Because the spheres may have trace amounts of free 90 Y on their surface, only very small amounts of 90 Y can be excreted in the urine. If the dose to a breast-feeding infant or a child could exceed 1 mSv 0. In addition, 10 CFR The administered dose must be small so as not to produce any harmful radiation effects to the patient. The most commonly used radioactive materials in nuclear medicine studies is technetiumm 99m Tc , a gamma emitter with a half-life of 6 hours or fluorine 18 18 F , a gamma emitter with a half-life of 2 hours.
There are also many other short lived radioactive isotopes used for nuclear medicine imaging studies. In many of these studies, especially bone and renal studies, the radioactive compounds are removed from the body in the urine and occasionally in the stool.
Most of the radioactivity is gone after 24 hours. With minor therapies, such as radioiodine for treatment of hyperthyroidism, the amount of radioactivity administered is sufficiently small to permit outpatient treatment of these patients. Based on confirming Geiger counter measurements made from these patients, known dosimetry results over many years to the most exposed occupational workers nuclear medicine staff and published research, there are very small exposures to other hospital workers from these patients.
While the exposure is not zero if the diagnostic study patient is seen within a few hours of their nuclear medicine scan, there is very little radiation exposure or contamination exposure to hospital staff associated with patients receiving radionuclides for minor therapies or diagnostic studies. Radiation warning signs are not posted for these patients and there are no regulations monitoring their movements, because the small exposures do not warrant such actions.
Health Physics offers consultation and evaluation of job responsibilities for pregnant nursing staff who work with these patients to ensure that their exposure stays under regulatory limits. Contact Health Physics to determine whether radiation levels in your working area could cause a fetus to receive 0.
Health Physics makes this determination based on personnel exposure monitoring reports, surveys, and the likelihood of an incident in your work setting. If the patient must be held by an individual, that individual shall be protected with appropriate shielding devices such as protective gloves and apron and he shall be so positioned that no part of his body will be struck by the useful beam.
The interpretation of this regulation is that occupational workers shall not routinely hold a patient, but can, in unusual cases, provided that they are protected with appropriate shielding. There is some flexibility in the regulations on how an emergency would be defined. Exemption issued by California for positioning a patient or fluoroscopy Equipment.
For patients, the gonads may or may not need to be in the primary x-ray field. If the gonads are not in the primary field, the radiation exposure drops off rapidly. In practice, the patient may be provided with a leaded apron anyway, because the staff has been trained to do that or it provides reassurance to the patient.
For situations where the gonads are in the primary radiation field, shielding should be employed as long as the areas of interest are not blocked by the shielding. An example might be to image the pelvis to evaluate the heads of the femur bones. For males, the testes are easily shielded by special shields that are in contact with the body.
Alternately, shadow shields can be used. These are typically triangular pieces of lead that are suspended by flexible arms like those for desk lamps from the x-ray tube housing. Since the collimator light field is aligned to the x-ray field, the shadow cast by the suspended piece of lead will show what area is being shielded from the x rays produced. For females, the gonads are not visible or generally localized in the abdomen.
As such, shielding is seldom employed for females, but the x-ray field collimators may be used to shield the center of the abdomen. A typical 0. Thyroid shields are designed for fluoroscopy x-rays and can not shield radioisotopes such as I or 18 F.
There is some potential for contamination with these procedures, although it is not excessive and it depends on the administered activity and the length of time from the administration to the dialysis procedure. Administering the radioiodine immediately after dialysis will maximize the time for elimination of the excess radioiodine from the body prior to the next dialysis. These are the same precautions that are used to protect against contamination from radioactivity.
Flushing of the waste from the dialysis tubing directly to the sanitary sewer line and collecting the dialysis tubing and filter as radioactive waste is appropriate. Contact Nuclear Medicine or Health Physics to collect the dialysis tubing and filter. Because Sm is mostly a beta particle-emitting radionuclide and beta particles are effectively shielded by the human body, Sm does not present an external radiation hazard. However, Sm is excreted through the urine for up to three days.
Use universal precautions when handling collected urine or urine soiled linens. Urine can be disposed of in the sewer. A resident or fellow working under the supervision of a Certified Fluoroscopy Supervisor physician does not need to be themselves certified.
