiation Protection Ordinance and the X-ray Ordinance expired.

Legal provisions

Here you can find bilingual editions (English/German) of the more frequently used laws and regulations. The download links redirect to the website of the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE). Translations are provided without assuming liability.

Dose coefficients

To protect the general public, the radiation exposure is to be be limited. The dose limits are calculated using the dose coefficients, which can be found on the website of the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE). It took over the task of publication on 30 July 2016 from the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). The PDFs are available in German only.

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