Washington State University
SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

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Radiation Safety Responsibility and Authority

The President delegates to the Vice Provost for Research responsibility for the use and control of the nuclear reactor, radioactive materials, and radiation machines.

The Vice Provost for Research delegates certain of these responsibilities to the Director of the Radiation Safety Office and the Radiation Safety Committee. (The Vice Provost for Research delegates nuclear reactor-related operations and safety responsibilities to the Nuclear Radiation Center and the Reactor Safeguards Committee.)

The Radiation Safety Committee is responsible for all aspects of radiation control. The Radiation Safety Committee adopts radiation policies and reviews all aspects of nonreactor-related radiation control.

The WSU Committee Manual summarizes the composition, duties, and responsibilities of the Radiation Safety Committee.

The Reactor Safeguards Committee is responsible for all aspects of reactor operations, safeguards, and radiation safety for the nuclear reactor. The Reactor Safeguards Committee adopts radiation policies and reviews all aspects of reactor-related radiation control.

The Director of the Radiation Safety Office is a member of the Reactor Safeguards Committee. The Reactor Safeguards Committee works with the Radiation Safety Office to ensure consistency of reactor-related regulations with overall safety requirements.

The Radiation Safety Office (RSO) is the University's administrative control agency for radiation safety. This office is responsible for:

• Managing the radiation safety program.


• Interfacing with regulatory agencies.


• Approving procurement of radioactive materials and radiation machines.


• Receiving, inspecting and delivering radioactive materials.


• Using and controlling radioactive materials and radiation machines.


• Evaluating and appropriately posting all locations where radiation machines or radioactive materials are used.


• Disposing and transferring of radioactive materials, including shipping to brokers or to other institutions.


• Supervising and managing the dosimetry and bioassay programs.


• Providing radiological emergency response and technical oversight.


• Providing oversight and monitoring of all aspects of radiation uses.


• Providing consultation and technical expertise in all facets of radiation protection.


• Managing additional duties as documented in other sections of this chapter (Chapter 9, Radiation Safety) and as required by federal and state regulations.

The Radiation Safety Committee authorizes individuals to use radioactive materials. See 9.20. Each authorized user is responsible for:

• Ensuring that individuals in his or her work group who work with radioactive materials or radiation machines attend appropriate WSU radiation safety courses. See 9.16.


• Ensuring that each individual in his or her work group who may be occupationally exposed to radiation completes an application for a personal monitoring device, as appropriate. See 9.45.


• Ensuring that all bioassays (thyroid scans and urine assays) required by regulations are performed in a timely manner. See 9.48.


• Performing the surveys specified by the Radiation Safety Office for all radiation laboratories under his or her control and maintaining records of survey results. See 9.42.


• Restricting radiation levels and contamination levels in the laboratories under his or her control to the prescribed limits. See 9.42.


• Decontaminating laboratory areas under his or her control found to have excessive contamination levels, as determined by the Radiation Safety Office (RSO), and meeting follow-up reporting requirements.

The RSO provides advice and assistance as required. See 9.40.

• Monitoring and supervising individuals under his or her control for compliance with radiation responsibilities and providing laboratory-specific training.


• Maintaining security of radioactive materials or radiation machines under his or her control or possession.

Each individual who works with ionizing radiation at the University is responsible for:

• Keeping her or his occupational exposure to radiation as low as reasonably achievable.


• Appropriately wearing a personnel monitoring device at all times while engaged in activities which expose the individual to radiation.


• Wearing appropriate attire for the tasks performed.


• Following all radiation safety rules and regulations promulgated by WSU, including those contained in Chapter 9 of the Safety Policies and Procedures Manual and in the Radiation Protection Program Manual that is issued to each authorized user.


• Reporting all radioactive material spills, radiation exposure accidents, and unsafe working conditions to his or her supervisor and preparing a written report of each incident for submittal to the Radiation Safety Office.


• Referring questions on radiation safety to his or her supervisor or to the Radiation Safety Office.

An individual may contact the Washington Department of Health if he or she believes that the WSU radiation safety program is inadequate. (See WAC 246-222-030.)