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The Radiation Safety Office Newsletter

Volume I   Number 2        For the University of Maryland Campus       November 1, 1997

The Radiation Safety Office at the University of Maryland shall publish on the first of each month a Newsletter on topics concerning Radiation Protection and Use of Radioisotopes and Radiation Producing Devices. In the first issue I acquainted you with a brief history of the office's origins and some information on film badges. This issue is about the Maryland Department of Environment inspections of the University license through its Radiological Health Section.

The Maryland Department of the Environment inspects the University license to possess and use radioactive materials on an annual basis. Representatives from the Radiological Health Section arrive at our Radiation Safety Office unannounced and inform us that over the next couple of days they will be performing an inspection of our license. The University has more than one state license. You might think to yourself at this point , " I thought the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was in charge of radioactive materials," and your thinking would not be incorrect. However, in this case the state of Maryland is an "Agreement State." Maryland has entered into an agreement with the NRC to regulate the use of radioactive materials in our state. There are many such states throughout the US; for example Texas is an agreement state, but Virginia is an NRC state. All in all there are 30 Agreement States and 20 NRC regulated states.

What does the state do when they arrive on our campus? There are normally 2 to 4 inspectors who show up at our door. After introductions of any new personnel from their office or ours they get down to business. Two of the inspectors will accompany persons from our office on inspections of the laboratories using unsealed sources of radioactive material. They will perform an inspection similar to ours but in more detail since they are not familiar with the everyday workings of our campus. They will ask questions such as: "What type of material are you using?, Where do you store radioactive material?, Have you been trained in the safe use of radioactive material?, Do you have a survey meter?, How do you perform a survey? How often do you perform a survey? Are you required to wear a film badge? etc.. In each lab the inspection is about the same and the method is tempered by the type and amount of material as well as the frequency of use. As few as 10 labs may be inspected or as many as 30 over the next few days. The inspector will take wipe tests, survey with his/her meter, check the wipe log, the waste disposal containers, signs and labels and experimental setups. Meanwhile, back at our office the remaining inspectors are looking at all records pertaining to the use and possession of radioactive materials on campus; these include dosimetry (badges), sealed source wipe testing, lab inspection records, Radiation Safety Committee Meeting minutes, audit procedures, training records, bioassay measurements, counting equipment, calibration records, etc.. By the end of the day both parties are wiped out and our office is strewn (neatly) with paperwork. The next day the inspectors will be back to do it all over again.

What happens at the end of the inspection? After 3 or 4 days of grilling the lead inspector conducts an "exit interview." The Radiation Safety Committee Chairman, Director of Environmental Safety and the Radiation Safety Officer or their representatives are in attendance at the meeting. The inspector reviews his/her findings with this group, citing potential non-compliance issues, and hearing comments or rebuttals by the University representatives. These meetings are quite short and the final report is issued officially in writing to our office. A time period of 21 days is given to reply to any of the non-compliance issues. In addition, several copies of the final report must be posted on campus in close proximity to the areas cited. The Radiation Safety Officer replies in writing to each of the issues within the 3 week deadline. If the state is satisfied with our reply the inspection is ended, if not, further correspondence will ensue until a satisfactory reply is reached.

How does our campus fare on the inspections? Our office is pleased with the results of the state inspections. The Radiation Safety Staff feel that the number of violations is small and that the types of violations found are not serious. All of the violations are corrected within a timely manner and the campus researchers respond to our requests for compliance based on the inspections findings.

a - sealed source swipe test not performed on time, training records not available for user, meter calibration out of date, unreturned film badges, wipe tests not performed by lab personnel

b- unreported event of fire in room adjacent to radioactive waste storage, sealed sources found but not on inventory, unlicensed site use of sealed source, waste not properly labeled, signs not posted in restricted area

c- unauthorized use of radioactive material, failure to conduct lab inspections on timely basis, signs not posted in restricted area, records not recorded in appropriate units

Just as our office conducts inspections of your labs to ensure compliance with our license, the Radiological Health Section of the Maryland Department of Environment assists our office in maintaining compliance with state regulations through their inspection program. Our office benefits from the inspection program as a welcome check on our ability to maintain the university license to possess and use radioactive materials in a safe and effective manner.

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