16.5 Radiation Safety Policies and Procedures
189
16.5 Radiation Safety Policies and Procedures
Every organization that anticipates being involved in radiological work should
develop policies to describe the conditions under which their personnel can be
exposed to radiation and radioactivity as well as the limitations that apply to this
work. For example, a fire department might limit Hot Zone entries to only those firefighters with radiation safety and hazardous materials training or a police department
might require that everybody investigating a radiological crime scene must make use
of individual or group dosimetry while conducting an entry into a radiological area.
Policies such as these—and many more—help to ensure that personnel working in
these areas will work safely and in accordance with good radiation safety work practices. The author has been involved in developing procedure and policy manuals for
both law enforcement and fire departments; while these manuals cannot be shared,
the sections that comprise them can be and include subjects such as:
• Responsibility for administering radiation safety at the scene of an attack or
investigation
• Maintaining radiation exposures As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA)
• The duties and responsibilities of the Health and Safety Officer at a radiological
scene
• Radiation dosimetry requirements
• Training requirements for radiation workers and for non-radiation workers at the
scene of a radiological emergency
• Radiation dose limits under emergency and non-emergency conditions
• Use and maintenance of radiation instruments
• Proper use of radiation labels, signs, postings, etc.
• Performing and documenting radiological surveys
• Retention of records from radiological work
• Taking possession of lost or stolen radioactive materials
• Other subjects as applicable to the specific agency.
Each of these policies will give rise to a set of procedures helping the affected
personnel to understand how to apply and comply with that policy in practice. For
example, the radiation dosimetry policy might include procedures such as:
• How to issue a radiation dosimeter
• How to wear and use a radiation dosimeter
• Using a PRD in lieu of radiation dosimetry
• Reading radiation dosimetry
• Record-keeping
• Using group dosimetry.
Radiation worker training (and the annual refresher training) should include information about the policies and procedures that are relevant to their duties, and these
should also be evaluated during drills and exercises.
189
16.5 Radiation Safety Policies and Procedures
Every organization that anticipates being involved in radiological work should
develop policies to describe the conditions under which their personnel can be
exposed to radiation and radioactivity as well as the limitations that apply to this
work. For example, a fire department might limit Hot Zone entries to only those firefighters with radiation safety and hazardous materials training or a police department
might require that everybody investigating a radiological crime scene must make use
of individual or group dosimetry while conducting an entry into a radiological area.
Policies such as these—and many more—help to ensure that personnel working in
these areas will work safely and in accordance with good radiation safety work practices. The author has been involved in developing procedure and policy manuals for
both law enforcement and fire departments; while these manuals cannot be shared,
the sections that comprise them can be and include subjects such as:
• Responsibility for administering radiation safety at the scene of an attack or
investigation
• Maintaining radiation exposures As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA)
• The duties and responsibilities of the Health and Safety Officer at a radiological
scene
• Radiation dosimetry requirements
• Training requirements for radiation workers and for non-radiation workers at the
scene of a radiological emergency
• Radiation dose limits under emergency and non-emergency conditions
• Use and maintenance of radiation instruments
• Proper use of radiation labels, signs, postings, etc.
• Performing and documenting radiological surveys
• Retention of records from radiological work
• Taking possession of lost or stolen radioactive materials
• Other subjects as applicable to the specific agency.
Each of these policies will give rise to a set of procedures helping the affected
personnel to understand how to apply and comply with that policy in practice. For
example, the radiation dosimetry policy might include procedures such as:
• How to issue a radiation dosimeter
• How to wear and use a radiation dosimeter
• Using a PRD in lieu of radiation dosimetry
• Reading radiation dosimetry
• Record-keeping
• Using group dosimetry.
Radiation worker training (and the annual refresher training) should include information about the policies and procedures that are relevant to their duties, and these
should also be evaluated during drills and exercises.