Washington State University
SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

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Laboratory Radiation Safety Practices

The Radiation Safety Office (RSO) requires that University laboratory personnel observe the following safety practices. These rules are intended to:

• Minimize external radiation exposure.
• Minimize ingestion and inhalation of radioactive material.
• Prevent the spread of contamination in the event of an accident.

Frequently monitor hands, feet, clothing, and shoes, especially before leaving the laboratory.

Use suitable monitoring equipment such as portable survey meters which directly provide the detection rate in counts/min or counts/sec.

Wear personal dosimeters properly when required (e.g., film badge, pocket dosimeter, extremity monitor). See S90.65.

Wear protective clothing and equipment, such as lab coats, overshoes, and goggles. Trousers or slacks must provide full leg covering. Full shoes or boots must provide foot covering.

Protect the hands by wearing plastic gloves.

• Double glove when iodinating.


• Consider the outer part of the gloves to be contaminated and limit the use of gloves to the immediate experimental area.


• Do not use gloves in the "inactive" regions of the laboratory where it is normally allowed to use bare hands (e.g., door knobs, light switches, fume hood doors, telephones, hallways).

Do not drink, eat, chew, smoke, or apply cosmetics in a radioactive materials laboratory.

Even if parts of the laboratory are "inactive," it is necessary to go out of the laboratory for drinking, eating, smoking, chewing, or applying cosmetics.

Do not lick gummed labels, comb hair, or pipette radioactive solutions using mouth in a radioactive materials laboratory.

If internal contamination is suspected, contact the RSO at once.

Ensure properly posted notices designating radiation areas and locations where radioactive materials and radiation machines are used. See S90.50. Contact the RSO for assistance.

Post a notice with current emergency information for Radiation Safety Office personnel and the emergency procedures shown below in a central and visible location in the laboratory.

Survey the laboratory area before commencing an experiment. This action will ensure that the laboratory is a safe place to start the work. Allocate a smaller portion of the surveyed area for experimental work.

In case of an accident, contain the radioactivity and decontaminate that area. See below for emergency procedures.

Contact the Radiation Safety Office (RSO) for assistance. See also S90.57 and S90.60.

Plan each experiment and set up the work area before working with radioactive materials (RAM).

• Conduct dry runs (without RAM).


• Carry out experiments on top of a large porcelain or stainless steel tray lined with absorbent paper, if feasible. In case of an accident, it is easy to decontaminate the tray.


• Always survey after each experiment or at the end of the day.

This procedure minimizes the potential of spreading contamination.

• Use CAUTION-RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL labels or stickers to designate work areas clearly.


• Cover adjacent porous surfaces with absorbent paper and plastic cloth.

Work in fume hoods when appropriate, especially when working with volatile radioactive materials. Avoid open bench-top experiments for volatile materials.

Check the label on the hood to ensure that the annual hood certification by Facilities Operations is current. If the hood is used for iodination, check also to ensure that the RSO label certifying an annual smoke test is current.

Ensure that the fume hood is in satisfactory condition (e.g., strippable or washable paint on exposed areas, proper air-flow, unclogged drains).

For certain situations, a glove box is preferred to a fume hood. Consult with the RSO prior to initiating work in a glove box.

If an RSO hazard assessment so indicates, it is preferable to use glove boxes with pressure inside the box slightly less (by about one inch of water) than atmospheric pressure.

Use appropriate radiation shields (e.g., lead or Plexiglas) when necessary.

In shielding samples, do not forget that the back or sides of the hood may face an adjacent laboratory; it will be necessary to consider and check exposure to this area as well.

Contact the Radiation Safety Office (RSO) for assistance; telephone 335-8916.

Store radioactive material in closed containers to prevent airborne contamination and minimize spill potential.

Do not transport open containers from one part of the laboratory to another. Use double-containment to contain any potential spills.

Label all containers properly (date, radionuclide, chemical formula, quantity of radioactivity, and authorized user's name). See S90.50. Use CAUTION-RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL stickers or labels appropriately.

