SECTION 11: External Dose Control and Personnel Monitoring

• Control
• External Monitoring Requirement
• Centralized Personnel Monitoring Program
• Suspected Overexposures
• Exposure of Minors
• Exposure of Pregnant Women
• Exposure of Visitors

Control (top)

As a matter of policy and practical necessity, the "Authorized User" must be the individual responsible for controlling the dose received by personnel under his or her supervision and/or using "Sources of Radiation" under his or her authorization so that no person receives a total dose in excess of the maximum permissible limits specified in Appendix D. The total dose includes both that due to exposure to external "Sources of Radiation" and exposure to internally deposited radioisotopes. The monitoring of radiation dose provides information essential to the control process. The program under which external dose is monitored is described below while the program under which the dose due to internally deposited radioisotopes is monitored is described in Section 12.

External Monitoring Requirement (top)

By regulation any person who receives or is likely to receive more than 10 percent of the maximum permissible dose (see Appendix D) or who enters a "High Radiation Area" must be provided with and must wear personnel monitoring devices. Additionally, persons manipulating millicurie quantities of Phosphorous-32, Iodine-125, or other sources that may cause significant hand exposure shall be provided with and must wear finger dosimeters. The "Authorized User" is responsible for ensuring that persons under his or her supervision and/or using "Sources of Radiation" under his or her authorization are provided with suitable personnel monitors and that these monitors are actually worn when appropriate. Any question of interpretation of this section shall be referred to the "Health Physicist."

Centralized Personnel Monitoring Program (top)

The Office of Environmental Health and Safety administers a centralized personnel monitoring program which is utilized by all laboratories requiring personnel monitoring. In the operation of this program the Office of Environmental Health and Safety provides, upon request, personnel monitors for routine and temporary use, distributes personnel monitors to the departments, collects personnel monitors from the departments after use, ships the monitors to the personnel monitoring service vendor for interpretation, receives and distributes the dose reports to the departments, maintains centralized records, investigates unusual or excessive doses, and honors requests for dose history summaries. The "Authorized User" continually reviews the need for personnel monitoring and requests personnel monitoring service from the Office of Environmental Health and Safety, notifies that office when service is no longer needed, arranges for the distribution and collection of personnel monitors in accordance with departmentally established procedures, reviews the reports of personnel monitoring results for the purpose of controlling dose, and takes positive action to ensure that all monitored individuals under his or her supervision are informed of their dose status. In certain departments, individuals designated as "Personnel Monitor Contacts" coordinate the distribution and collection of monitors and receive dose reports from the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. It is up to the "Authorized User" to make arrangements with the "Personnel Monitor Contact" regarding receipt of the dose report.

There are certain features of the personnel monitoring program which concern the "Authorized User" and all monitored individuals. These are:

1. The University is required to control the exposure of the individual radiation worker to "Sources of Radiation" at Princeton University so that his or her total occupational dose, including the dose due to radiation exposure outside the immediate control of the University (e.g., at other universities, national laboratories, second jobs, etc.) does not exceed the maximum permissible limits specified in Appendix D. University employees, students, faculty, etc., must, therefore, promptly report to the Office of Environmental Health and Safety any occupational dose received under conditions outside the University's control and should request that all dose information be routinely sent to the Princeton University Office of Environmental Health and Safety.
2. A cumulative summary of the occupational radiation dose received by any individual monitored for exposure to radiation at Princeton University is available from the Office of Environmental Health and Safety upon request. Such a summary is also available at any time following the termination of the individual's employment. The request for the cumulative summary must include the dates of employment, department of employment, and social security number.
3. Any individual who terminates employment at the University during a calendar quarter or year in which he or she was monitored for exposure to radiation may request, at the time of termination, a written report of the dose received during that quarter or year.
   

Suspected Overexposures (top)

1. If it appears that an individual has received or is suspected of receiving a dose greater than the maximum permissible dose limits specified in Appendix D, the Office of Environmental Health and Safety must be notified immediately. The "Health Physicist" will take steps to determine the actual dose, investigate and document the circumstances, file reports if required, and recommend corrective or preventative action.
2. Individuals who are believed to have been over-exposed shall be suspended from further work with "Sources of Radiation" pending the outcome of the "Health Physicist's" investigation.

Exposure of Minors (top)

Because the allowable dose to persons under 18 is limited to 10% or less of the limits for adult radiation workers (see Appendix D), it is recommended that minors not be employed as full-time radiation workers.

Exposure of Pregnant Women (top)

There are special requirements relating to the dose limits for pregnant women (see Appendix D). Because of this, each female radiation worker, at the time of the beginning of work with "Sources of Radiation," is provided by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety with an information packet discussing the risks of prenatal exposure and the special requirements. A pregnant female radiation worker is strongly encouraged to discuss future work assignments with the "Authorized User" and to participate in the Declared Pregnant Worker Program, which is described in Appendix D.

Exposure of Visitors (top)

1. The host, i.e. the person visited, bears the responsibility of ensuring that his or her visitors, who may include guests, maintenance and repair personnel, etc., are informed of the hazards, comply with all applicable rules, regulations, and procedures, and wear personnel monitors when appropriate.
2. There are very few circumstances in which any real contribution to the scientific community can result from the visit of a child to a "Restricted Area." For this reason, such visits shall be discouraged and should not be permitted without benefit of careful consideration. Prolonged or frequent visits by children to "Restricted Areas" are prohibited.