Header:
CODE OF RHODE ISLAND RULES
AGENCY 16. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND TRAINING
SUB-AGENCY 010. INDUSTRIAL INSPECTION DIVISION
CHAPTER 006. INDUSTRIAL SAFETY CODE # 15 - RELATING TO OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION PROTECTION
Date:
08/31/2009
Document:
16 010 006 INDUSTRIAL SAFETY CODE # 15 - RELATING TO OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION PROTECTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1 Preamble
SECTION 2 Scope and Purpose
SECTION 3 Definitions
SECTION 4 Registration
SECTION 5 Exemptions
SECTION 6 Maximum Permissible Exposure Limits
SECTION 7 Surveys and Monitoring
SECTION 8 Radiation Exposure Records and Reports
SECTION 9 Control of Fxposure
SECTION 10 Storage of Radioactive Materials
SECTION 11 Control of Radioactive Contamination
SECTION 12 RADIATION IABFLING
SECTION 13 Disposal of Radioactive Wastes
SECTION 14 Reference Tables
SECTION 1. PREAMBLE
Whereas ionizing radiation can be instrumental in the improvement of health, welfare and productivity, if properly utilized, and may impair health or detrimentally affect the industrial, agricultural, recreational and natural resource conservation potentials of the State if improperly utilized, it is hereby declared to be the purpose of this Commission to encourage the constructive uses of ionizing radiation, to control any associated harmful effects, and to prohibit and prevent its improper use which may result in exposures which are, or may be, detrimental to health or to the economic and recreational potentials of the State.
SECTION 2. SCOPE AND PURPOSE
Scope. This Code shall apply to the manufacture, use, storage, handling, transportation and disposal of all materials, instruments, machines and equipment which produce, generate, or emit ionizing radiation, except as exempted by the provisions of Section 5.
This Code does not apply to those sources of radiation which are subject to regulation by the United States Atomic Energy Commission.
Purpose. The purpose of this Code is to state the requirements that shall be applied to any source of ionizing radiation to prevent or to reduce the exposure of personnel to radiation.
SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS
Absorbed Dose of any ionizing radiation is the energy imparted to any matter per unit mass of irradiated materials at the place of interest.
Agency shall mean the Director of Labor, the Director of Health and their authorized representatives.
Controlled Area is a defined area in which the occupational exposure of personnel to radiation or to radioactive material is under the supervision of an individual in charge of radiation protection. (This implies that a controlled area is one that requires control of access, occupancy, and working conditions for radiation protection purposes.) The boundaries of a controlled area shall be determined by the enforcing authority in cooperation with the individual in charge of radiation protection.
Curie is that quantity of any radioactive material which decays at the rate of 3.7 x 10<10> disintegrations per second, (One millicurie (mc) = 0.001 curie.) (One microcurie (uc) = 0.001 millicurie.)
Dose means dose in rems, including the RBE factor. (See definitions of RBE and rem)
Dose Rate is the dose per unit time.
Established Procedures in this Code refers to procedures established for the user, in advance, by the Agency.
High Radiation Area is any area accessible to personnel in which there exists radiation at such levels that a major portion of the body could receive in any one hour a dose in excess of 100 millirems.
Installation is a place containing one or more sources of radiation.
Ionizing Radiation is any electromagnetic or particulate radiation capable of producing ions directly or indirectly in its passage through matter.
Maximum Permissible Dose (MPD) is the dose of radiation that, in the light of present knowledge, is not expected to cause observable bodily injury to a person at any time during his lifetime.
Monitoring is the determination of the amount of radiation or radioactive material present in any location or of a dose received by a person.
Personnel Monitoring is the determination of the radiation dose received by a person during a specified period, by film badges, small ionization chambers, or other dosimeters.
Rad, for these regulations, is a measure of the dose of any ionizing radiation to body tissues in terms of the energy absorbed per unit mass of the tissue. One rad equals 100 ergs per gram. (One millirad (mrad) = 0.001 rad).
Radiation Machine is any device that produces radiation.
RBE (relative biological effectiveness) is a numerical factor that is used to compare the effectiveness of absorbed dose of radiation delivered in different ways.
Rem is a measure of the dose of any ionizing radiation to body tissues in terms of its estimated biological effect relative to the dose of one roentgen (r) of x-rays. (One millirem (mrem) = 0.001 rem). The dose in rems is equal to the dose in rads multiplied by the appropriate RBE.
