Number 42 July, 2001

Posted radiation worker list required

Back in the old days when we issued film badges to all workers whether they needed them or not, we knew where they all were because they had to report to ORS to get their badges. While prospective radiation workers still must report to ORS, we need another check on the system to ensure that we have identified everyone who must be registered. Authorized investigators are required to post and maintain a list of their radiation workers for review by ORS staff during inspections. Make sure your posted radiation worker list is current, and notify ORS when radiation workers leave so we can update our records. We will be reviewing lists during the current round of inspections.

Really old inventory forms

Thanks to those of you who have responded to our recent campaigns to recover very old inventory forms. Lately we have turned our attention to inventories of long-lived radionuclides, mostly H-3 and C-14. People like to keep their old H-3 and C-14 stocks around, thinking they might be useful someday. However, these materials can be a liability. They do have a shelf-life due to radiolytic decomposition, and you have to ask yourself if such very old products are appropriate for your assays. Remember that you never relinquish responsibility for accountability, security, and record keeping for each vial. If you agree that it is time to get rid of it, please dispose of it properly and return your old inventory forms to ORS.

Record your bioassay status

Filling in usage information on the inventory form as soon as you use the material is a good way to remind yourself to look at the bioassay table (Radiation Safety Handbook (pdf), section 19) to see if you are required to provide a sample. In order to make sure that radiation workers comply with the license requirement, ORS staff review the "amount used" and "bioassay yes/no" columns on each returned inventory form. We crosscheck the entries against the bioassay records and follow-up if a sample has not been provided. Be sure to complete the column.

Closing or moving your laboratory?

There is a lot of renovation and relocation going on around campus these days. We want to remind investigators that you are required to notify ORS in advance if you plan on closing or relocating your laboratory. The University's license requires closing surveys, appropriate disposal of wastes, and accountability for all radionuclides before the lab is released for renovation or other use.