Radiation exposure from nuclear medicine patients to hospital staff varies depending on the type of radiopharmaceutical, how much was administered and when it was administered. The half-life of nuclear medicine radiopharmaceuticals, that is the time it takes for the radioactivity to drop by half, is typically in the two-to-six-hour range, although the half-life can be longer. Sonographers work in close proximity to patients which is why it is reasonable to ask what kind of radiation exposure they might be getting from nuclear medicine patients.
Because nuclear medicine patients might undergo additional examinations, other hospital staff might also be exposed. The conclusion was that the radiation exposure to the sonographer was usually minimal; if there is daily contact with nuclear medicine patients, radiation risks should be assessed. Monitoring for several months may be appropriate.
Scheduling patients several hours after their nuclear medicine procedure is a good practice as well as asking the patient to void before the secondary examination. Radioactive material packages delivered directly to Nuclear Medicine contain radionuclides that will be administered to patients for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Direct deliveries may arrive on any day and at any time of the day.
Upon receipt, all radioactive material packages will be entered into the Nuclear Medicine drug receipt database. The exterior surface of the package shall be surveyed swiped over an average of cm 2 for removable contamination.
Inert gases e. Health Physics will assure that appropriate technical assistance and guidance is provided for achieving compliance with the above.
The room where the inert radioactive gas is used must be under negative pressure. The exhaust from the room where the inert gas is used shall be directly vented to the environment. Fresh air may be mixed with the exhaust stream so as to reduce the concentration of radioactive inert gas.
Health Physics shall approve machines used for the administration of radioactive inert gases to patients. The machines must feature:. In the event the patient experiences breathing difficulties or other medical problems, the patient will be immediately disconnected from the machine. Appropriate first aid measures shall be conducted.
As soon as practicable, the machine shall be shut off with the priority directed towards the well-being of the patient. This guidance has been prepared by the Clinical Radiation Safety Committee CRSCo to help ensure a careful, complete, and timely review of research projects that include human use of ionizing radiation.
It meets quarterly. Health Physics reviews the application for completeness and accuracy. If, for an adult, the effective dose is less than or equal to mrem to compare the effective dose to the annual radiation worker and the organ equivalent dose is less than or equal to the value derived by dividing 5 rad by the associated weighting factor see table below , the Health Physics RSO or designee can approve the application. If the effective dose is greater than mrem or the organ equivalent dose is greater than the value derived by dividing 5 rad by the associated weighting factor see table below , before the next CRSCo meeting by the Chairman or his designee, the Radiation Safety Officer RSO or his designee, and one physician faculty member, or be approved at the next CRSCo meeting.
Note: The approval levels listed below are for adults. All of these approvals are reported to CRSCo at its next meeting; it can re-open and revise the approvals. There are also organ dose limits associated with each category. Dose limits: whole body, active blood-forming organs, lens and gonads 3 rem per study and 5 rem total; other organs 5 rem per study and 15 rem total. See 29 CFR This radiation is in addition to what you may get as part of your regular medical care.
The additional amount of radiation is comparable to the radiation exposure from natural sources like the sun, ground and water. The average yearly background effective dose in the United States is 3 mSv.
This amount of radiation involves minimal risk and is necessary to obtain the research information desired. This additional amount of radiation involves minimal risk and is necessary to obtain the research information desired. You will be exposed to radiation during this research. Statistics represent averages and do not predict what is going to happen to you. They do not take into consideration individual risk factors including lifestyle smoking, diet, exercise, etc , family history genetics or radiation exposure.
The dose to your skin will be about X rads. This dose may result in temporary or permanent hair loss and possible skin changes or damage. For a research protocol involving Ionizing Radiation on human subjects at a facility not affiliated with Stanford and when the x-ray usage has been approved by that facilities official IRB e.
Copyright Complaints. Consult with the Radiation Safety Officer at for specific information. Download full manual 1 Introduction 2 Introduction to Radiation Exposure 2. A wavelength graph is shown below. Background Radiation People are constantly exposed to small amounts of ionizing radiation from the environment as they carry out their normal daily activities; this is known as background radiation.
Terrestrial There are natural sources of radiation in the ground, rocks, building materials and drinking water. Internal Our bodies also contain natural radionuclides.
