Radiation Safety Manual

Policy 303.23

1 Introduction

Appalachian State University is licensed by the State of North Carolina to use radiation sources in operations, education, and research and development activities. The ASU Radiation Safety Officer may issue individual faculty and staff members an ASU Radiation Use Authorization, to use radiation sources after a review of the proposed use, adequacy of facilities, and experience of the applicant. Although this provision allows the University great flexibility in dealing with the multitude of radiation sources and research uses encountered on campus, it places equally great responsibility on investigators and the Administration to comply with State regulations so that this flexibility may continue. The State of North Carolina administers licensing of some radioactive material and registering all x-ray producing machines.

This manual summarizes the terms of the University's authorization and the policies most applicable to campus utilization of various radiation sources and x-ray producing machines, such as acquiring, using, and disposing of radioactive material. A copy must be available in each facility where radiation sources are used. Special precautions, regulations, and other operating procedures specified by the Radiation Safety Officer or the State of North Carolina must also be maintained and made available to laboratory personnel. Everyone involved with the use of radiation sources in any way is required to be familiar with the provisions of this manual. The manual must be readily available to all interested individuals. All radiation exposure must be maintained to levels that are as low as are reasonably achievable (ALARA).

We would like to thank the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Nevada at Reno for their permission to use portions of their Radiation Safety Manuals.

3 Definitions

ASU - Appalachian State University

RSO - Radiation Safety Officer

ALARA - As Low As Reasonably Achievable

NCDENR - North Carolina Department of the Environment and Natural Resources DEH Division of Environmental Health; The division of NC DENR that administers radiation protection

RPS - Radiation Protection Section; The section of the DEH that administers radiation protection

ASU RUA - Radiation Use Authorization; Permission to use radioisotopes issued by the RSO

ORP - Office of Research Protections

EXPOSURE - Amount of radiation deposited in any material measured in ROENTGEN (R) SI Unit is 1 Coulomb of charge deposited per kilogram of mass

DOSE - Amount of energy deposited in any material. Measured in GRAYS (Gy). The older unit is RADS (Radiation Adsorbed Dose) 1 RAD = 10 mGy

RADIATION RATE - Number of disintegrations detected per second. Usually measured in milliroentgens/hr (mR/hr), (counts/min) or microSieverts/hr)

EXPOSURE RATE -Amount of radiation being deposited in any material. For humans this rate is measured in rems per unit of time.

REM (ROENTGEN EQUIVALENT MAN) -an old unit for the amount of radiation dose absorbed by an individual that does actual biological damage. New unit is Sieverts (Sv). 1 Sv = 0.01 rem.

Specific License - Approval issued by the State of North Carolina to possess and use certain radioisotopes

Registration - Approval issued by the State of North Carolina to possess and use x-ray generating equipment

15A NCAC 11 North Carolina Regulations for Protection Against Radiation (http://www.ncradiation.net/regs/15ANCAC11_1006.pdf)