RADIATION & LASER SAFETY
IN THE EVENT OF A RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY, CONTACT: | |
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Radiation Safety Hotline: 404-413-3540 | |
If someone cannot be reached at this number, please review our Emergency Phone Numbers. |
Georgia State University is licensed to possess certain radioactive materials by the state of Georgia. The laws require that certain “Standards for Protection Against Radiation” as set forth in Georgia Department of Natural Resources “Rules and Regulations for Radioactive Materials,” Chapter 391-3-17, must be enforced by persons holding such licenses. It is also required that all individuals working or frequenting areas where radioactive materials are stored or used shall be informed of the Basic Right-To-Know information that is stated: “The State Notice To Employees Sign”. Further, users of X-ray and radiation producing machines are required by state law to comply with the “Rules and Regulations for X-ray,” Chapter 290-5-22.
The success of the Radiation Safety Program results from the cooperative efforts between the Radiation Protection Committee (RPC), the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO), Principal Investigators (PI), and laboratory staff. Personnel must obtain the required training and follow all procedures outlined under Obtaining Authorization to Order, Possess, and Use Radioactive Materials prior to conducting any work with radioactive materials at Georgia State.
Obtaining Authorization to Order, Possess, and Use Radioactive Materials
Note: Please save each form below to your desktop before completing them
Principal Investigator Permit Application Procedure
- Attend the Initial 2-Hour Radiation Safety Training which is required for the PI and all personnel working with radioisotopes.
- Fill out and submit an Isotope Permit Application-Form A
- Fill out and submit a Radiation Protection Protocol Form for each isotope you wish to work with.
- Submit all forms to [email protected] or you may drop them off at the URSA Offices in the 58 Edgewood Avenue Building, 3rd Floor.
Dosimeter Badge Procedure
- Attend the initial 2-Hour Radiation Safety Training course
- Fill out and submit the Personnel Dosimetry Form
- Submit forms to [email protected] or you may drop them off at the URSA Offices in the 58 Edgewood Avenue Building, 3rd Floor.
- Your information will be given to the badge vendor
- Within 2 weeks a badge should be delivered to your laboratory
- Wear your badge every time you work with radioisotopes
- Store the badge on the badge rack in the laboratory when not in use
IF YOU ARE PREGNANT:
You have the option to declare your pregnancy as defined by Chapter 391-3-17 “Rules and Regulations for Radioactive Materials.” To declare your pregnancy, please submit the Declaration of Pregnancy to the Radiation Safety Program via email to [email protected].
Please refer to the Occupational Radiation Exposure Limits information for more details about exposure limits for pregnant radiation workers.
Radiation Protection Committee Members
Name | Affiliation |
Xiaochun He, Chair | Physics & Astronomy |
Murad Sarsour, Vice Chair | Chemistry |
W. Crawford Elliott | Geosciences |
Mary Karom | Neuroscience Laboratory Supervisor |
J. Andrew Doyle | Kinesiology & Health |
Jun Yin | Chemistry |
Elbertino Dennis | Sr. Radiation Safety Officer, Research & Environmental Safety Programs (Ex Officio without vote) |
Sheres Johnson | Asst. Director, Research & Environmental Safety Programs (Ex Officio without vote) |
Danielle Danielly | Director, Research & Environmental Safety Programs (Ex Officio without vote) |
RPC Meeting Dates
Meeting Date | Protocol Application Deadline |
June 7, 2024 | May 10, 2024 |
August 2, 2024 | July 5, 2024 |
October 4, 2024 | September 6, 2024 |
December 6, 2024 | November 8, 2024 |
February 7, 2025 | January 10, 2025 |
The Radiation Safety & Regulatory Compliance Manual is written for the purpose of administering these standards at Georgia State University provides more detailed information on the Radiation Safety Program.
Occupational Radiation Exposure Limits
Limits to and the Control of Exposure to Ionizing Radiation
- In keeping with currently accepted practices and standards all unnecessary radiation exposures shall be considered undesirable. All radiation exposure shall be limited to As Low As Reasonably Achievable – (ALARA).
- Occupationally exposed persons
No occupationally exposed person shall be permitted to receive a radiation dose in one calendar year in excess of those listed in this paragraph, except under the special conditions as specified in the State Rules and Regulations chapter 391-3-17. These exposure limits are (in Rems per calendar year):- Whole body, total effective dose equivalent: 5 (0.05 Sv)*
- Hands and forearms; feet and ankles (Up to the elbow and /or knee): 50 (0.50 Sv)
- Skin of whole body (Shallow dose equivalent) : 50 (0.50 Sv)
- Eye dose equivalent: 15 (0.15 Sv)
* (1 Sv Sievert = 100 rem)
- Non-occupationally exposed persons (general public in restricted areas)
No non-occupationally exposed person (general public in restricted areas), shall be permitted to receive a radiation dose in one calendar year in excess of those listed in the paragraph except under specific conditions as stated in the State Rule and Regulations chapter 391-3-17. These exposure limits are (in Rems per calendar year):- Whole body, total effective dose equivalent: 0.1 (1.0 mSv)
- Furthermore the above dose (0.1) shall not be received at a rate of more than 2 mrem in any one hour.
