Office of Procurement & Property Management (OPPM)

Radiation Safety Staff

for

Self-Shielded Irradiators

It is the responsibility of the Permit Holder named on the Radiation Source Permit to comply with all safety and regulatory requirements of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the USDA Radiation Safety Program.

Pool irradiators and self-shielded irradiators outside the United States are not covered by the NRC license but are managed through Departmental Regulation 4400-5: Radiation Safety Program. This regulation states Departmental policy relating to all sources of ionizing radiation.

A Permit Holder must receive the prior approval from the RSS before an irradiator is transferred from another licensed or permitted individual.

- Sealed Source Inventory Record (RSS-28);

- A copy of the manufacturer's leak test results; and

- A copy of the manufacturer's information and specifications, such as a sales brochure.

- NRC Form-3 "Notice to Employees";

- A "Caution - Radioactive Material" sign; and

- Emergency Contact information stating the following:

USDA Radiation Safety Office: (301) 504-2440

Local Radiation Protection Officer: 

Permit Holder: 

Facility Director: 

- The irradiator shall be installed in a controlled or secured room or area;

- The room where the irradiator is located must be either:

- equipped with an automatically operated fire detection and control system (such as sprinkler, dry chemical or gas) that is adequate to protect the integrity of the irradiator and source in case of a fire, or

- located in a fire resistant building or area (one having little combustible materials) and other controls (fire alarms and training of fire-fighters) that ensure a very low level or radiation risk attributable to fires;

- The Permit Holder shall control keys to the room or area and to the irradiator;

- Safety interlocks, lights and other warning or control devices shall work properly at all times and be tested before the irradiator is used;

- With Gammacell 40 irradiators, an area radiation monitor shall be installed opposite the source drawer and set to alarm when a pre-set radiation level is exceeded. The pre-set level shall be determined after the initial radiation survey is completed; and

- The entrance to the controlled room or area shall be locked when an operator is not present.

- The operator shall immediately suspend all operations and evacuate all personnel except those investigating the emergency;

- The operator shall promptly notify the Permit Holder, the facility LRPO, the Facility Director, and the RSS;

- No further action shall be taken until the cause of the emergency is determined, evaluated and remedial action is prescribed by the RSS;

- A complete report shall be prepared detailing the circumstances of the emergency, identification of the persons involved, observed radiation levels, and duration of exposure as well as results of the area survey and any related details.

- In case of fire in the immediate area or in an adjacent building, operation of the irradiator shall be suspended and the irradiator shall be closed and locked;

- The fire company shall be promptly notified;

- Firefighters shall be advised of the potential hazard by the Permit Holder or other individual;

- After the fire, the entire area shall be surveyed for contamination and the irradiator surveyed for any loss or change of shielding integrity before the area is opened to reconstruction or returned to service;

- The USDA Radiation Safety Officer shall determine a course of action and shall notify the NRC in accordance with Federal regulations; and

- A complete report shall be prepared detailing the circumstances of the fire, identification of persons involved, observed radiation levels and duration of exposure as well as results of the area survey and related details.

The test must be performed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. The use of remote handling tools to wipe an accessible surface where contamination may be deposited is recommended.
 

The RSS will supply leak test kits, perform the required analysis, and report the results back to the Permit Holder. The Permit Holder can use other companies to perform and analyze the leak test provided they are properly licensed to perform that service. It is the responsibility of the Permit Holder to supply a copy of the company's license to RSS for verification.

The USDA ALARA program uses one other limit to monitor the performance of these tests.
 

- 1,110 DPM (10% of the limit) is a notification level. Users of devices exceeding this level will be notified of the test results to make them aware of the potential for source leakage in the future.

The dosimeter shall be stored away from areas of extreme heat, cold or humidity when not in use.

NOTE: For more detailed information on dosimetry, refer to the USDA Permit Condition on Personnel Monitoring.

Routine maintenance may be performed by the Permit Holder.
 

After any maintenance of the irradiator, the Permit Holder will assure that the irradiator is operating properly, perform a radiation survey, and verify the proper operation of all emergency controls and interlocks.

Prior to disposing or transferring any irradiator, the Radiation Safety Staff must be notified. This allows the RSS to:
 

- Perform a records check; 

- Verify that a current leak test is available for the device prior to shipping; 

- Determine if there are any special shipping or packaging requirements; and

- Amend the user's radioactive materials permit.
 

The disposal can be accomplished only after the written approval of the RSS is received by the Permit Holder.
 

Copies of all shipping documents must be sent to the RSS for placement in the archive file maintained for all sealed radioactive sources.

The Radiation Safety Staff maintains records of the purchase, transfer, and disposal of an irradiator as long as the Department's radioactive materials license is active.
 

Records of leak tests and annual radiation surveys must be retained for three years. Both the permit holder and the Radiation Safety Staff must retain these records.

USDA Radiation Safety Staff 
5601 Sunnyside Avenue
Mail Stop 5510
Beltsville, MD 20705-5005
Phone: (301) 504-2440 
Fax: (301) 504-2450

3/11/96 

Date

/s/ 

John T. Jensen

Director, Radiation Safety Staff