Roentgen (r) is the quantity of x-or gamma radiation such that the associated corpuscular emission per 0.001293 gram of air produces, in air, ions carrying one electrostatic unit of electricity tricity of either sign. (One milliroentgen (mr) = 0.001r.)
Sealed Source means any radioactive material that is encased in, and is to be used in, a container in a manner adequate to prevent leakage of the radioactive material.
Shall is to be understood sd [as] mandatory.
Should is to be understood as advisory.
Source of Radiation is a machine producing radiation or a quantity of radioactive material.
Survey is a critical evaluation of the hazards and the risk of injury from a source of radiation.
User is a person or organization having administrative control over one or more sources of radiation.
SECTION 4. REGISTRATION
Every user shall register each radiation installation with the Agency within 30 days after the effective date of this Code, except as otherwise specifically exempted in Section 5 of this Code. All radiation installations made after the effective date of this Code shall be registered with the Agency within 30 days after acquisition of any radiation machine or radioactive material, before said installation is placed in operation. In lieu of registration of individual radiation machines or radioactive material, the user may register upper limits of the quantities of radioactive material or radiation machines possessed. Such registration shall be made on forms obtainable from the Agency.
Every registrant who permanently discontinues the use of all his radiation sources at an installation shall notify the Agency within 30 days of final disposition of such sources. A record shall be kept of this action.
Acknowledgment of registration shall not imply the Agency's approval of the conditions described in the registration.
SECTION 5. EXEMPTIONS
The following materials, machines and conditions are exempt from these regulations:
(a) Radioactive materials of an equivalent specific radioactivity not exceeding that of natural potassium. (10-9 curie per gram of potassium.)
(b) Quantities of radioactive materials not exceeding the amounts specified in Section 14 - Table 2, provided that the user does not possess more than ten such quantities, and also provided that the dose rate to the whole body at the point of nearest approach to such source does not exceed one-tenth of the maximum permissible dose per year. The manufacture of sealed sources shall not be exempt.
(c) Radioactive material in combination with non-radioactive material in concentrations not exceeding the numerical values of Table 5, Column 1, expressed in uc/m1 for gases, and Table 5, Column 2, expressed in uc/gram for solids and liquids. (For example, 2 x 10<-4> uc of antimony - 124 per gram of gasoline.)
(d) Manufacturers and repairers of television receivers, provided that the dose rate at 5 cm from any outer surface is less than 0.5 mrem per hour.
(e) Other electrical equipment that produces radiation incidental to its operation for other purposes, provided that the dose rate to the whole body at the point of nearest approach to such equipment, when any external shielding is removed, does not exceed one-tenth of the Maximum Permissible Dose per year. The production testing or factory servicing of such equipment shall not be exempt.
(f) Radiation machines which cannot be used in such a manner as to produce radiation. (For example, x-ray machines in transport or electrical equipment in storage.)
(g) Radioactive material being transported across a state in conformance with regulations of any Federal Agency having jurisdiction over safety in interstate transport.
(h) That kind or amount of ionizing radiation that may be intentionally applied to a person or an animal for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes by, or under the direction of, licensed practitioners of the healing arts.
SECTION 6. MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE LIMITS
The user shall control all sources of radiation in such a way as to provide reasonable assurance that no person will receive a dose of radiation in excess of any maximum permissible exposure limit specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) below:
(a) External Exposure, Outside Controlled Area
For persons outside a controlled area, the maximum permissible dose to the whole body, due to sources within the controlled area or to radioactive materials escaping the controlled area, shall be 0.5 rem in any year. In meeting this requirement, the user may take reasonable advantage of operational factors such as the amount of time that the radiation is present or that the area is occupied by any person.