X-ray Machines Any electronic device that has fast-moving electrons is a potential source of ionizing radiation. X-rays X-rays are a type of radiation commonly found in the hospital. Sealed Sources Many devices use sealed radioactive sources because they provide a convenient, inexpensive source of ionizing radiation. Beta Radiation Beta radiation is electrons with a range of energies. Radioactive Decay Radioactive decay is the process that changes an unstable atom to a more stable atom.
All signs, labels, and signals will be posted in a conspicuous place. Collection of Dosimeters All badges and rings are collected by the designated department or location contact to be processed by a contractor.
How to Wear Badges are to be worn at the collar. Dosimetry Requests Dosimetry requests can be made on this website. Records of Prior Exposure Each individual having a previous or on-going radiation exposure history with another institution is required to submit an Authorization to Obtain Radiation Exposure History form.
Lost Dosimetry If you have lost your dosimeter, a lost monitor report is required. Failure to Use Dosimeter as Required Failure of an employee to use a required badge may result in appropriate disciplinary action. Bioassays Bioassays determine the quantities, and in some cases, the locations of radioactive material in the human body, whether by direct measurement, called in vivo counting, or by analysis and evaluation of materials excreted from the human body.
After declaring her pregnancy, the employee will then receive: An evaluation of the radiation hazard from external and internal sources. Counseling from Health Physics regarding modifications of technique that will help minimize exposure to the fetus.
A fetal monitoring badge, if appropriate. Who needs a dosimeter? Contact the Dosimetry Coordinator at or your health physicist to confirm if new employees needs a dosimeter. Who can request a dosimeter?
All requests need to come from the department representative listed for your location. Identify who needs to be badged by position e. Identify how many people need to be badged compared to the number that want to be badged. What kind of radiation are they exposed to? Who to Contact about Dosimetry If there are any questions regarding the wearing of these badges or any questions regarding radiation monitoring, please contact the Stanford University Health Physics Department Dosimetry Coordinator at In general, alpha, beta, gamma and x-ray radiation can be stopped by: Keeping the time of exposure to a minimum, Maintaining distance from the source, When appropriate, placing a shield between yourself and the source, and Protecting yourself against radioactive contamination by using proper protective clothing.
The lead apron can cause stress and pain in the back muscles; to protect back strain often a skirt style apron covering the lower abdomen is adequate. For fluoroscopic procedures a lead apron of at least 0. Note: In cases where the x-ray operator steps away from the patient to turn on the beam, as in the case of a chest radiograph or mammography, a lead apron is not necessary. The recommended apron inspection policy is as follows: Annually perform a visual and tactile inspection Look for visible damage wear and tear and feel for sagging and deformities.
During fluoroscopic examination, use manual settings and low technique factors e. Do not use the automatic brightness control, as this will drive the tube current and high voltage up, resulting in unnecessary radiation exposure to personnel and wear on the tube. Lead aprons can also be examined radiographically. Fluoroscopic lead aprons are to be discarded if inspections determine: A defect great than 15 square mm found on parts of the apron shielding a critical organ e.
A defect greater than square mm along the seam, in overlapped areas, or on the back of the lead apron. Thyroid shields with defects greater than 11 square mm. Description of the machine and its proposed use. X-ray Tube Serial number 6.
Survey for New Machine Installation Unless otherwise specified, Health Physics must survey the installation of radiation-producing machine s , whether newly acquired, relocated, modified, or repaired to determine the effectiveness of health and safety hazard controls. Warning Signs All devices and equipment capable of producing radiation when operated shall be appropriately labeled to caution individuals that such devices or equipment produce radiation. Transfer to Another User — Health Physics shall be given notice of intent to dispose or transfer the radiation-producing machine to another user in order to notify the State of the transfer or disposal of the radiation-producing machine.
Mammography Machines Mammography machine annual tests are performed by an outside contractor. Therapy Machines Beam calibrations are performed by a Radiation Oncology Medical Physicist before initial operation and at intervals not to exceed twenty-four months.
Directly control radiation exposure to the patient during fluoroscopy procedures. Supervise one or more persons who hold a Radiologic Technologist Fluoroscopy Permit. A Radiography Supervisor and Operator permit allows the individual to do any of the following: Actuate or energize radiography x-ray equipment.
Supervise one or more persons who hold a Radiologic Technologist Certificate. Supervise one or more persons who hold a limited permit.
Frequently Asked Questions Does a resident or fellow need a fluoroscopy permit? A physician is not required to obtain a certificate or permit from the State if that physician: Requests an x-ray examination through a certified supervisor and operator.
