8. Registration of personnel and work with ionising radiation
Contents
8 Registration of Personnel and Work
8.3 Risk Assessments for Pregnant Women
8. Registration of Personnel and Work
8.1 Research Work
All workers intending to use ionising radiation should submit a Personal Registration form AND a Project Work Registration form (See flow charts entitled 'Guidelines for Commencing Work With Ionising Radiation' and 'Guidelines for Commencing Work With X-Ray Generators').
8.1.1 Personnel Registration
Every person intending to carry out work involving the use of ionising radiation for the first time in the University must apply for registration as a radiation worker by completing the form URPS1 (see Appendix 10) and submitting it to the Safety Office, via the DRPS, for the approval of the URPA. The URPA will then assess whether the worker has received adequate instruction and training in radiation safety or whether attendance at the University Radiological Protection Training Course is required. If attendance at a course is not practicable, then the project supervisor or DRPS will ensure that an adequate level of instruction and training in radiation safety is provided until the worker can attend the University course.
Only those people who need to be designated as 'Classified Radiation Workers' are required to have blood counts and medical examinations prior to commencing their work with ionising radiations, although these facilities are available to any radiation worker, on request.
Personnel will be permitted to start work with ionising radiations after having been approved by the URPA and after receiving a copy of an 'Application for Approval of Project Involving Ionising Radiation' that has been ratified by the URPA.
Personnel intending to work with penetrating radiations may be required to wear a personal dosimeter device and, depending on the nature of their work, a finger personal dosimeter (see section 5.3).
Any personnel who need to be designated as Classified Radiation Workers will have an annual review of health, which may entail their having to attend for additional blood counts and medical examinations. Arrangements for these examinations will automatically be made by the University Safety Office, and those concerned will be duly notified.
8.1.2 Work Registration
It is the responsibility of the project supervisor to register all work with ionising radiations. An assessment of the radiation risks should be performed before the work can begin. In this risk assessment the hazards of the work should be identified, the risks determined, the people at risk identified and appropriate controls implemented to reduce the dose received to as low as reasonably achievable. This assessment is done by completing the appropriate form: URPS2/RM (for unsealed sources), URPS2/SS (for sealed sources) and URPS2/X (for X-ray sources) (See Appendices 12, 13 and 14). The completed risk assessment should be signed by the relevant radiation workers and the project supervisor. This project should then be approved by the Head of the School via the nominated DRPS and the form forwarded to the URPA for ratification
NOTE: The work must not commence until the URPA has ratified the project.
Permission for work with ionising radiations will only be given if adequate facilities are available. In some instances, approval may be required from SEPA, or prior notification may have to be given to the Health and Safety Executive. It is, therefore, advisable to contact the Radiation Protection Service at an early stage when planning a new line of research.
8.2 Teaching
Undergraduates may come into contact with radiation work either on projects or as part of practical courses.
8.2.1 Personnel Registrations
Undergraduates will not normally be required to register as radiation workers, unless they are carrying out project work involving one of the following:-
(a) X-ray crystallographic work with the students operating the equipment;
(b) sealed source work involving sources with activities in excess of 0.5 MBq , where the dose rates to which the students may be subjected could exceed 7.5µSvh-1; or
(c) unsealed source work where the students will be using more than the activity specified in column 4 of the table in Appendix 20.
Such students, should register as radiation workers. The students will be issued with personal dosimeters if appropriate for the duration of their project and will be issued with copies of all relevant local rules, etc as for postgraduate students.
8.2.2 Work Registration
The DRPS should be aware of all undergraduate work with radioactive materials in his School/Unit. Formal registration of individual projects will normally be necessary.
For all undergraduate work with ionising radiations, remember that, prior to any demonstration or experiment, the students should be given:-
(a) instruction in the basic aspects of radiation protection as it affects their work, with the importance of keeping dose rates as low as reasonably achievable being stressed;
(b) reassurance with regard to possible health hazards; and
(c) in the case of an experiment, written instructions as to its conduct.
Adequate supervision of undergraduates is also essential, and is particularly important when they are inexperienced in work with ionising radiations.
Guidance on undergraduate work with sealed and unsealed radioactive sources can be found in Appendices 27 and 28.
8.3 Risk Assessments for Pregnant Women
As the dose limits for pregnant women are significantly lower than for other workers, it is important that women who become pregnant inform the Head of the School/Unit as soon as reasonably practicable. This will allow a risk assessment of their work with radiation sources to be performed so that appropriate control measures can be put in place to ensure their exposure is kept As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) (See Section 9).