Radiation Safety Training Annual Refresher Training Washington State University Radiation Safety Office

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Radiation Safety TrainingAnnual Refresher
Training Washington State UniversityRadiation
Safety Office
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Why have refresher training?

• The annual refresher training is designed to
  reinforce important safety information, provide
  any new information and to cover areas that have
  presented problems in laboratories over the past
  year.

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In each laboratory that is authorized for
radioactive materials use, you will find this
form (RHF-3) posted. This form gives the
contact information for the Washington state
Department of Health. It also list some of your
and some of the employer's responsibilities.
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Good Laboratory Practices

• Remember Time, Distance, Shielding
• Wear Protective Clothing gloves, lab coat, long
  pants,
• full toed shoes
• Designate areas for RAM work
• Cover work areas with absorbent paper, absorbent
  side up
• Use a hood if possible
• Avoid skin contact with contaminated gloves
• Survey your gloves, hands, coat, shoes, and your
  work area
• Always wash your hands (even when wearing gloves)
  after the experiment, as well as before leaving
  the work area, picking up the phone, etc.

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CONTROLLING EXTERNAL HAZARD

• TIME Radiation dose is proportional to the
• duration of the exposure.
• DISTANCE Radiation dose is proportional
  to 1/(Distance)2.
• SHIELDING Radiation dose is determined by
• the type and thickness of shielding materials
  used.
• Correct selection of Shielding Materials
• are a function of type and energy of radiation.
  

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Protective Clothing

• Can be a very effective means of preventing skin,
  eyes, clothing from becoming contaminated
• Always wear Gloves (may want double layer)
• Always wear your Lab Coat
• Eyewear to prevent splashes and provide
• shielding for high energy beta emitters
• Closed toe footwear and long pants are required
• It is much easier to remove contaminated clothing
  than to decontaminate your skin!

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Contamination Control

• The major hazard for most radioactive materials
  on the WSU campus comes from internalizing the
  radioactive material.
• Once the radioactive materials are inside your
  body, you lose all the protections from TIME,
  DISTANCE AND SHIELDING.
• Contamination Control is the key to preventing
  internalization of radioactive materials.

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Contamination Control

• Watch out where you put your hot
• hands during an experiment
• Monitor yourself and your work area
• frequently for radioactivity (gloves, hands,
  feet, etc.)
• Use most sensitive scale on meter (X0.1 or X1)
  and have the sound on
• Have meter out and handy
• Make sure to wash your hands frequently and after
  finishing an experiment Dont bring radioactive
  material to lunch or to your home!
• Monitor your work area before and after an
  experiment

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Surveys

• After each use of radioactive material Except
  H-3, the area shall be surveyed using an
  appropriate survey meter (not required to be
  documented)
• Including the use of H-3, all areas of
  experimental use shall be wipe tested to
  determine if contamination is present (not
  required to be documented)
• Documented surveys (meter and wipe test) must be
  completed on either a weekly or monthly basis
  depending upon the isotope and frequency of use.

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Survey meter use.

• Use of Survey Meter review.
• Check for Calibration Sticker
• Check battery
• Check background radiation
• Check meter response to a known
• radiation source.
• Record the check source results and
• background readings in the meter notebook.

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Radiation Safety Instrumentation.

• Before an instrument is used for a radiation
  safety survey. It must be determined that the
  instrument is functioning properly and that it is
  calibrated. This includes both radiation survey
  meters and LSCs. By using the quality assurance
  notebooks associated with the instrument. You can
  determine if the instrument is
• functioning
  properly
• and calibrated.

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Survey meter Quality Assurance Notebook.
Every survey meter should have a Survey Meter
Quality Assurance Notebook.
Be sure the cover page of your note book is
filled in properly.
Fill in meter manufacturer and serial number.
Fill in probe model number and serial number.
Ludlum 3 111111111
44-9 22222222
Fill in Meter storage location.
Fill in Authorized User or Equipment
Coordinators name and contact phone number and
the same for an alternate contact.
Fulmer 123
Arthur Dent 555-4242

Ford Prefect 555-5883
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Survey meter Quality Assurance Notebook.
This is the Response Check Source page in the
notebook.
Place the meter probe over the check source to
get the check source reading. Record this reading
on the next page of the notebook.
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Survey meter Quality Assurance Notebook.
Ludlum 3 1111111111 44-9
222222222
450
Be sure the information has been filled in on
this page. Meter and serial number. Probe and
serial number.
The Expected response to check source, should
have been filled in by the Radiation Safety
Office.
1/1/11 Dr. Who
50 450
Verify the calibration status of the meter.
Record the background reading and the response
check reading.
Record the date and your name.
The meter is now ready to be used for the
radiation safety survey.
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LSC Quality Assurance notebook.

• Each LSC will have a Quality Assurance Notebook.
• Be sure to fill in the cover of the notebook.
• Supervisory Authorized user or
  
• equipment coordinator. Plus an
• alternate and their contact
• information.