- Minors
Minors (individuals under the age of 18) are permitted to enter or have access to areas authorized for the use, storage or disposal of radioactive materials only if they are doing so as part of an established, supervised course of study or as an employee of Georgia State University. All other minors are not permitted in these areas. Those minors permitted in these areas but who will not work with radioisotopes must attend a radiation safety awareness course provided by the Radiation Safety Officer prior to their entering or having access to these areas. In no case shall a minor be permitted to receive a radiation dose in excess of 10 percent of the limits set forth in Paragraph 2 of this section. Also, the dose to an embryo/fetus (for purposes of regulations are considered a minor) due to the occupational exposure of a declared pregnant woman shall not exceed 0.5 rem (5 mSv) during the entire pregnancy. - Occupational Exposure to Pregnant Women
Obviously, not all radiation workers may become pregnant. However, any radiation worker may have the opportunity to work with a radiation worker who is, or has the potential to, become pregnant. Principle Investigators may be required to supervise the activities of occupationally exposed pregnant women. Therefore, all radiation workers should be instructed in regard to the hazards of radiation exposure to unborn children. Also, the following policies apply:- A pregnant radiation worker must make her own decision regarding whether or not to declare her pregnancy in accordance with NRC Regulatory Guide 8.13. If the decision is made to declare the pregnancy, submit the Declaration of Pregnancy of a Radiation Worker form to the Radiation Protection Program at [email protected]
- The declaration of pregnancy must be submitted in writing to the Radiation Safety Officer. An example declaration form is provided in the appendix.
- Once pregnancy is declared in writing, the declaration will remain in effect for a period of 10 months from the date of submission, unless it is revoked in writing.
- The radiation exposure to the embryo/fetus of a declared pregnant woman shall not exceed 500 mrem during the entire term of the pregnancy.
- The radiation exposure to the embryo/fetus of a declared pregnant woman should not exceed an ALARA action level of 50 mrem per month. Any monthly exposure in excess of this value will be evaluated by the Radiation Safety Officer and the responsible Principle Investigator. When appropriate, corrective actions will be taken to prevent future monthly exposures from exceeding this ALARA action level.
- If a pregnant woman has already received > 450 mrem during the term of pregnancy by the time she declares, the limit for the remainder of the entire term of declared pregnancy shall be 50 mrem.
- If a declared pregnant woman has already received a radiation exposure of < 450 mrem by the time she declares, the monthly ALARA action level may be reduced by the RSO to a level that will ensure that the dose to the embryo/fetus will not exceed 500 mrem for the term of the pregnancy.
- Occupational exposure to airborne radioactive materials
No occupationally exposed individual shall ingest or be exposed to airborne radioactive material in concentrations or amounts in excess of those specified in Appendix B, Table 1 of Title 10, CFR, Part 20. These concentration limits may not be altered by the use of respiratory protection or particle size determinations except as specifically authorized by these Federal and State Regulations. - Human research subjects (Not Knowingly Pregnant)
All exposure of humans to ionizing radiations for the purpose of research should be kept to an absolute minimum. All research involving Human Subjects must have the prior approval of the Radiation Safety Officer, The Radiation Protection committee and the Institutional Review Board ( IRB ).All human subjects involved in research projects, protocols or studies that involve the application of ionizing radiations shall:- Have a prescription for the radiation dose from a medical physician licensed in Georgia.
- Be counseled by the physician, P.I or his/her designate about the effects of ionizing radiation related to their exposure and, if a female, the effects of the exposure on the developing fetus.
- Sign and date the standard consent form.
- Human research subject (Pregnant)
It is the policy at Georgia State University that all research projects, protocols or studies that involve the application of ionizing radiations to a woman or any part of a woman who is knowingly pregnant as part of the research be presented to and unanimously approved by the Radiation Protection committee prior to approval by the IRB. Research proposals submitted but not approved unanimously by the Radiation Protection committee will not be allowed at Georgia State University. It is the opinion of the Radiation Protection committee that, due to the proven harmful effects of ionizing radiation on the human fetus, the proposing researcher must provide extraordinary justifications and detailed application procedures to the committee to seek approval for research involving the whole body or partial body application of any level of ionizing radiation to a woman who is knowingly pregnant.
