INTRODUCTION: Radiation Safety at Princeton University

The radiation safety program at Princeton University combines the best efforts of its Radiation Safety Committee, its radiation safety staff and all of its employees,
students and visitors to ensure the safe use of radioactive materials.

Princeton University is licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to
possess and use many different radioisotopes. The use of most radioisotopes at the University is regulated by the NRC, while the NJDEP regulates the more limited
use of accelerator-produced and naturally-occurring radioactive materials. These licenses have been issued only because the University has established policies and
procedures designed to ensure the accountability of radioactive materials and which will minimize the exposure of people to radioactive materials.

There are four key components to Princeton University’s radiation safety program:

• The Radiation Safety Committee
• The Environmental Health and Safety Office
• The Authorized User
• The Radiation Worker

The roles and responsibilities of each are described below:

The Radiation Safety Committee (top)

The Radiation Safety Committee:

• oversees the radiation safety program
• authorizes the use of radioactive materials
• reviews incidents involving radioactive materials
• sets policies for the use of sources of radiation
• gives general supervision to the implementation of those policies.

The Environmental Health and Safety Office (top)

The day-to-day operation of the radiation safety program is managed within the Environmental Health & Safety Office (EHS) by the University’s Radiation Safety Officer (RSO). The RSO and the Radiation Safety staff are available to advise Authorized Users and radiation workers on radiation safety and regulatory compliance issues and to provide the following services:

• training
• personal monitoring and dosimetry services
• bioassay
• pregnancy counseling
• laboratory radiation surveys
• incident, spill and contamination management
• radioactive waste management

Appendix D lists the names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and primary areas of responsibility of the Radiation Safety staff.

The Authorized User (top)

Authorized Users are faculty members or senior staff members who have been approved by the Radiation Safety Committee to use radioactive materials under specific conditions. An Authorized User is granted approval to possess and use specific isotopes only for the uses described in the authorization application and is issued a possession limit for each of those isotopes. Any person using radioactive materials at Princeton University is either an Authorized User or is a radiation worker using radioactive materials under an Authorized User’s supervision.

Each Authorized User is responsible for:

• the health and safety of anyone using or affected by the use of radioactive materials under his or her direction or supervision.
  
• personally attending initial and annual refresher training and ensuring that his/her employees, staff and visitors receive appropriate training.

• ensuring that his/her employees, staff and visitors comply with relevant regulations, policies and procedures.

The Radiation Worker (top)

A radiation worker is anyone who uses radioactive materials or radiation-producing machines. The radiation worker’s thorough training, compliance with regulations and procedures, careful work habits and respect for the health and safety of fellow workers are an integral part of the radiation safety program.

A radiation worker’s responsibilities include the following:

• Complete the initial radiation safety training program and, for open source users, attend annual refresher radiation safety training offered by EHS.
  
• Be familiar with the isotopes in use; know their radiological, physical and chemical properties, methods of detection, the types of hazards presented by each one, and the specific precautions and handling requirements for each isotope.
  
• Be familiar with all the relevant procedures of the radiation safety program, including isotope purchasing and waste disposal procedures.
  
• Know how to properly use the appropriate radiation survey meter.
  
• Know how to use radiation monitoring badges and exchange them promptly at the end of the monthly or quarterly wear period.
  
• Maintain appropriate inventory, disposal and survey records.
  
• Secure radioactive materials by making sure that radioactive materials are locked away or are under immediate supervision within the laboratory.
  
• Inform coworkers and visitors to the work area about the presence of radioactive materials and of any precautions they should take.
  
• Know who to call in any incident involving sources of radiation and how to handle spills and personal contamination.