Performs radiology only in the course of employment by an agency of the Federal Government and only at a Federal facility Note: As a best management practice the Clinical Radiation Safety Committee requires that Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System comply with the State of California certificate requirements or its equivalent.
Faculty members of an approved medical school who are granted a certificate of registration by the Medical Board of California code BPC are exempt from the requirement to obtain a Fluoroscopy Supervisor and Operator permit. The permitted licentiate shall document all actions the non-permitted individuals will perform. The permitted licentiate shall document the following: Equipment set up and operation; Fundamentals of radiation safety; Significance of radiation dose, to include hazards of excessive exposure to radiation, biological effects of radiation dose, and radiation protection standards; Expected levels of radiation from fluoroscopy equipment; Methods of controlling radiation dose: time, distance, shielding; and Characteristics and use of personnel monitoring equipment.
Fluoroscopy equipment being operated is operated only in the automatic exposure control AEC or automatic exposure rate control AERC mode.
The permitted licentiate shall review and approve, before exposure of the patient to X-rays, any changes to the spatial relationship and technical factors that resulted from the actions taken by the non-permitted individual. The RDRC must immediately, but no later than 7 calendar days, submit a special summary using Form FDA to the FDA at the time a proposal is approved that involves: More than 30 research subjects or when a previously approved protocol is expanded to include more than 30 subjects or, Exposure to a research subject less than 18 years of age.
Authorized Nuclear Medicine Physician Clinical use of radiopharmaceuticals : If approved by the Clinical Radiation Safety Committee, nuclear medicine physicians who are authorized users AU may select radiopharmaceuticals in accordance with their professional judgment for the treatment and diagnosis of human beings provided that the radiopharmaceutical is approved for human use by the FDA.
Authorized Radiation Oncologist Clinical use of accelerators: If approved by the Clinical Radiation Safety Committee, physicians who are authorized users may use an accelerator for the treatment of humans. Examples could include: Radiologists Nuclear medicine physicians and technologists Radiation therapy technologists Cardiologists working with fluoroscopy equipment Authorized Users Nurses regularly caring for radionuclide therapy patients Ancillary Workers All personnel who may come in contact with or enter an area that contains radioactive material or sources of ionizing radiation.
Ancillary Worker examples include: Housekeeping Maintenance workers Nursing staff occasionally caring for radionuclide therapy patients Non-Radiation Workers Personnel who would not normally be expected to encounter radioactive material or radiation sources in the course of their employment.
Non-Radiation Workers examples include: Administrators and administrative assistants Food service employees Clerical staff 9. Non-Radiation workers Note: a non-radiation worker is someone who does not directly handle radioactive material, or who is not directly exposed to radiation, but works near posted areas.
Keep the following in mind: Perform lifesaving measures. Protect yourself from radioactive contamination by observing standard universal precautions, including protective clothing, gloves, and a mask. Call Health Physics Acute high-dose radiation occurs in three principal situations: A nuclear detonation which produces extremely high dose rates from radiation during the initial 60 seconds and then from fission fallout products in the area near ground zero.
Patients are then evaluated for either external radiation exposure or radioactive contamination. An external radiation source with enough intensity and energy can cause tissue damage eg, skin burns or marrow depression.
This exposure from a source outside the person does not make the person radioactive. Even such lethally exposed patients are no hazard to medical staff.
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin erythema within four hours may indicate very high but treatable external radiation exposures. Such patients will show obvious lymphopenia within hours. Evaluate with serial CBCs. Primary systems involved will be skin, intestinal tract, and bone marrow. Treatment is supportive with fluids, antibiotics, and transfusions stimulating factors.
If there are early CNS findings of unexplained hypotension, survival is unlikely. Radioactive material may have been deposited on or in the person contamination. Most remaining contamination will be on exposed skin and is effectively removed with soap, warm water, and a washcloth. Do not damage skin by scrubbing.
Radioactive contamination in wound or burns should be handled as if it were simple dirt. If an unknown metallic object is encountered, it should only be handled with instruments such as forceps and should be placed in a protected or shielded area.
In a terrorist incident, there may be continuing exposure of the public that is essential to evaluate. Evacuation may be necessary. Administration of potassium iodine KI is only indicated when there has been a release of radioiodine. When there is any type of radiation incident many persons will want to know whether they have been exposed or are contaminated.