Exposure Limits Specifically for H-3
- Individuals involved in operations which utilize, at any one time, more than 100 millicuries of tritium in a non-contained form, other than metallic foil, shall have a bioassay performed within one week following a single operation, and at weekly intervals for continuing operations.
- Tritium shall not be used in such a manner as to cause any individual to receive a radiation exposure such that urinary excretion rates exceed 28 microcuries of tritium per liter when averaged over a calendar quarter.
- If the average concentration of tritium in urine for an individual during a calendar quarter is less than 10 microcuries per liter, urinalysis may be performed on that individual at monthly intervals for the following calendar quarter and may continue at monthly intervals so long as the average concentration in a calendar quarter remains below 10 microcuries per liter.
- The urine specimen should be collected on the same day of the week, whenever practical.
- Scheduling of routine bioassays is the responsibility of the individual radiation worker.
- Operations which utilize 100 millicuries or more of tritium in a non-contained form, other than metallic foil, shall be performed in either a closed system or in a certified working fume hood. Operations in biosafety cabinets or on benchtops are prohibited.
- Persons with more than 10% of the applicable limit for internal exposure of tritium will be counseled by a Radiation Safety staff member.
- The Principle Investigator and Radiation Safety will evaluate the probable causes of the exposure and changes in procedures, work habits, or equipment will be recommended as appropriate.
- A written summary of the investigation results, including potential corrective actions, should be provided to the Radiation Protection Committee.
Radioactive Materials Security and Shipments
Shipments:
- All Radioactive Materials shipments (regardless of isotope or activity) must be addressed and sent to the Radiation Safety Officer. Direct delivery to the user is prohibited.
- All shipments of radioactive materials received must be secured by or be under constant surveillance at all times by a designate of the Radiation Safety Office.
- The Radiation Safety Officer or designated delivery person is prohibited from delivering a processed package containing radioactive materials unless there is an authorized person (Principle Investigator, Alternate Principle Investigator, or Radiation Worker) at the location who will accept it, sign for its receipt, and secure the radioactive materials.
- If the delivery person cannot find an authorized person to receive the shipment, the package will stored in the Radiation Safety Office or with a principle investigator who is both authorized to have the activity of material and has the appropriate storage facilities (ie. Ultra-cold freezer, lead cave, etc.). Radioactive materials are not to be left unsecured at any time.
Radioactive materials in use, storage and as wastes:
- Georgia State police should be immediately notified of unauthorized, unknown persons in an area where radioactive materials are used or stored.
- Any radioactive material in use in a laboratory must be attended at ALL TIMES , or secured by locking the laboratory when not attended. Radioactive materials may not be left unsecured even momentarily.
- Radioactive materials in storage, i.e. not being used, must be secured when the room in which it is stored is unoccupied. The required security may be accomplished by locking the room/area while unoccupied, or alternatively, by locking the radioactive materials within refrigerators, freezers, cabinets, or lock boxes. Wherever possible, lock boxes are recommended for storage of radioactive materials.
- Only authorized persons may have access to radioactive materials. Radioactive materials that are stored or used in areas common to both authorized and unauthorized personnel must be secured at all times from unauthorized personnel. All storage refrigerators/freezers have locks.
- Corridors (hallways, elevator lobbies, and utility chases, etc.) are not secured areas. Therefore, the use and storage of radioactive materials in these areas are prohibited.
- All radioactive wastes are considered as radioactive materials. Radioactive wastes, including dry waste, liquid waste, medical pathological waste, and mixed waste, must be secured at all times. These materials must also be secured at all times.
- Unescorted unauthorized personnel may not enter into a laboratory or radioactive materials area if an authorized person is not present. Any persons admitted into the laboratory or work area must be accompanied at all times by an authorized person who works in the area.
- Persons performing work in the area, such as engineering or maintenance personnel, contractors or commercial service representatives must also be accompanied by an authorized person at all times.
Radiation Waste Pickup Request
DIRECTIONS: Fill out a seprate form for each waste type (solid, liquid, vials).
Acrylic Finger Block
Nalgene
6804-001
Holds four 1.5-ml microcentrifuge tubes; fits conveniently in one hand for transporting samples; equipped with round fitted lid; 3/8-in. (9-mm) thick acrylic; height: 64 mm; outer diameter: 60 mm.
Acrylic Box
N/A
N/A
Approx. 23 cm x 18 cm x 9 cm. A small hinged opening in the lid area allows for safe ejection of pipette tips and disposal of tubes with minimal hand exposure to the radioactive contents. Since no more information is available, assume the material is ordinary clear acrylic, for protection against beta-emitting sources.
