Radiation Safety Monthly Focus:
Transferring Material Between Labs and Institutions

Want to share radioactive material with a colleague at the University, or borrow some? Well, it is a little more complicated than borrowing a cup of sugar. The first thing you need to do is notify ORS on your campus. ORS will determine whether the recipient is authorized to possess the radionuclide and quantity of activity. Then, we will see if there is room in the recipient's inventory. When both of these are OK we will initiate the transfer. If you are the transferor, you must make the appropriate debit entry on your inventory form. We will provide a new inventory form to the recipient. Packaging for all transfers must meet some basic requirements: 1) Use a strong, tightly sealed inner container with a secure cap or tight seal. 2) Surround the inner container with enough absorbent material to contain twice the volume of the material, if it is liquid. 3) Make sure there is no contamination on the container. 4) Put a label on the container specifying the radionuclide, activity and date. 5) Use an unbreakable secondary container to hold the material in case the inner container spills or breaks.

Transfers between campuses must also meet DOT requirements. Call ORS in advance for approval. Follow the basic packaging instructions. You must bring the package to ORS for inspection and a contamination check. ORS can advise you on any required labels, markings and transportation documents. You may ship the package after ORS has approved the packaging, documentation and mode of transport. The package must be delivered to the ORS office on the recipient's campus. ORS will provide an inventory form to the recipient.

When you transfer material to another institution you must satisfy the basic requirements, DOT regulations, and license conditions of the recipient institution. Before ORS can approve the transfer we will need a copy of the recipient institution's license or other documentation verifying that they are authorized to receive the material. See Radiation Safety Handbook section 21.4 for methods that can be used for this verification. After we receive verification you may contact a courier. Follow the basic packaging instructions and bring the package to ORS for inspection. The shipper is required to complete any courier documents.

If you want to receive something from another institution, call ORS for approval. We can provide a copy of the University license to the other institution on request. All radioactive material must be shipped to ORS. We will inspect and deliver the material in the same way as material purchased from a vendor, and issue an inventory form to the recipient.

And please,

• notify ORS when radiation workers leave your laboratory, so we can update the workers' records,
• notify ORS when radioactive materials are delivered by courier directly to your lab, and
• notify ORS when you discontinue use of a laboratory space where you used radioactive materials.