SECTION 4: Receipt of Radioisotope Packages and Inventory Control

• Receiving a Package
• Opening Packages
• Discarding Packaging Materials
• Inventory Control

Receiving a Package (top)

1. All radioactive material packages are delivered to a central radioisotope receiving area. Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) staff open the package, check the packaging for contamination, inspect the packing list and vial label to verify that the vial contains the contains the material actually ordered, and enter the shipment into the University’s radioisotope inventory and tracking database (RITA). RITA assigns a unique ID Number to each vial or source, and EHS staff place a label bearing the ID Number on the vial or source.

2. When EHS has finished its survey of the package and has entered it into the inventory database, the vial or source is repackaged in its original package. The package is taped securely closed, and an EHS Package Release Label is placed on the package. In addition, EHS supplies a Vial Use Log or Sealed Source Inventory Log with each vial or source of radioactive material.

3. Although EHS staff delivers packages to each department, the respective departments are responsible for establishing departmental procedures for transferring packages to laboratory personnel.

4. When a package is delivered to the lab or picked up from the department’s receiving room, the person who accepts the package is asked to sign a receipt log (in some departments only designated lab representatives may sign for radioisotope packages). Before signing for a package, examine the packing list and the labels on the package to verify that this package is the same package described on the receipt log.

5. Although EHS staff checks the vial and packing list against the requisition to look for errors in the shipment, recheck the packing list to verify that the package contains the expected material.

6. After signing for any package, make sure that the package is immediately placed in a secured location.

7. After signing for a package, promptly notify the person who ordered the material or who will use it that the package has arrived.

Opening Packages (top)

The precautions described below are necessary because packages are occasionally delivered with the wrong materials, may contain highly contaminated inner vials, or vials may unintentionally become pressurized during transport.

1. Wear protective clothing and open the stock vial in a fume hood when practical.

2. Verify that the stock vial contains the material you ordered in the amount you ordered. If there are any discrepancies, call EHS and the Purchasing Office immediately.

3. Before the package is delivered to the laboratory, EHS surveys the packing materials or packing containers for contamination. However, you should wipe test the inner container or stock vial to check for gross contamination (See Section 5 for information on performing a survey).

4. Extensive contamination on the inner vial should be reported immediately to EHS.

Discarding Packaging Materials (top)

1. Survey any box or packaging material to be sure it is not contaminated before placing it out for the regular trash or sending it for recycling.

2. Completely mark out, tape over, or remove all radioactive material labels on any empty packaging before placing the package out for pickup as non-radioactive trash. This is an NRC requirement.

Inventory Control (top)

All stock vials, sealed sources and plated sources are assigned a unique identification number through the Princeton University radioisotope inventory and tracking database, known as RITA. Sources are tracked in RITA through the use of this ID number. In order to maintain adequate inventory control over the use and disposal of radioactive materials at the University, the following procedures have been established. EHS provides the laboratory with detailed written procedures for all phases of the inventory control and tracking process.

• Record all withdrawals of material from a stock vial on the Vial Use Log.
  
• When a stock vial is placed into radioactive waste, mail the Vial Use Log for that vial back to EHS. When EHS receives the Vial Use Log, EHS deletes the stock vial in RITA from the Authorized User’s active inventory.
  
• An Authorized User’s active inventory can be viewed online through PeopleSoft. RITA performs decay calculations so that lab members can see the amount of radioactivity available, corrected for decay. Detailed procedures for using RITA are found in the Laboratory User’s Guide to RITA, available from EHS.
  
• Once each quarter, labs must perform a physical inventory of radioactive materials stored in the lab, compare the actual inventory to the online inventory in RITA and report any discrepancies to EHS.
  
• The procedure for handling transfers of radioactive material is described in Section 3.
  
• If a lab discovers that radioactive material is missing or lost and can not be accounted for, EHS must be notified no later than the next business day.