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RPA Certification Scheme

All about gaining RPA Certification

1. Legal Requirement

Any person wishing to act as a Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) under The Ionising Radiations Regulations (IRR17) must:

  1. gain a Certificate of Core Competence from an Assessing Body recognised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE); and
  2. be deemed ‘suitable for appointment’ by the Radiation Employer appointing that RPA.

An RPA 2000 Certificate of Core Competence remains valid for a period of 5 years, before the end of which it must be renewed.

2. Relevant RPA 2000 Documents

The documents that are relevant to any person wishing to apply for or renew an RPA 2000 Certificate of Core Competence to act as an RPA under IRR17 are listed below.

The following Documents provide general information that is applicable to all the Certification Schemes provided by RPA 2000, click on the one that you wish to view:

Doc. Ref Document Title
 G1 RPA 2000 Operating Procedures
 G2 Information for Applicants seeking Certification or Renewal of Certification under any RPA 2000 Competence Certification Scheme
 G3 Protocol for the introduction and maintenance of Specialist Certificates of Competence
G4 Code of Technical Conduct
G5 Complaints and Disciplinary
G6 Assessment Appeals
G7 Resources and Resilience
 GD2 Consequences of the failure of applicants to meet timescales for the renewal of certification
 GD3 Consequences of the failure of applicants to meet timescales for the provision of further information required by assessors

The following documents contain information that is specific to the competency scheme for a Radiation Protection Adviser, please click on the one that you wish to view:

Doc. Ref Document Title
 RPA1 Application Form for Initial Certification of Competence to be an RPA
 RPA2 Instructions for the creation of the Portfolio of Evidence for RPA certification
 RPA3 Application form for the renewal of RPA certification
 RPA4 Instructions & guidance for the renewal of RPA certification

3. Applications for initial certification to act as an RPA under IRR17

The HSE Criteria of Core Competence for first time recognition are set out in the current version of the ‘HSE Statement on Radiation Protection Advisers’. The means for achieving this are detailed in the RPA 2000 Document RPA2 ‘Instructions for the creation of the portfolio of evidence for RPA certification’.

Applicants for initial certification will:

  • Require Documents RPA1 and RPA2
  • Are advised to consult Document G2
  • May wish to refer to Documents G1, GD2 and GD3

4. Applications for renewal of certification to act as an RPA under IRR17

Persons wishing to apply to RPA 2000 to renew their RPA certification must use the RPA Renewal of Certification Scheme which can be found in the RPA 2000 Document RPA3 ‘Instructions for the Renewal of RPA Certification (RCS)’. Assistance for both applicant and assessor is provided in RPA 2000 Document RPA4 ‘Additional Guidance for Applicants Renewing their RPA Certification using the RCS’.

Applicants for renewal of certification will;

  • Require Documents RPA3 and RPA4
  • Are advised to consult Document G2
  • May wish to refer to Documents G1, GD2 and GD3