Radiation Safety Officer Certification Updated

Summary#

These are final amendments to the Class II Nuclear Facilities and Prescribed Equipment Regulations (registered as SOR/2025-197 on September 26, 2025 and published on October 8, 2025). They clarify when a person must be certified as a radiation safety officer and when they can be decertified.

What it does#

• Changes wording in 15.04(1) so the regulator must certify a person if certain conditions are met, rather than having discretion to refuse.
  • The conditions named are that the person has passed a certification exam recognized by the regulator and is capable of doing the job.
  • A new condition says certification must be consistent with the purpose of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act.
• Adds a new clause (15.08(0.1)) saying the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission or a designated officer may decertify a person if those certification conditions are no longer met.
• Updates some French wording in the Regulations.
• The changes come into force on the day the regulations were registered (September 26, 2025).

Who's affected#

• People who apply to be, or who currently are, radiation safety officers under the Class II Nuclear Facilities and Prescribed Equipment Regulations.
• Employers and operators of Class II facilities and users of prescribed equipment who rely on those certificates.
• The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and its designated officers who certify and decertify radiation safety officers.
• The Gazette item does not list specific industries. Class II rules commonly cover non-power radiation uses, but the exact workplaces affected are not detailed in the notice.

Why it matters#

• It removes uncertainty about whether someone who passes the required exam and can do the job can still be refused certification for unclear reasons. That could make hiring and certification decisions more predictable.
• It makes clear when someone can lose their certification: if they no longer meet the listed requirements.
• The change is described by the regulator as clarifying legal authority and alignment with the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, without creating new costs or changing safety rules.