(b) External Exposure, Inside Controlled Area
(1) For persons within a controlled area, the Maximum Permissible Dose (MPD) shall be as listed in the following table, except as provided in Parts (2) and (3) below of this section:
Part of Body Maximum dose permitted
in any calendar quarter,
rems
Whole body; head and trunk; 1 1/4
active blood forming organs;
lens of the eyes; or gonads
Hands and forearms; feet and 18 3/4
ankles
Skin of whole body 7 1/2
(2) A dose to the whole body, head and trunk, etc., greater than that listed in the table of part (1) above of this section, shall be permitted, provided that:
(i) During any calendar quarter the dose to the whole body from radioactive material and other sources of radiation shall not exceed 3 rems; and
(ii) The user has determined the individual's previously accumulated occupational dose; and
(iii) The dose, when added to the previously accumulated occupational dose, does not exceed the maximum permissible accumulated dose (MPAD) calculated according to the formula: MPAD = (N-18)x5 rems, where N is the individual's age in full years.
(3) For persons under 18 years of age inside a controlled area, the maximum permissible dose shall be 10% of the limits specified in the table of Part (1) of this section. Also, for persons under 18 years of age inside a controlled area, the average concentration of radioactive materials to which such persons may be exposed shall not exceed the limits specified in Table 3, Columns 3 and 4.
(4) If it is more convenient to measure the neutron flux, or equivalent, than to determine the neutron dose in rads, then the incident number of neutrons per square centimeter equivalent to one rem may be estimated from the following table:
Neutron Flux Dose Equivalents
Neutron Energy Number of neutrons per Average flux to
Mev square centimeter equiva- deliver 100 milli-
lent to a dose of 1 rem rems in 40 hours
(neutrons/cm<2>) (neutrons/cm<2>/sec.)
Thermal 970x10<6> 670
0.0001 720x10<6> 500
0.005 820x10<6> 570
0.02 400x10<6> 280
0.1 120x10<6> 80
0.5 43x10<6> 30
1.0 26x10<6> 18
2.5 29x10<6> 20
5.0 26x10<6> 18
7.5 24x10<6> 17
10.0 24x10<6> 17
10 to 30 14x10<6> 10
(c) Internal Exposure, Outside Controlled Area
For persons outside a controlled area, the radiation dose to tissues of the body from radioactive materials within the body shall be controlled by limiting the average rates at which such materials are taken into the body. Where this intake results from the occurrence of radioactive materials in the air, drinking water, or foodstuffs, the average concentrations of the radionuclides in the air, or drinking water, or foodstuffs, averaged over any calendar quarter, shall not exceed the concentrations listed in Section 14, Table 3, Columns 3 and 4.
(d) Internal Exposure, Inside Controlled Area
For persons within a controlled area, the radiation dose to the tissues of the body from radioactive materials within the body shall be controlled by limiting the average rates at which such materials are taken into the body. Where this intake results from the occurrence of radioactive material in the air, drinking water, or foodstuffs, the average concentrations of the radionuclides in the air, drinking water, or foodstuffs, averaged over any calendar quarter, shall not exceed the concentrations listed in Section 14, Table 3, Columns 1 and 4. The values in this table are for a work week of forty hours. For longer work weeks, the values must be adjusted downward accordingly.
SECTION 7. SURVEYS AND MONITORING
(a) The user shall provide for surveys and monitoring sufficient to assure that no radiation hazard exists on the basis of Section 6. Such surveys and monitoring shall be performed in accordance with established procedures, using appropriate properly calibrated monitoring equipment.
(b) The user shall provide for the routine personnel monitoring for external exposure of:
(1) Each person above 18 years of age inside a controlled area who is, or may be exposed to a dose of ionizing radiation in any calendar quarter in excess of 25% of the values listed in paragraph (b) (1) of Section 6.
(2) Each person under 18 years of age inside a controlled area who is, or may be, exposed to a dose of ionizing radiation in any calendar quarter in excess of 5%, of the values listed in paragraph (b) (1) of Section 6.
(3) Each person who enters a high radiation area.
SECTION 8. RADIATION EXPOSURE RECORDS AND REPORTS
(a) Records of all measurements required under Section 7 above shall be maintained by the user and made available for inspection by the Agency.
(b) The user shall preserve exposure records on each of his employees until termination of employment, at which time the user shall provide the Agency and the employee with a summary of the exposure records for each calendar year of employment. These records shall include the employee's social security number to aid in maintaining a record of an individual's total exposure.
(c) The user shall maintain records of the levels of radiation to which persons are, or may be, exposed outside of the controlled areas as a result of sources under his control.
(d) The user shall record the details concerning any individual's exposure in excess of the applicable limits specified in Section 6 as a result of sources under his control.