Acrylic Box
N/A
N/A
Acrylic Box
N/A
N/A
Approx. 25 cm x 6 cm x 4 cm. Since no more information is available, assume the material is ordinary clear acrylic, for protection against beta-emitting sources.
Acrylic Box
N/A
N/A
Approx. 18 cm x 11 cm x 14 cm. Since no more information is available, assume the material is ordinary clear acrylic, for protection against beta-emitting sources.
Acrylic Box
N/A
N/A
Approx. 29 cm x 29 cm x 29 cm. Since no more information is available, assume the material is ordinary clear acrylic, for protection against beta-emitting sources.
Acrylic Box
N/A
N/A
Approx. 15 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm. Since no more information is available, assume the material is ordinary clear acrylic, for protection against
Acrylic Box
N/A
N/A
Approx. 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm. A small hinged opening in the lid area allows for safe ejection of pipette tips and disposal of tubes with minimal hand exposure to the radioactive contents. Since no more information is available, assume the material is ordinary clear acrylic, for protection against beta-emitting sources.
Acrylic Box
N/A
N/A
Approx. 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm. Since no more information is available, assume the material is ordinary clear acrylic, for protection against beta-emitting sources.
Acrylic Eppendorf Rack
N/A
N/A
1 available. Beta storage radiation shield/rack; holds 8 Eppendorf-type microcentrifuge tubes; 1.5ml or 2.0ml tubes; measures 3.5”W x 1.5”D x 2.25”H.
Polypropylene Eppendorf Rack
N/A
N/A
13 available. Rack holds 1.5 to 2.0mL microtubes in a 5 x 16 array. Tubes sit in large wells with conical bottoms. Polypropylene rack is ideal for freezer storage. Autoclavable. Rack measures 8 7/8 x 2 5/8 x 1 1/8".
Acrylic Eppendorf Rack
N/A
3 available. Beta storage radiation shield/rack; holds 24 Eppendorf-type microcentrifuge tubes; shields against beta-emitting sources.
Acrylic Shield (16")
N/A
N/A
Approx. 16 in. height, approx. 0.5 in. thickness acrylic shield to protect against beta-emitting sources.
Acrylic Eppendorf Rack
N/A
N/A
1 available. Beta storage radiation shield/rack; holds 8 Eppendorf-type microcentrifuge tubes; 1.5ml or 2.0ml tubes; measures 3.5”W x 1.5”D x 2.25”H.
Polypropylene Eppendorf Rack
N/A
N/A
13 available. Rack holds 1.5 to 2.0mL microtubes in a 5 x 16 array. Tubes sit in large wells with conical bottoms. Polypropylene rack is ideal for freezer storage. Autoclavable. Rack measures 8 7/8 x 2 5/8 x 1 1/8".
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Additional Resources
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Radiation
Complete the Radioactive Waste Pickup Request form and submit to the Radiation Protection office at [email protected].
Yes it is, as long as the laboratories that are approved to work with radiation on campus are in compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations.
A designated laboratory staff member is responsible for daily contamination swipe testing as long as any radioisotope is in use in that laboratory. The Research & Environmental Safety office conducts monthly contamination swipe tests to ensure there is no widespread or gross contamination within the laboratory.
YES, if you are working in a laboratory that has been approved for radioisotope use, regardless of whether you will be using the radioisotope yourself, you must be trained in radiation safety. If this is your first time taking the Radiation Safety Training, you are required to attend the in-class training held every first Wednesday of each month. To register for training, visit the Compliance and Safety Training section under research Training for information on Training Required to Work with Radioactive Materials and Lasers.
Refresher training is required annually to maintain compliance with radiation regulations. Radiation Safety refresher training is offered online via iCollege. To request access to the refresher training in iCollege, please fill out the Training Request Form and submit to [email protected].
It depends. If you are working directly with or in a laboratory that uses X-rays machines and some specific radioisotopes, you will need a dosimetry badge to measure your exposure to ionizing radiation. Contact the Radiation Safety office at [email protected] if you are unsure whether you need to wear a dosimetry badge in your work area.
Yes. Each Georgia State laboratory that has been approved by the Radiation Protection Committee to work with radioactive materials will be issued a Geiger counter before beginning protocol work and research. For more information about Geiger counters you can view this informative video.
Find Training
Find Resources
Report Compliance Issues
For questions or to report concerns, please contact:
Elbertino Dennis
Radiation Safety Officer, Senior
404-413-3568
[email protected]
Andralyn Davenport
Research Safety Specialist
404-413-4069
[email protected]