Radiation Safety

Radiation Safety is responsible for supervising the daily activities of the Radiation Safety Office. This entails monitoring the dosimetry and bioassay programs, overseeing all facilities using radioactive material as to safety and compliance, receiving, processing, delivering and keeping inventory of all radioactive materials, training, instrument calibrations, sealed sources, and radiation-generating equipment.

Also, radiation safety interacts with the various Federal and State agencies and OHIO’s Radiation Safety Committee, which establishes policy and assures regulatory enforcement within the university community. Radioactive material users must be properly authorized by the Radiation Safety Committee (RSC), trained, and in compliance with NRC/ODH/RSC guidelines. All users of radioactive material must apply to the RSC for authorization to obtain, use, store and d ispose of radioactivity, regardless of the form. They must also receive orientation training from the Radiation Safety Office prior to authorization being granted. Radioactive materials can be used only in a particular RSC approved lab room.

TIP: All users of radioactive material must apply to the radiation safety committee for authorization to obtain, use, store and dispose of radioactivity, regardless of the form. They must also receive orientation training from the Radiation Safety Office prior to authorization being granted.

All areas involving the use o f ionizing or non-ionizing radiation (lasers, UV, IR, EMF, sealed/unsealed sources, etc.) must be inspected by the Radiation Safety Office as to applicability, safety features and compliance with University programs in place. In accordance with the approval above, physical non-ionizing radiation sources (lasers, UV, etc.) are being safely used, labeled, categorized and maintained. Specialized eye protection or other safety devices are to be used properly.

Regulatio ns stipulate that anyone visiting a restricted area where radioactive material is authorized to be used, stored or disposed, must receive a “hazardous” awareness training by someone from that lab. The occasional visitor who needs to come in radiation labs must receive orientation training from the authorized user in that restricted area.


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