Home About Us Core Functions Understanding Radiation Resource Library News and Events Contact Aera
ADDRESS
ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY AUTHORITY (AERA)
2nd Floor, Chief M’mbelwa House,
Robert Mugabe Crescent, City Center
Private Bag 368
Lilongwe 3, Malawi
CONTACT DETAILS
Tel: +265 1 774 691
Tel: +265 1 774 694
Email: Info@aera.org.mw
Website: www.aera.org.mw
Facebook/AERA
Apply for Authorisation
The activities and practices that are regulated by AERA under the Atomic Energy Act include the importation, exportation, production, processing, handling, use, holding, storage, transportation and disposal of radiation sources, nuclear materials, and any other radioactive materials. The listed activities and practices require a prior notification and submission of a licence application to AERA as necessary for the issuing of an authorisation to perform such activities and practices.
The operation of facilities and engaging in the stated activities and practices must only be done once authorisation has been granted by AERA. The radiation sources, nuclear and radioactive materials including facilities that are regulated by AERA as found in the different sectors include:
- Conventional x-ray equipment
- Fluoroscopic x-ray equipment
- Dental x-ray equipment
- Computed Tomography (CT) scanners
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) machines
- Mammography machines
- Radiotherapy equipment and sources (Cobalt-60 machines, linear accelerators, brachytherapy machines and sources)
- Radiopharmaceuticals
- Gamma Camera (scintillation Camera) machine
Picture 1: (Ultrasound, Digital Radiography (X-RAY), Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
1. Medical Sector
Medical facilities that perform diagnostic and interventional radiology procedures and facilities performing radiotherapy and nuclear medicine procedures. The ionising radiation sources regulated by AERA in medical facilities include:
2. Industrial Sector
The ionising radiation sources found in industrial facilities that require authorisation from AERA include:
- Level gauges with incorporated radioactive sources
- Nuclear density gauges
- Moisture or density gauges that contain radioactive sources
- Industrial x-ray fluorescence equipment
- Security scanners and non-intrusive cargo scanning x-ray equipment
- Radioisotope standards in analytical laboratories
- Radiotracers
- Industrial Radiography
- Industrial Irradiators
Picture 2: Industrial X-Ray Inspection
3. Mining Sector
The mining practices and equipment with ionising radiation sources utilised in the sector that require authorisation from AERA include:
- Exploration of radioactive materials
- Oil and Gas exploration
- Mining of the radioactive minerals (uranium and thorium)
- Mining of rare earths, Oil and Gas production, or other minerals that result in radioactive wastes as by-products
- Underground coal mining
- Well-logging nuclear gauges
Picture 3: Kayelekela Uranium Project
4. Education, Research and Development
The use of radioactive sources for educational purposes and in research require authorisation from AERA. The use of radioactive sources in processes for development of products must first be authorised by AERA before such used can be conducted. Examples of these include:
- Radioactive sources used in educational institutions and research centers
- Laboratory analytical devices and sources
- Radioactive sources used in paste and disease control
- Agricultural research using radioactive sources
Picture 4: Radioactive sources for educational purposes
Sunscribe
Newsletter
