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4.     Radiation Producing Devices

Exceptions to this requirement are those devices which produce radiation incident in their normal operation, such as television equipment, VDTs, high voltage power supplies, etc., providing the equivalent dose rate does not exceed 0.5 mrem/hr/10 cm2 at 5 cm from any accessible surface.

5.     Required Postings - All Users

The instructions and notices in this section will be posted in such a manner that workers may see them on the way to or from any facility engaged in radiation work. All are available from the RSO.

5.1     Radiation Emergency Procedures

In the event of any occurrence out of the ordinary involving radioactive materials or radiation producing equipment, a guide to user response has been prepared (Figure 5.1). Any event, no matter how small or trivial, will be reported immediately to the RSO, via the Campus emergency assistance number, (301) 405-3333, as some circumstances require immediate notification to State authorities.

5.2     Notice to Employees

Pursuant to State regulations, a "Notice to employees" shall be posted in every room where radioactive material or radiation producing devices are used.

5.3     No Smoking, Eating, or Drinking

Internal contamination is not only the most dangerous type of radiation exposure to be encountered at UM Campus, but is also the most difficult to detect. Smoking, eating, drinking, chewing gum or tobacco, applying cosmetics, etc., in any area where radioactive materials are employed invites internal contamination by inhalation, ingestion or both. Every area where radioactive materials are used or stored will be posted with this prohibition. See Figure 5.3.

Figure 5.1

Radiation Emergency Procedures

Radiation Safety Office                                     Emergency Numbers

Chem. & Nuc. Eng. Bldg. Rm 2124                             Anytime: (301) 405-3333

University of Maryland                                      Daytime: (301) 314-8336

College Park Campus



Type of Emergency          Hazard                      Immediate Precautions                         Follow Up



Minor Spills               Radiation: no immediate     1. Notify all persons in room                 Permit no one to work

                           radiation hazard to         2. Confine spill immediately                  in area until approval

                           personnel                   3. Notify Radiation Safety Office             of RSO is secured



Major Spills               Radiation: May be great     1. Notify personnel to vacate room            Decontamination of personnel

                           hazard to personnel         2. Make no attempt to clean up spill          and equipment (including spill

                                                       3. Switch off fans and vacate room            itself) as prescribed by the

                                                       4. Provide temporary barricade                Radiation Safety office

                                                       5. Notify the Radiation Safety Office



Accident Involving:        Radiation: Internal        1. Notify personnel to vacate room            Do not re-enter until Radiation

  Dust   Mist              hazard due to possible      2. Close windows and shut off air             Safety Office gives approval

  Fumes  Vapors            ingestion and inhalation    3. Provide temporary barricade

  Gases                    Contamination easily        4. Notify the Radiation Safety Office

                           spread when air borne



Injuries Involving:        Contamination: wounds       1. Wash wounds immediately under              Permit no one involved in

  Radiation hazards        usually greatest               running water                              accident to return to work

  Contaminations           hazard                      2. Call Physician - Student Health Center     without approval of Radiation

                                                       3. Call Radiation Safety Office               Safety Office and Physician



Fires Involving            Radiation: internal         1. Notify all persons in room and building    Govern emergency activities

  Radioactivity            hazard from air borne          to evacuate at once                        by the restrictions of the

                           activity                    2. Call the Fire Department 911               Radiation Safety Office

                           Contamination: May be       3. Call Radiation Safety Office

                           Spread by fir fighting

                           techniques



X-RAY injuries             Radiation: Superficial      1. Shut off machine (Do Not alter machine     Permit no one involved in

                           and/or deep tissue burns       configuration until RSO inspection).       accident to return to work

                                                       2. Call Physician - Student Health Center     without approval of RSO and 

                                                       3. Call Radiation Safety Office               Physician

Figure 5.2

Figure 5.3

No Smoking,
Eating, or Drinking
Permitted
In This Area

6.     Violations, Suspensions, and Appeals

6.1     Violations

The Principal User of radioactive materials and/or radiation producing devices will, when cited for non-compliance of applicable UM Campus, State and Federal regulations, act to be in compliance as soon as possible. The RSO will assist the user if necessary or requested.

6.2     Suspensions

1. The Director of Environmental Safety and the Radiation Safety Officer are charged with recommending to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost the suspension of activities or operations in any campus facility where there is a disregard for compliance with appropriate regulations, a significant safety, health or property damage hazard exists, and independently suspending activities or operation which could reasonably be expected to cause serious harm or cause death when the responsible individual will not or cannot correct the condition immediately.

2. In the event that the Radiation Safety Officer deems it necessary to close a laboratory, the closing order will be placed in writing and immediately forwarded to the user and posted on the door to the area. Included in the order will be a statement of the right to appeal the action before the RSC.

6.3     Appeals

In the event that a program or operation is suspended under Section 6.2, the user has the right to appeal the suspension to the RSC. When a written request to appeal is received by the Chairperson of the RSC, the RSC will meet within five (5) working days to hear the appeal. Upon hearing the appeal, the RSC will (by initial verbal order, and if reasonable, followed by a written statement) uphold or rescind the suspension and make recommendations to alleviate the current and any future problems.