Provisions need to be made to potentially deal with thousands of such persons. Doses to first responders at the scene, however, can be much higher and appropriate dose rate meters must be available for evaluation. Radiation dose is reduced by reducing time spent in the radiation area moderately effective , increasing distance from a radiation source very effective , or using metal or concrete shielding less practical.
Call Radiation Emergency Medical Management : Provides evidence-based data for healthcare professionals about radiation emergencies. Contamination The floor and any objects the patient is likely to touch must be covered with plastic or other protective material to prevent contamination.
Patient Instructions Patients will receive the following instructions: You are restricted to your room. You must use disposable eating utensils. These utensils should be placed in the special waste container after use.
You should flush the toilet two or three times after each use. This will insure that all radioactive urine is washed from the toilet bowl. Both male and female patients must sit down on the toilet to prevent urine splatter.
Adult family visitors are encouraged but avoid physical contact with visitors. Nursing and other hospital staff should minimize time spent in the room and near the patient, consistent with the provision of all necessary care. Attending personnel must wear disposable gloves when handling or touching items in the room. Remove gloves and place in designated waste container before leaving the room.
Gowns should be worn if significant time will be spent in the room or whenever necessary to protect clothes from contact with the patient or items in the room. They must be removed when leaving the room to avoid tracking contamination from the room. Disposable items such as plates and eating utensils should be used whenever possible. These items must be placed in the designated waste container.
If contaminated, they will be collected by the hazardous waste technician. All items within the room should be checked for contamination by the hazardous waste technician before being removed. Excess food or drinks may be flushed down the toilet.
Urine and stool may be disposed of via the sanitary sewer. Nursing staff should not provide assistance in bathing the patient for the first 48 hours unless specifically approved by the physician.
Items such as bedpans, urinals, and basins, if disposable, may be disposed of as radioactive waste. If these items are not disposable, they shall be thoroughly washed with soap and running water. Protective gloves shall be worn while cleaning possibly contaminated equipment. Radiation protection handbook for laboratory workers. Full Record Miscellaneous:. Abstract This handbook provides a source of information on radiation protection for workers involved in the use of ionising radiations in laboratories.
Topics covered include radioactivity and properties of radiation, biological effects of radiation, legislation, monitoring radiation and radioactivity, practical radiation protection, standards of laboratories, closed sources, training and registration, waste disposal, transport of radioactive materials and machine sources of radiation. The Appendices provide information on units and exposure limits, data for radionuclides, monitoring, spillages and emergencies and working with some particular radionuclides.
United Kingdom. Publication Date: Dec 31, Product Type: Miscellaneous. Research Organizations: Association of Univ. Keep them close enough to the contaminated area to limit the spread of contamination but far enough away that no one is at risk of getting further contaminated.
Do not track contamination beyond the area. Remove contaminated shoes and put on clean shoes or put protective covers over shoes before leaving the contaminated area. Survey everyone and anything leaving the contaminated area. Decontamination is the responsibility of the Authorized User's lab personnel. Clean-up should be performed under the supervision of EHS radiation safety staff.
Note the original survey meter reading, the location of the contaminated area and the time of the contamination was discovered. EHS will use this information to calculate dose. Wash skin using mild soap and warm water for minutes. Do not abrade skin or use hot water. Measure and record the count rate after the initial attempt at decontamination. Survey and repeat decontamination until the count rate cannot be reduced any further.
If the skin becomes irritated, discontinue decontamination. When decontamination efforts are not immediately successful, often a substantial reduction in count rate is achieved during the next 24 hours with periodic washings with soap and water, combined with normal flaking of the skin. A Serious Injury with Radioactive Contamination Serious injury and life-or-death situations always take priority over radiological concerns. Public Safety responders are trained to provide first aid.
If possible, have someone meet emergency response personnel and escort them to the accident scene. Remove contaminated items and clothing from the victim only if these actions will cause no further harm.
If time permits, attempt to provide an uncontaminated pathway for the emergency crew. Have someone who can provide useful additional information accompany the victim to the emergency room.
Possible Overexposure to Sources of Radiation The most likely scenario for a serious overexposure to radiation involves exposure to the primary beam of an x-ray diffractometer or to a high activity sealed source.
