Washington State University
SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

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Acquiring Sources of Ionizing Radiation

The Radiation Safety Office approves in advance all acquisitions of radioactive materials and radiation machines. Acquisitions include purchases, gifts, and transfers.

The Radiation Safety Office maintains continuing control of the total University inventory of radioactive materials and radiation machines.

NOTE: University personnel must follow the procurement procedures in S90.25 when purchasing radiation machines.

Pullman campus authorized users may purchase radioactive materials using the standard purchasing process or using the advance approval purchasing process.

For all purchases, the authorized user must:

• Complete a Departmental Requisition. See BPPM 70.10.

Enter the name of the authorized user under Technical Contact.

• Obtain departmental approval for the requisition.

NOTE: Do not use Department Orders (K-Orders), or purchasing cards to purchase radioactive materials.

When using the standard purchasing process, the authorized user routes the departmentally-approved requisition to the Radiation Safety Office.

The Radiation Safety Office checks the user's authorization possession limits and current inventory to ensure that authorized limits will not be exceeded upon receipt of the requested materials.

After approving the requisition, the Radiation Safety Office (RSO) forwards the requisition to Purchasing.

Pullman campus authorized users may follow the procedures below to obtain advance approval of radioactive materials purchase requisitions from the Radiation Safety Office:

• Prior to submitting the Departmental Requisition to Purchasing, the authorized user faxes the requisition to the RSO for approval; fax 335-1615.


• The Radiation Safety Office dates and signs the fax copy, and then faxes the approved (or disapproved) copy back to the originating authorized user.


• Authorized user (or designated representative) sends or carries the original Departmental Requisition and attached RSO-approved fax copy to Purchasing for processing.

Prior to purchase, non-Pullman authorized users must submit a completed Departmental Requisition to the RSO to establish a blanket purchase order with the vendor. See blanket purchase order procedures below and in BPPM 70.19.

Enter the name of the authorized user under Technical Contact.

Obtain departmental approval for the requisition.

The Radiation Safety Office checks the user's authorization possession limits and current inventory to ensure that the radionuclides requested are authorized.

After approving the requisition, the Radiation Safety Office (RSO) forwards the requisition to Purchasing.

At the time of a purchase, the authorized user sends a copy of a written request for the purchase to the Radiation Safety Office. Include the blanket purchase order authorization number.

At the same time, mail or fax a copy of the blanket purchase order with the written request for purchase to the supplier.

Non-Pullman users may contact the campus purchasing agent to process the request with the supplier.

Authorized users may wish to establish a blanket purchase authorization to purchase directly from the vendor if they:

• Use very short-lived radionuclides,


• Routinely purchase specific radionuclides, or


• Work at non-Pullman campus units. (See above.)

NOTE: An authorized user may not use blanket authorization purchases to exceed the approved possession limit. As an administrative control, the RSO will not deliver any radioactive materials which cause the authorized user to exceed his or her possession limits.

Submit a request for a blanket purchase order authorization to the Radiation Safety Office on a Departmental Requisition. See BPPM 70.19. The RSO verifies and notes on the blanket purchase order those radionuclides that are approved.

Following approval, the RSO forwards the Departmental Requisition to Purchasing. Purchasing assigns blanket purchase authorization numbers to individual authorized users.

A blanket authorization allows direct telephone orders.

At the time of a direct telephone order purchase, the authorized user sends a written request for the purchase to the Radiation Safety Office. Include the blanket purchase order authorization number.

At the same time, telephone the vendor with the purchase order.

Telephone instructions must include:

• Authorized user's name as the final user,
  
  
• Blanket purchase order authorization number, and
  
  
• Delivery instructions which must specify the Radiation Safety Office as the consignee for each shipment.

NOTE: Failure to comply with ordering requirements may result in cancellation of the blanket authorization.

Radioactive materials must be received on the Pullman campus during University working hours only. Deliveries at any other times, such as holidays and weekends, are not allowed.

The Radiation Safety Office receives, inspects, and surveys all incoming radioactive materials. Pullman campus authorized users are not to receive radioactive materials directly from vendors.

After survey, Radiation Safety personnel deliver the materials to the authorized user on the WSU Pullman campus.

If radioactive materials are delivered directly to the authorized user, notify the RSO immediately to ensure that proper receiving surveys are performed and documented, and that necessary inventory control documents are generated.

The RSO delivers radioactive materials to the user's laboratory. If no one is available in the laboratory to receive the order, Radiation Safety personnel attempt delivery through the department office. If refused, the package is returned to the Radiation Safety Office.

If receiving the material would cause the user to exceed his or her possession limits, the Radiation Safety Office does not deliver the material. Radiation Safety personnel attempt to contact the authorized user as soon as possible in such instances.

The Radiation Safety Office may elect not to deliver nuclides if the authorized user is not in compliance with University radiation safety practices, such as bioassay or personnel monitoring protocols.

Researchers are to place orders for perishable materials to ensure that such materials arrive early in the week and before 3:00 p.m. on any day (2:00 p.m. in summer).

The Radiation Safety Office is not responsible for perishable materials received after 3:00 p.m. (or 2:00 p.m. in summer) on Monday through Thursday or after noon on Friday.

A non-Pullman campus authorized user may receive radioactive materials directly from the vendor, provided that the user completes all of the following steps:

• Follows the purchasing procedures above.


• Surveys the package within 24 hours of receipt for radiation fields and removable contamination.

See S90.60 for wipe test procedures.

• Records the wipe test results on a Radioactive Delivery Record (see S90.30.6).


• Submits the completed Radioactive Delivery Record directly to the Radiation Safety Office indicating the receipt of the material and the results of the package wipe test.