Consultation: Proposed modernization of the Radiation Emitting Devices Act

From Health Canada

Health Canada's Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate is undertaking a review of the Radiation Emitting Devices Act (REDA), with a view towards modernizing the legislation and identifying gaps and irritants in the legislative coverage for radiation emitting devices that are sold, leased or imported in Canada. The Department is seeking your perspectives with respect to potential impacts of changes under consideration for REDA and furthermore encourages you to identify current or foreseen challenges posed by the existing statute, in the context of an emerging technology environment.

Join in: how to participate

Read the consultation guide and submit your comments to the Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination, Health Canada. Include the title of the consultation document on which you're commenting.

Send us an email

Send an email to hc.erhsdgeneral-dssergenerale.sc@canada.ca with your ideas or comments to make yourself heard.

Participate by mail

Send a letter with your ideas and input to the address in contact information below.

Who is the focus of this consultation

We will engage with:

• Regulated parties
• Other interested Canadians

Goals of the consultation

Health Canada (HC) helps to protect Canadians against unsafe radiation emitting devices through the administration of the Radiation Emitting Devices Act (REDA). This Act focuses on radiation safety risks and governs the sale (including re-sale), lease, advertising and importation of radiation emitting devices in Canada; that is devices that emit radiation in the form of electromagnetic energy (e.g. x-rays, microwaves, radiofrequency waves, infrared, visible light and ultraviolet light) or acoustical energy (e.g. sound, infrasound and ultrasound). Devices that fall under REDA can be categorized as medical devices (e.g. medical x-ray and ultrasound equipment), consumer products (e.g. laser pointers and cellular phones), or industrial/commercial products (e.g. airport security screening equipment, anti-theft devices and tanning beds).

Technological advances and increasing globalization have changed the types of devices, operating environments and contexts in which radiation emitting devices are available for sale and use in Canada since REDA came into force in 1972.

Changes to REDA are being considered in order to:

• afford Canadians with a higher level of protection against potential health risks from radiation emitting devices;
• provide regulatory agility to allow HC to adapt to the changing landscape of products;
• align REDA (where appropriate) with legislative regimes for radiating emitting devices of key global trading partners and jurisdictions; and
• bring it into alignment with other domestic health and safety regulatory regimes.

Radiation emitting medical devices and consumer products are also regulated under the Food and Drugs Act and the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act respectively. Changes proposed for REDA would align with existing measures under these more modern Acts and would therefore have limited impact on consumer product and medical device stakeholders.

Key questions for consideration

Your ideas and inputs are sought around 4 themes/topics:

• anticipated economic impacts (positive or negative) of proposed amendments on regulated parties;
• other potential impacts (positive or negative) of proposed amendments on regulated or interested parties;
• any current or foreseen challenges due to the emerging technology environment;
• Identification of existing gaps or irritants under the current REDA.

The input gathered through this process will be used to inform decisions around modernization options, as well as to evaluate any potential impacts that the proposed changes to REDA would have on regulated parties and Canadians.

• See the Consultation Guide before you participate

Contact us

Office of Science Policy, Liaison and Coordination
Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate
Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch.
269 Laurier Avenue West
Mail Stop 4908D
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0K9

Email: hc.erhsdgeneral-dssergenerale.sc@canada.ca