See S90.57 for general decontamination procedures.

Survey the area prior to cleanup.

Dispose of all waste appropriately.

Decontaminate the working area and clean up all equipment immediately after use.

Check the area with survey equipment to ensure the adequacy of the cleanup.

Consult with the Radiation Safety Office (RSO) if unable to clean up the area successfully.

Laboratory workers must inform the RSO about any area which is contaminated and requires sign, shielding, or access control.

Restrict access to contaminated areas and post signs to indicate the hazard. Remove the barriers only after consultation with the Radiation Safety Office.

At WSU, a majority of experiments using radioisotopes are chemical in nature. It is essential to adopt good experimental procedures in dealing with chemicals. Consult with Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) for guidance regarding specific chemicals.

Pullman campus users must report radiation accidents promptly to the Radiation Safety Office (RSO) by telephone at 335-8916 (during normal business hours) or 911 (on a 24-hour basis).

Non-Pullman campus users must report radiation accidents promptly to the RSO by telephone at 335-8916 (during normal business hours) or the local county/area emergency response number (on a 24-hour basis).

After reporting the accident by telephone, complete the Radioactive Materials Incident and/or Accident Report and route the form to the RSO. Print the PDF master on S90.55.7 or complete onscreen and print to obtain copies of the form as needed.

If an individual is injured, submit a completed Incident Report (Accidental Injury and/or Occupational Illness) to Benefits and Payroll Services within 24 hours of the incident. Print the PDF master form on S25.20.7 or complete onscreen and print to obtain form supplies.

Perform necessary cleanup efforts and confirmatory radiation surveys. Contact the RSO for assistance as needed.

If any hazardous chemicals are involved, consult the Laboratory Safety Manual for cleanup procedures. See S70.45.

Contact EH&S for assistance.

When there is a minor radiation hazard:

• Notify people in vicinity.


• Assess and address first aid needs as training permits.


• Soak up liquids with or using absorbents, or use a moist absorbent sponge or pad on dry powders to prevent spreading.


• Restrict access to area.


• Use signs or stickers to clearly designate the spill area.


• Initiate cleanup with the assistance of the Radiation Safety Office.


• After cleanup, monitor the area and personnel. If there is a potential for internal contamination, inform the RSO. Appropriate bioassays will be performed. See S90.70.


• Submit a completed Radioactive Materials Incident and/or Accident Report to the Radiation Safety Office. See S90.55.7.

When a spill includes radiation hazard and slight chance of airborne radioactivity:

• Notify people in the vicinity.


• Assess and address first aid needs as training permits.


• Notify the Radiation Safety Office.


• If the spill is outside the hood, close the hood door and shut down fans that might circulate radioactivity.


• Isolate area until decontamination can be initiated.


• Decontaminate with Radiation Safety Office assistance. Radiation surveys are necessary after decontamination.


• Remove protective clothing and monitor before leaving area.


• Submit a completed Radioactive Materials Incident and/or Accident Report to the Radiation Safety Office. See S90.55.7.

When a spill includes major airborne radioactivity:

• Notify people in the vicinity.


• Evacuate others in the lab.


• Shut the hood door and get out of the laboratory. Hold breath in transit.


• Assess and address first aid needs as training permits.


• Isolate the area.


• Notify Radiation Safety Office and wait until help arrives.


• Remove protective clothing and monitor.


• Bioassays may be appropriate if internal contamination is likely. See S90.70.


• Submit a completed Radioactive Materials Incident and/or Accident Report to the Radiation Safety Office. See S90.55.7.

When exposure of any individual to an above-normal radiation field is suspected:

• Immediately inform the Radiation Safety Office.


• Ensure that the source of the radiation is controlled with shielding or by disabling the radiation machine (turning off the main power switch).


• Inform all other personnel in the area.


• Ensure that any confusion between radiation field exposure and radioactive contamination is minimized or eradicated.