National Security (Radium Control) Regulations (Cth)

STATUTORY RULES.

1942. No. 54.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE NATIONAL SECURITY ACT 1939-1940.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the National Security Act 1939-1940.

Dated this Eleventh

day of,  February , 1942.

(SGD.) GOWRIE.

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

for and on behalf of the Minister of State for Defence Co-ordination.

 

National Security (Radium Control) Regulations.

Citation.

1. These Regulations may be cited as National Security (Radium Control) Regulations.

Administration.

2. These Regulations shall be administered by the Minister of State for Health.

Definitions.

3. In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears—

“authorized person” means a person authorized by the Minister or by the Director-General to act as such for the purposes of these Regulations;

“radium” means radium and radium salts used in the treatment of disease;

“the Director-General” means the Director-General of Health.

Particulars of radium to be furnished.

4. Every person who owns any radium shall, within fourteen days after the commencement of these Regulations, furnish to the Director-General (in triplicate) a statement setting forth—

(a) his name and address;

(b) the quantity of radium owned by him;

(c) the name and address of the person in whose possession the radium is;

(d) the numbers of each type of container (whether needles, tubes, plates or other type of container) in which the radium is contained;

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on   , 1942.

633.—25/26.1.1942.—Price 3d.

 

(e) the nature of the material of which the containers are made (whether metal, glass or other material); and

(f) the quantity of radium in each type of container.

Storage of radium.

5.—(1.) The authority responsible for the administration of a hospital which owns, or has on the hospital premises, any radium shall, within twenty-eight days after the commencement of these Regulations, provide a number of steel containers sufficient to contain all the radium on the hospital premises.

(2.) Every person (other than an authority responsible for the administration of a hospital) who has radium in his possession shall, within twenty-eight days after the commencement of these Regulations, provide a number of steel containers sufficient to contain all the radium in his possession, or shall make arrangements approved by an authorized person for the disposal of that radium in other steel containers.

(3.) The containers—

(a) shall have a central cavity the walls of which shall be at least three inches thick; and

(b) shall be of a type approved by the Director-General or an authorized person.

(4.) The authority responsible for the administration of a hospital shall cause all radium on the hospital premises, when not actually in use, to be stored in radium containers provided under this regulation and shall place the containers in a basement or safe place within the hospital premises approved by an authorized person.

Removal of radium,

6.—(1.) Every person having radium in his possession shall, on receipt of a notice to that effect signed by an authorized person, deliver all the radium in his possession, or such radium as is specified in the notice, to a place so specified and at a time so specified.

(2.) The person having the radium in his possession shall—

(a) seal the container in which the radium is placed and write his name and address thereon or on a label affixed to the container; and

(b) so dispose or protect the radium that it will be harmless during transportation.

Action to be taken in case of impending enemy attack.

7.—(1.) An authorized person may give notice in writing to any person having radium in his possession specifying a place to which the radium shall be delivered on receipt of warning of an impending enemy attack, whether by air or otherwise.

(2.) On receipt of warning of such an attack—

(a) the authority responsible for the administration of a hospital shall cause all radium in use to be stored in containers provided under regulation 5 of these Regulations; and

(b) every person having radium in his possession to whom a notice has been given under sub-regulation (1.) of this regulation shall forthwith deliver all radium in his possession to the place specified in the notice.

(3.) The provisions of sub-regulation (2.) of the last preceding regulation shall apply with respect to radium to be so delivered.

 

Dispersal of radium by enemy action.

8. In the event of enemy action causing damage to premises on which there is any radium, and dispersal of the radium is known or suspected, the occupier of the premises shall forthwith notify the Director-General, and the nearest authorized person known to the occupier, by the fastest available means of communication.

Commonwealth and authorized persons not to be liable in respect of loss or damage to radium.

9. Neither the Commonwealth nor an authorized person shall be liable in respect of any loss of or damage to radium which is being transported or stored in pursuance of these Regulations.

 

By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.