Radiation Safety Officer Responsibilities

The University's Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) receives his/her authority from the Radiation Safety Committee (RSC). The RSO is authorized to initiate remedial action or to temporarily halt or immediately terminate a project that is found to be a threat to health, safety or property or otherwise in violation of Federal, State or local regulations.

Responsibilities

  1. Coordinating the Radiation Safety Committee (RSC) review of the safety evaluations of proposed uses of radioactive material and radiation-producing equipment.

  2. Overseeing activities involving radioactive material and radiation-producing equipment including monitoring users through routine lab inspections performed at least twice per year and special surveys conducted at the request of the RSC or at the discretion of the RSO.

  3. Determining compliance with rules and regulations, License conditions and the conditions of project approval as specified by the RSC.

  4. Overseeing the receiving, opening and delivering of all shipments of radioactive material arriving at the University.

  5. Assuring that University guidelines and applicable regulations are adhered to in the shipping of all radioactive material leaving the University.

  6. Maintaining an inventory of radionuclides at the University and limiting when necessary, the quantities of radionuclides to the amounts authorized by the Licensee.

  7. Supervising, coordinating and maintaining accurate recordkeeping of the radioactive waste storage and disposal program.

  8. Directing the proper storage of radioactive materials.

  9. Distributing personnel monitoring devices and arranging for their processing.

  10. Determining the need for and evaluating bioassays and keeping records of personnel exposures.

  11. Performing or arranging for calibration of radiation safety related instruments.

  12. Assuring the performance of leak tests on sealed sources.

  13. Conducting training programs and instruction of personnel in the rules, guidelines and regulations regarding the use of radioactive materials and radiation-producing equipment.

  14. Consulting on aspects of radiation safety to personnel at all levels of responsibility, including laboratory design, shielding and other radiation exposure controls.

  15. Supervising decontamination when necessary and appropriate.

  16. Maintaining appropriate records.

  17. Assuring that efforts are made to maintain discharges of radioative materials to the environment as low as reasonably achievable and monitoring these releases as applicable.

  18. Reviewing the quality control activities performed with regard to the University's Diagnostic X-ray Quality Assurance Program.

  19. Investigating personnel exposures in excess of the investigational limits established by the RSC.

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Last Modified: Wednesday, October 1, 1997 - 10:00 AM