Frequently Asked Questions
Public Information Program – Frequently Asked Questions
- Does MDS Nordion have an EH&S Policy?
- What is radiation and where does it come from?
- What is a medical isotope?
- Does MDS Nordion work with third party emergency preparedness organizations?
- How does MDS Nordion protect the environment and their community?
- How does MDS Nordion protect employees?
- What is ISO 14001?
- How do you ensure security of your site?
- How is MDS Nordion regulated in regards to EH&S requirements?
1. Does MDS Nordion have an EH&S Policy?
Yes. We provide a safe and healthy working environment for our employees. The following principles are the cornerstones of our Environmental, Health, and Safety (EH&S) policy. These principles include:
Compliance – MDS Nordion commits to complying with all environmental, health and safety laws and regulations relevant to its operations, and other requirements to which MDS Nordion subscribes.
Prevention of Pollution – MDS Nordion commits to ensuring safe working conditions and environmental integrity by using a management system and training designed to prevent pollution and to prevent any unnecessary risk to human health under normal operating conditions and in the event of an emergency.
ALARA – MDS Nordion commits to keep the exposure to radiation for its employees, the community and the environment as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA), with social and economic factors considered.
Continuous Improvement – MDS Nordion commits to continually reviewing its operations and seeks new opportunities to improve its environmental, health and safety performance.
2. What is radiation and where does it come from?
Radiation comes from atoms. An atom may undergo a transformation naturally or artificially. During this process, it emits energy in the form of a wave (ray) or particles. This energy produced is known as radiation.
Radiation has a wide range of energies and forms the electromagnetic spectrum. The spectrum has two major divisions:
- Non-ionizing Radiation. Non-ionizing radiation has enough energy to move atoms in a molecule around or cause them to vibrate, but not enough to remove electrons. Some of this radiation does have enough energy to cause other effects that can be harmful. Examples of this kind of radiation include sound waves, visible light, and microwaves.
- Ionizing Radiation. Ionizing radiation, the type of radiation familiar to most people, has enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms. Benefits include the generation of electric power, radiation therapy to kill cancer cells, and in diagnostic radiology such as nuclear medicine.
There are a variety of sources of radiation including the sun, microwaves and televisions, to name a few. For more information on radiation sources please visit the Safety section.
Nuclear medicine is one of the most powerful analytical tools available to physicians and patients today because of its ability to provide dynamic views of organ structure and function. Medical isotopes, a critical component of global nuclear medicine, are very small quantities of radioactive substance used in safe, cost-effective imaging and treatment of disease. Once processed into radiopharmaceuticals, medical isotopes are used to better diagnose and treat a multitude of diseases including cardiac and neurological conditions, in addition to several types of cancers.
4. Does MDS Nordion work with third party emergency preparedness organizations?
MDS Nordion works in partnership with local emergency organizations to ensure a safe and appropriate response to potential emergency situations. MDS Nordion provides regular orientation sessions to the local Fire and Police Departments to familiarize them with our facility and to discuss how we would work together in an emergency situation. We also periodically invite local emergency response organizations to participate in emergency response drills at our site to test how these types of emergencies would be managed.
5. How does MDS Nordion protect the environment and their community?
MDS Nordion takes the safety of our employees, the community and the environment very seriously.
To meet our commitment to prevent pollution and keep exposure to radiation for the community and employees as low as reasonably achievable, we maintain comprehensive effluent and environmental monitoring programs.
These include calculated, theoretical derived release limits (DRLs), which are approved by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). One DRL represents an estimated 1 mSv of radiation dose to the general public in the surrounding area per year or the equivalent of three or four chest X-rays.
MDS Nordion continuously monitors liquid and airborne releases, compares them to its DRLs, and reports them to the CNSC. Our airborne and liquid releases are a fraction of the amount allowable.
MDS Nordion's radioactive releases are typically less than 5 per cent of the DRL (0.05 mSv). This is significantly less than the amount received (2.4 mSv-3.6 mSv) from natural background radiation, such as the sun.
In addition to the DRLs, MDS Nordion monitors the environment through soil sampling and radiation dosimeters that are positioned at various locations on our property and in the surrounding community.
6. How does MDS Nordion protect employees?
MDS Nordion's core purpose is to make a distinctive contribution to the health and well-being of people. In support of this core purpose, we are committed to:
- Eliminating occupational injury illness from our workplace
- Creating a workplace that enriches the health and well-being of MDS Nordion people
- Demonstrating Environmental, Health, and Safety (EH&S) regulatory excellence
- Improving EH&S performance - continually
- Managing EH&S with excellence
MDS Nordion is committed to providing a safe work environment for our employees and all people. We are committed to keeping the exposure to radiation for our employees, the community, and the environment as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA), with social and economic factors considered. Please read our EH&S policy, which highlights our guiding principles.
MDS Nordion’s Ottawa-based campus received ISO 14001 Certification in 2006, an internationally recognized standard demonstrating our commitment to environmental excellence. This standard specifies the actual requirements for an environmental management system and for continuously improving a company’s environmental performance. Obtaining the certification demonstrates MDS Nordion’s ongoing efforts to effectively manage and continuously improve our environmental performance for all of our stakeholders including the community.
8. How do you ensure security of your site?
MDS Nordion takes security very seriously. The processing, handling, shipping and use of radioisotopes are highly-regulated and we comply with all existing and new security requirements from multiple authorities around the world.
We have taken steps to do more in terms of safety and security and take an industry leadership position to ensure we meet ongoing requirements in this area. Our security systems and programs have been extensively audited by our regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). Our security practices have been found to be appropriate for the risks/threats identified for this type of facility. We also regularly conduct our own internal security audits and promptly address any shortcoming.
Being responsible ensures medical isotope supply. The world’s healthcare community depends on this.
9. How is MDS Nordion regulated in regards to EH&S requirements?
MDS Nordion operates in a highly regulated environment. We are a leader in protecting the health and safety of our employees, our community, and the environment. Our operations continually exceed the standards set by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). In 2005, we received an unprecedented ten-year license renewal from the CNSC for our facilities in Ottawa - a testament to our demonstrated standards of performance.
In addition, MDS Nordion also works closely with Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Human Resources and Social Development Canada, Environment Canada and the City of Ottawa.
Our Environmental, Health, and Safety (EH&S) program includes key elements, such as:
- Implementing measures in the design and operation of all of our facilities to keep radiation dose received by workers and the public ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable)
- Implementing an ISO 14001-based environmental management (EMS) system at our Ottawa site
- Establishing EH&S objectives and targets annually to continually improve our performance
- Maintaining - and building on - a comprehensive training program for employees and contractors
- Engraining EH&S excellence into the MDS Nordion culture
- Investing in a world class approach to EH&S