RPA 2000 was set up in 2000 as a non profit making company, limited by guarantee, for certifying competence in radiation protection practice. It was established by four Professional Societies, namely the Association of University Radiation Protection Officers (AURPO), the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM), the Society for Radiological Protection (SRP) and the Institute of Radiation Protection (IRP), which has since been incorporated into the Society for Radiological Protection.
RPA 2000 currently operates four Competence Certification Schemes to assess the competence of:
- Persons wishing to act as a Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) under the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17) or the Ionising Radiations Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 (IRRNI17).
- Persons wishing to act as a Radioactive Waste Adviser (RWA) under an Environmental Permitting Scheme.
- Persons wishing to act as a Medical Physics Expert (MPE) under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (IRMER17) or the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2018 (IRMERNI18).
- Persons wishing to act as a Laser Protection Adviser (LPA) under the Care Standards Act 2000.
Successful applicants are awarded the appropriate Certificate of Competence, which is valid for a period of five years and which can be renewed.