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LSC Quality Assurance notebook.
P/E 2910 123456

1/1/11 Dr. Who
12/27/10
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Check to see when the last SNC or IPA was run.
This is a self check of the LSC. It is done by
counting the unquenched standards that came with
the LSC. The printout should be in the back of
the notebook. It must have been done within the
past 7 days.
You are now ready to start counting your swipes.
Be sure the information at the top of the page is
filled in.
Fill in the date and your name.
Enter the number of the program you are using to
count your swipes.
Check the calibration status of the LSC. This
information is in the back of the notebook. The
LSC must have been calibrated within the past 12
months.
This is the data page inside the notebook.
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6/10/09
Dodgen
210
Ludlum 3
1234
50
1135
77777
Record meter serial number.
Record meter background radiation reading.
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2
4
Record meter used.
2
Sink
3
3
3
Hood
6
Record LSC serial number.
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locker
4
5
Door knob
0
Record your meter survey results.
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6
Floor
2
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This lab survey form is available at
http//www.rso.wsu.edu/user radiation survey
form.pdf
Survey all locations and areas with the potential
to become radioactively contaminated, including
hands and shoes. Also any areas where your meter
survey showed contamination. Record these
locations on your map.
All meter readings are at background levels.
Swipe areas where radioactive materials were used
and areas that may have become contaminated.
Number the swipe spot on your map.
Record swipe counts.
Fill in location. Building and room number.
Record swipe location.
Record all the swipe results.
Record the date and time of the survey.
Record the swipe number.
Run the swipes in your LSC and record the results.
Record your background counts.
Draw a map of your lab.
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WAC 246-221-150Security and control of
radioactive material and radiation machines.

•   Licensed radioactive materials and registered
  radiation machines shall be secured from, or
  controlled in such a manner so as to prevent,
  unauthorized access or removal from the place of
  storage.     Licensed radioactive materials in
  an unrestricted area and not in storage shall be
  tended under the constant surveillance and
  immediate control of the licensee.

The authorized user must Maintain security of
radioactive materials or radiation machines under
his or her control or possession.
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Security and control

• Radioactive materials must be secured.
• Either by locking the lab door when
• the lab is unattended or by placing the
• radioactive materials in a lock box or in
• a locking freezer or refrigerator.
• DO NOT LEAVE RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS UNATTENDED.

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Radioactive materials inventory control.

• WAC 246-220-020
• Records.
•   (1) Each licensee or registrant shall maintain
  records relating to the receipt, use, storage,
  transfer, or disposal of radiation sources,
• In other words, you must maintain an
• accurate and up to date inventory of your
• radioactive materials.

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Radioactive Material Use Log

• Dr Who
• 1-56
• P-32
• 0.5 mCi
• 11/18/10 /rm

Fulmer 123 Perkin Elmer
ATP 11/21/10
None

Authorized User_______________ Location__________________________
Stock Vial ID__________________ Vendor___________________________
Radioisotope_______________ Chemical Form______________________
Activity___________________ Activity/Reference Date_______________
Date Recd/Initials__________ Storage Requirement________________
Date Used Activity Withdrawn (mCi) Activity Remaining (mCi) Users Initials Comments Waste Pick-up Date






0.40

all placed in waste

11/25/10

0.10

12/18/10

RM
SP
All placed in waste
12/3/10
0.10
0.30
12/18/10
All placed in waste
0.30
0.0
RM
1/15/11
12/20/10
You must keep an accurate inventory of your
radioactive materials. A use log such as this can
help you keep track of your inventory.
Each time someone extracts from the vial. They
should make an entry on the form.
Enter the activity remaining in the vial. The
original amount minus the amount removed.
Enter Authorized user and location.
Enter stock vial ID, if you use one. Otherwise
use the activity date.
Enter chemical form.
Enter vendor name.
Enter Isotope.
Enter the activity date.
Enter the date received and initials of the
person receiving the vial.
Enter any special storage requirements.
Enter the date the extraction was done.
Enter the activity removed from the vial.
Enter your initials.
After the waste for this entry is picked up.
Enter the waste pick up date.
Enter the activity of the vial.
Enter any comments you would like.
This should be done each time a withdrawal is
made from the vial. Until the vial is depleted.
To calculate for waste disposal Volume used x
initial specific activity x decay fraction.
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Inventory controlWaste

• A large part of inventory control is proper waste
  tracking and reporting. The use log is very
  important for proper waste reporting.

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Waste Program

• You must fill out the waste receipt form
  completely and correctly, before your waste will
  be picked up. Be sure to report the isotope and
  activity from your use log.

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Filling out the waste receipt form.
Dr. Who
6/9/09
Chemistry
Fulmer 123
.005
P-32
7
Water 95
NaCl 5
X
Circle your waste type. Definitions of the
abbreviations can be found on the back of the
waste form.
Enter the chemical makeup, with percentages, of
the waste. The percentages should equal 100.
Fill in your department.
Fill in your location.
Enter the nuclide that is in the waste.
Enter the amount of activity that is in the waste
For liquid waste, enter the pH of the liquid.
Fill in the Authorized users name.
Fill in the date.
Mark the size of your waste container.
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The Back of the waste receipt form.
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Waste pickup.

• When you are ready to have your waste picked up,
  waste pick up form filled out and the outside of
  container checked for contamination, fill out a
  waste pick up request at our web site.
  http//www.rso.wsu.edu/radwastepickup.htm

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More resources.

• More information is available at our web site.
  http//www.rso.wsu.edu/
• And please feel free to review any of the
  training modules _at_ http//www.rso.wsu.edu/training
  /training.html
• any time.

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Test Time!

• Follow this link to the test. https//myresearch.w
  su.edu
• Use your WSU user name and password to sign in.
• Click on the training tab.
• Then click on the available training tab
• Find the radiation refresher course, in the OR
  section, click on it and take the test.