Notice to Radioactive Materials
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Wayne State University Radiation Safety Manual Office of Environmental Health and Safety Radiation Safety-Health Physics 5425 Woodward, Suite 300 Detroit, Michigan 48202 www.oehs.wayne.edu Version 2.09 This is a controlled document. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety restricts routine distribution. Persons in possession of this document may have uncontrolled copies and should call OEHS for revision level status. (January 2021). EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION Office of Environmental Health and Safety……………………………………………313-577-1200 Wayne State University Police Department………………………………………..….313-.577-2222 Radiation Emergency Response If this emergency involves a fire, explosion, or any other situation where your life or health is in immediate danger, evacuate the area and contact the WSU Police Department at 577- 2222 from a safe location. While on the phone with the police dispatcher, be sure to let them know: • The location of the emergency • The nature of the emergency • The types of hazardous materials involved (radiation, biohazards, or chemicals,) • Your name • Your current location Stay at the phone until help arrives. Emergency response personnel will want to make sure you are not injured, and may need your help to properly address the situation. DO NOT LEAVE THE AREA UNTIL HELP ARRIVES! If the situation permits, secure your radioactive and other hazardous material as best you can prior to evacuating the lab. Return radioactive material to the storage area, place hazardous liquids in spill trays or pans, and pour bleach on infectious material. Shut off any gas appliances, centrifuges, fume hoods, and other lab equipment. Close windows and doors as you are vacating the area. If the emergency involves a personal contamination, DO NOT LEAVE THE LAB unless a situation exists which places your life in immediate danger. Call the OEHS Health Physics staff at 313-577-1200, and make sure the person answering the phone understands the situation involves a personal contamination with radioactive material. If there is no response the WSU Police Department may be called at 577-2222. When evaluating a contamination, perform a complete survey of your person to determine the areas of contamination. If the radioisotope can be detected with a survey instrument, take note of the count rate of the area of contamination to assist the health physicist upon arrival. Contaminated clothing should be removed as quickly as possible and placed in a bag or other container to prevent the spread of contamination. You may begin to decontaminate skin and hair by GENTLY washing with liquid soap and warm water. DO NOT SCRUB, USE ABRASIVES OR OTHER CHEMICALS TO DECONTAMINATE SKIN. If gentle washing with soap and water fails to remove the contamination, the Health Physicist will assist with further decontamination. Perform an area survey to determine the extent of contamination, and take care not to spread contamination or become contaminated. If possible, begin to mark the perimeters of the contaminated areas. Above all else, STAY IN THE AREA and wait for the Health Physics staff to arrive. If a member of the lab is experiencing a medical emergency and radioactive material is involved, PROVIDE FIRST AID WITHOUT REGARD TO THE RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION! Research labs at Wayne State University do not use quantities of radioactive material that create an immediate danger to the life or health of a first responder. If the situation permits, the injured person may be decontaminated, or moved out of the contaminated area. Call the WSU Police at 577-2222, and make sure the dispatcher is aware that the situation involves both a medical emergency and radioactive material. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS i. General .......................................................................................................................... 7 ii. Rules for Radiation Safety ...................................................................................... 8 iii. Radiation Incidents/Emergencies ....................................................................... 8 iii.a First Response and Reporting to Health Physics .................................. 9 iii.b Decontamination and Monitoring .............................................................. 10 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 12 1.0 The Radiation Safety Committee and Radiation Safety Officer ........................ 12 2.0 Responsibilities of the Principal Investigator ........................................................ 13 3.0 Responsibilities of the Worker .................................................................................... 15 4.0 Sanctions for Non-Compliance ..................................................................................... 16 5.0 WSU’s Broad Scope License and Radiation Generating Machine Licenses .. 16 6.0 Approvals for Use of Ionizing Radiation ................................................................... 17 7.0 Working with Ionizing Radiation at Wayne State University ........................... 17 7.1 Labeling Requirements .................................................................................... 17 7.2 Laboratory Design and Equipment .............................................................. 17 7.3 Shielding Requirements and Design ........................................................... 19 7.4 Airborne Radioactive Materials .................................................................... 19 7.5 Contamination Control ..................................................................................... 20 7.6 Unattended Operations .................................................................................... 21 7.7 Contamination Survey Instruments ............................................................ 21 7.8 Instrument Calibration .................................................................................... 23 7.9 Contamination Surveys .................................................................................... 24 7.10 Repair, Maintenance or Removal of Equipment from a Radioactive Material Laboratory ......................................................................................................... 27 7.11 Vacuum Pumps and Hoses Used with Radioactive Material ............... 27 3 7.12 Leak Tests of Sealed Sources .......................................................................... 27 7.13 Ordering Radioactive Materials .................................................................... 28 7.14 Receiving and Monitoring Radioisotope Shipments ............................. 28 7.15 Transfer of Radioactive Materials ................................................................ 28 7.16 “Gifts” of Radioisotopes and Radiation Generating Machines ........... 29 7.17 Security and Storage of Radioactive Materials ........................................ 29 7.18 Inventory of Radioactive Materials ............................................................. 30 7.19 Shipment of Radioactive Materials .............................................................. 30 7.20 Disposal of Radioactive Waste ....................................................................... 30 7.21 Quantifying Levels of Radioactivity in Waste ........................................... 33 7.22 ALARA ..................................................................................................................... 33 7.23 Keeping Exposure ALARA ................................................................................ 34 7.24 Time, Distance and Shielding ......................................................................... 34 7.25 Protective Equipment ....................................................................................... 35 7.26 Personnel Monitoring ....................................................................................... 35 7.27 Bioassays ............................................................................................................... 36 7.28 Minors Working With Radioactive Materials ........................................... 37 7.29 Pregnant Radiation Workers ......................................................................... 37 7.30 Exposure Limits for the General Public ...................................................... 38 7.31 Food and Drink in Radioactive Material Labs .......................................... 38 7.32 Training ................................................................................................................. 39 7.33 Principal Investigator Absences ................................................................... 39 7.34 Terminating Employment ............................................................................... 39 7.35 Approval to Use Radiation Generating Machines ................................... 40 7.36 Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Tracer Use ................................ 46 8.0 Ionizing Radiation Theory ............................................................................................. 46 8.1 Radioactive Decay .............................................................................................. 47 4 8.2 Units of Radiation Measurement .................................................................. 47 9.0 Laws and Regulations Concerning Radiation ......................................................... 49 9.1 Maximum Permissible Exposure ........................................................................