The RSC has the responsibilities stated in Section 1.2 as well as the full authority to terminate an authorization for possession and use of radioactive materials, and the use of radiation producing devices on the UM Campus.

Glossary

Absorbed Dose:

The energy imparted to matter by ionizing radiation per unit mass of irradiated material.

Airborne Radioactive Material:

Any radioactive material dispersed in the air in the form of dusts, fumes, mists, vapors, or gases.

ALARA:

A program that is used to ensure that personnel radiation exposure is kept as low as reasonably achievable.

Body Burden:

The amount of radioactive material present in the body of a man or animal.

Casual Visitor:

A person who is visiting without intent to participate in the operation or program of a laboratory such as a person on tour, an inspector, etc.

Curie:

The basic unit to describe the intensity of radioactivity in a sample. 1 Ci = 3.7 x 1010 disintegrations per second (dps).

Declared Pregnant Woman:

Declaration made by a woman who has voluntarily informed her employer, in writing, of her pregnancy and the estimated date of conception.

DES:

Department of Environmental Safety, UM.

Dose:

Absorbed dose, dose equivalent, effective dose equivalent, committed dose equivalent, committed effective dose equivalent, or total effective dose equivalent.

Dose Rate:

The radiation dose delivered per unit time and measured, for instance, in rems per hour.

Dosimeter:

A device that measures radiation dose, such as film badge, ionization chamber, or TLD.

Dosimetry:

The measurement of the amount of radiation delivered to a specific place or the amount of radiation that was absorbed there.

Exposure Rate:

Exposure per unit time, such as rem/hr, mrem/hr.

HWMO:

Hazardous Waste Management Office

HIGH Radiation AREA:

Any area accessible to individuals, in which there exists radiation at such levels that a major portion of the body could receive a dose in excess of 100 millirem (mrem) in one hour at 30 centimeters from the radiation source or from any surface that the radiation penetrates.

Individual User:

Any individual who works with radioactive materials.

Induced Radioactivity:

Radioactivity that is created when substances are bombarded with neutrons, as from a nuclear reactor, or with charged particles produced by accelerators.

Non Ionizing Radiation:

Radio or microwaves; visible, infrared or ultraviolet light.

NRC:

United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Occupational Dose:

Exposure of an individual to radiation (1) in a restricted area; or (2) in the course of employment in which the individual's duties involve exposure to radiation.

Particle Accelerator:

A machine capable of accelerating electrons, protons, deuterons, or other charged particles in a vacuum and of discharging the resultant particulate or other radiation into a medium at energies usually in excess of 1 Mev.

Personnel Monitoring:

Determination by either physical or biological measurement of the amount of ionizing radiation to which an individual has been exposed, such as by measuring the darkening of a film badge or performing a radon breath analysis.

Principal User:

The individual responsible for a particular program. This individual may be called the Principal Investigator and is authorized by virtue of UM procedures to engage in the activity where controls and accountability are required.

RAD:

The basic unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation. A dose of one rad means the absorption of 100 ergs of radiation energy per gram of absorbing material.

Radiation:

Ionizing radiation, i.e., gamma rays, x-rays, alpha and beta particles, high speed electrons, neutrons, and other nuclear particles.

Radiation Area:

Any area accessible to individuals in which there exists radiation at such levels that a person could receive a dose equivalent in excess of 5 millirem (mrem) in one hour at 30 centimeters from the source or any surface that the radiation penetrates.

Radioactive Material:

Any material (solid, liquid, or gas) which emits radiation spontaneously.

Radioactivity:

The disintegration of unstable atomic nuclei by the emission of radiation.

REM:

A special unit of any of the quantities expressed as dose equivalent. The dose equivalent in rems is equal to the absorbed dose in rads multiplied by the quality factor.

Restricted Area:

Any area where access is controlled by the licensee for purposes of protection of individuals from exposure to radiation and radioactive materials.

RSC:

Radiation Safety Committee.

RSO:

Radiation Safety Office.

TLD:

Thermoluminescent dosimeter.

UM:

University of Maryland, College Park and all properties under its control.

Unrestricted Area:

Any area where access is not controlled or limited by the licensee.

Very High Radiation Area:

An area accessible to individuals, in which radiation levels could result in an individual receiving an absorbed dose in excess of 500 rads in one hour at one meter from a radiation source or from any surface that the radiation penetrates.

Index of Figures and Tables

Figure 3.2 Radiation Area Sign

Figure 3.3 High Radiation Area Sign

Figure 3.4 Airborne Radioactivity Material and Radiation Area Signs

Figure 3.5 Radiation Material Sign

Figure 3.6 Combined Radioactive Material and Radiation Area Signs

Figure 3.7 Radiation Material Labels and Tags

Figure 5.1 Radiation Emergency Procedures

Figure 5.2 Notice to Employees

Figure 5.3 No Smoking, Eating, or Drinking Sign

Table 3.1 Classification of Radionuclides According to Relative Radio-toxicity Per Unit Activity

Table 3.2 Radioisotope Facility Classification

University of Maryland, College Park
Radiation Safety Office
Radioactive Materials Order Form

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