Protective Clothing Lab accidents often involve spills or splashes which can readily contaminate exposed wrists, legs and feet. For any work with an open radioactive source, wear: gloves the longest length available a full-length lab coat worn closed with sleeves rolled down close-toed shoes.
Do NOT wear sandals or other open-toed shoes while working with radioactivity It is strongly recommended that you wear safety glasses for any procedure, but it is essential that you war safety glasses whenever there is a potential for the build-up of pressure. Food and Beverages Do not eat, drink or smoke in any room in which open sources of radioactive materials are used. Do not store food, beverages, or medicines in refrigerators, freezers or coldrooms where open sources of radioactive materials are used or stored.
Do not store food, beverages, medicines, cosmetics, coffee cups, eating utensils, etc. Mouth Pipetting Never mouth pipet radioactive solutions. Security Lock radioactive stock materials and sealed sources in a secured container or a secured storage area when not in use. A stock material is radioactive material as provided by the vendor and does not include material withdrawn from the original stock for experimental use.
Do not leave radioactive materials unsecured in an unattended lab, even for a short time, unless the lab is locked. Supervise visitors to the lab. When visitors who are not accompanied by authorized lab personnel enter the lab, find out who they are and why they are there. If you discover that radioactive material is missing or lost and cannot be accounted for, notify EHS no later than the next business day.
Signs and Labels For the radioisotopes commonly used at Princeton University, labeling of rooms and containers is mandatory under the following conditions: Radioisotope Activity for Which Labeling is Required uCi H-3 C P 10 P S Ca Cr Fe 10 Zn 10 I 1 U Labeling Contaminated items and containers of radioactive material is an important tool for contamination control and is a courtesy to other laboratory personnel.
Any container of radioactive material, any room or piece of equipment in which radioactive material is stored and any contaminated area or item,regardless of the level of radioactivity, should be labeled as Radioactive. For radioiodine work, a RAM hood must be a Class A hood with an average face velocity of at least lfpm. The hood class is shown on the EHS hood survey sticker. Biological safety cabinets or laminar flow hoods may not be suitable for radioisotope work, since the air from the cabinet may be exhausted back to the room.
Consult with EHS before performing work with volatile radioactive materials in a biological safety cabinet. Biological and Chemical Hazards In addition to radiation hazards, some experimental protocols may pose biological and chemical hazards as well.
Be familiar with the properties of the radioisotope to be used and with any precautions and concerns specific to that radioisotope and material. See Appendix B for detailed information about the radioisotopes most commonly used at the University.
Unfamiliar radioisotope procedures should be rehearsed before radioactive material is actually used. Wear protective clothing. Wear radiation monitor badges when appropriate. Have all the necessary materials and equipment available and ready at the start of a procedure. For those radioisotopes with significant external radiation levels, use remote handling tools, such as tongs, to limit direct handling of stock and sample vials.
Survey frequently and extensively. Don't assume that contamination will only be found on the bench top. Clean up contamination in the work area promptly. Change gloves and lab coats as they become contaminated. Cover radioactive waste cans at all times and store waste cans away from areas in which people spend substantial amounts of time. Provide shielding for waste cans with significant external radiation levels. Do not store contaminated materials, including gels, at any desk area.
Survey yourself and your clothing when radioisotope work is finished and before leaving the lab. There are a few important rules for the purchase and acquisition of radioactive materials that laboratory workers must keep in mind: Rule 1: Never place orders for radioactive materials directly with a vendor.
Free Vendor Samples and Samples from Other Institutions Any person who plans to acquire radioactive material as a gift, loan or transfer from a vendor, another institution or company must contact EHS before the material is shipped to the University. Loans or Other Transfers of Radioactive Material Transfers of radioactive material between Princeton University labs are permitted under the following conditions: Transfers of sealed sources or plated sources are not permitted without written authorization from EHS.
The lab transferring the material is responsible for ensuring that the recipient lab is authorized to possess the radioisotope in question.
When EHS has finished its survey of the package and has entered it into the inventory database, the vial or source is repackaged in its original package. Although EHS staff delivers packages to each department, the respective departments are responsible for establishing departmental procedures for transferring packages to laboratory personnel. Before signing for a package, examine the packing list and the labels on the package to verify that this package is the same package described on the receipt log.
