ABSTRACT
From the international experience, it was found that operating energy of particle accelerators is one of the parameters used by categorization models in the licensing of these radiation facilities, and the facility size is an important aspect to be considered in this model. A categorization based on these two key parameters is presented, also taking into account the kinds of accelerated particles and radiation produced, the operating related technology and the possible applications concerned. Later, some changes are suggested, considering risk factors and safety features related to these facilities, emphasizing some analytical tools commonly used in nuclear facilities and chemical plants, such as: risk-informing, Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) and Safety Integrity Levels (SIL). We also discuss the problem of scarcity of reliability data (common in these analyses) and possible alternative solutions are the use of generic databases and the adoption of reference facilities that provide partial data publicly.