Although EHS staff checks the vial and packing list against the requisition to look for errors in the shipment, recheck the packing list to verify that the package contains the expected material.
After signing for any package, make sure that the package is immediately placed in a secured location. After signing for a package, promptly notify the person who ordered the material or who will use it that the package has arrived. Opening Packages The precautions described below are necessary because packages are occasionally delivered with the wrong materials, may contain highly contaminated inner vials, or vials may unintentionally become pressurized during transport.
Wear protective clothing and open the stock vial in a fume hood when practical. Verify that the stock vial contains the material you ordered in the amount you ordered. Before the package is delivered to the laboratory, EHS surveys the packing materials or packing containers for contamination.
However, you should wipe test the inner container or stock vial to check for gross contamination See Section 5 for information on performing a survey. Extensive contamination on the inner vial should be reported immediately to EHS. Discarding Packaging Materials Survey any box or packaging material to be sure it is not contaminated before placing it out for the regular trash or sending it for recycling.
Completely mark out, tape over, or remove all radioactive material labels on any empty packaging before placing the package out for pickup as non-radioactive trash. Inventory Control All stock vials, sealed sources and plated sources are assigned a unique identification number through the Princeton University radioisotope inventory and tracking database, known as RITA. Record all withdrawals of material from a stock vial on the Vial Use Log.
RITA performs decay calculations so that lab members can see the amount of radioactivity available, corrected for decay. Once each quarter, labs must perform a physical inventory of radioactive materials stored in the lab, compare the actual inventory to the online inventory in RITA and report any discrepancies to EHS. The procedure for handling transfers of radioactive material is described in Section 3. If a lab discovers that radioactive material is missing or lost and can not be accounted for, EHS must be notified no later than the next business day.
Survey Instrumentation Table 5. Performing a Meter Survey Appendix A provides detailed instructions on the use of a survey meter and how to perform a survey. The following list is a brief survey checklist: Perform a battery test Perform an operational check the first time you use the meter each day Check meter background.
Perform the survey Decontaminate or label contaminated areas and items. Document survey results in your personal survey log or in the lab survey log. Defining Contamination If an item or area with a sustained count rate of three times background or more is found, the item or area should be considered to be contaminated.
When to Survey Laboratory personnel must conduct individual work area surveys surveys of floors, workbenches, handles, experimental equipment, etc. Typical survey locations include: Bench tops, including the edges Fume hoods aprons, sashes, sash handles Beta shields Refrigerator and freezer door handles Sinks designated for radioactive material disposal sink basin, surrounding bench, faucet handles Floors: at working areas, laboratory entrances, waste containers, fume hoods Communal equipment, such as pipettors, timers, incubators, centrifuges, water baths, etc.
How to Document Surveys Record survey results in a personal survey log or in the laboratory survey log. Each log entry should contain the following information: Name of person performing the survey Date of survey Brief description of the area surveyed Survey meter results in cpm , even for background count rates Meter identification model, serial number Follow-up action taken when contamination is found. When to Report Contamination Skin contamination, regardless of level of contamination, must always be immediately reported to EHS.
Uncontained spills e. Widespread contamination in any amount should be promptly reported to EHS. Contamination is considered to be widespread if it is found in several locations which are not normally expected to be contaminated e. Removable contamination in any amount may present both an external and internal hazard because it can be picked up on skin and possibly ingested.
Fixed contamination cannot be readily decontaminated. Fixed contamination generally does not present a significant hazard unless the material comes loose or is present in such large amounts that it presents an external radiation hazard.
Types of Surveys Meter surveys , using Geiger detectors or scintillation probes, can identify gross contamination total contamination consisting of both fixed and removable contamination but will detect only certain isotopes. Wipe tests are the most versatile and most sensitive method of detecting low-level contamination in the laboratory. Survey Instrumentation The portable Geiger-Muller G-M survey meter is best used for P, a high energy beta emitter, and other high energy beta and gamma emitters, such as Co, Zn, Cs, and U A G-M meter can also be used to identify areas heavily contaminated with lower energy betas, such as C or S, for which the G-M meter has a relatively low efficiency.
G-M meters should not be used to survey for I contamination, since G-M meters will detect I only when there are very high levels of contamination. The portable thin crystal NaI scintillation survey meter is used to locate I contamination and to conduct surveys around low-energy x-ray sources such as x-ray diffractometers and electron microscopes.
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