(e) The user shall maintain records of the date, amount and kind of radioactive materials received by, or transported out of, a controlled area. He shall also maintain records of the release of radioactive materials in the environs sufficient to demonstrate compliance with applicable sections of this Code.
(f) All records referred to in (a) through (e) shall be made available to the Agency on request.
(g) When it is known or believed that any person may have received an external exposure exceeding five (5) times the maximum permissible limits specified in the applicable portion of Section 6, or that any person may have been exposed to a concentration of radioactive material in air or water which, when averaged over a calendar quarter, was in excess of the limits specified in the applicable portions of Section 6, the user shall report all of the facts relevant to the incident to the Agency within seven (7) days of the discovery thereof and shall place a copy of the report in that person's personnel file. The cause of the overexposure shall be determined and corrected immediately.
(h) Except as provided in Section 13 (b) (1), the user shall report to the Agency as soon as possible, but not later than twenty-four (24) hours, any release of radioactive materials to the environs in a concentration which, if averaged over a period of twenty-four (24) hours, would exceed 500 times the permissible concentrations listed in Columns 3 or 4 of Table 3, or any release in any twenty-four (24) hour period which exceeds 1,000 times the amounts listed in Column 1 of Table 2.
(i) The loss or theft of any source of radiation shall be reported to the Agency immediately.
SECTION 9. CONTROL OF EXPOSURE
(a) The user shall adopt established procedures for his operations and shall instruct the worker in those procedures which will provide reasonable assurance that all provisions of this Code will be carried out.
(b) To meet the other provisions of this Code, the user shall provide, or have readily available, instruments adequate for the detection and measurement of radiation and radioactive material; and he shall further see that these instruments are maintained in proper calibration.
(c) Every employee and authorized visitor shall use such radiation safety devices as are furnished for his protection and shall carry out all radiation safety rules that concern or affect his conduct.
SECTION 10. STORAGE OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(a) The user shall see that radioactive materials are kept in a manner that will provide reasonable assurance that, during access to the controlled area, no person will be exposed in excess of the limits set forth in Section 6. The user shall also take precautions to minimize exposure of personnel in the event of fire, earthquake, flood, windstorm, explosion or other emergency.
(b) The user shall see that vaults or rooms used for stering materials that may lead to radioactivity in the air are ventilated in such a manner that the concentration of radiation in the air does not exceed the levels specified in the appropriate portions of Section 6.
(c) When there is a reasonable possibility that chemical, radiation, or other action might lead to leakage of radioactive material from a container, the user shall provide a secondary container or catchment adequate to retain the entire amount of radioactive material.
SECTION 11. CONTROL OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION
(a) The user shall see that all work with radioactive materials is carried out under conditions which will minimize the possibility of spread of radioactive material that could result in the exposure of any person above any limit specified in Section 6 of this Code.
(b) Where the nature of the work is such that a person or his clothing may become contaminated with radioactive material, both shall be monitored according to established procedures.
(c) Clothing or other material, contaminated to a degree which could result in the exposure of any person above any limit specified in Section 6, shall be retained inside the controlled area until it can be decontaminated or disposed of according to established procedures.
SECTION 12. RADIATION LABELING
(a) The user shall indicate the presence of radiation by posting conspicuous signs or labels which bear appropriate wording (such as "Caution - X-ray", "Danger - Radiation", "Caution - Radioactive Material") to explain the nature of the hazard.
(b) All such radiation warning signs and labels shall bear the standard symbol for designating any radiation hazard.
[See graphic or tabular material in printed version]
(c) The standard color specifications for these radiation warning signs as labels shall be a background of yellow with the distinctive symbol in purple (magenta).
(d) The use of this symbol for any other purpose is expressly prohibited. The symbol and the lettering used with it shall be as large as practical, consistent with the size of the equipment or material. The lettering shall not be superimposed upon the symbol.
(e) The user shall put such signs or labels on radiation machines and on all containers, source holders, manufactured products or other items containing:
1. A quantity of radioactive material greater than the amounts listed in Section 14, Table 4; or
2. A concentration of radioactive material which exceeds the values listed in Section 14, Table 3.
The user is not required to label laboratory containers, such as beakers, flesks, and test tubes, used transiently under operating rules established under Section 9 (a).
(f) The user shall use such signs or labels to designate each controlled area. In addition to posting signs and labels, the user shall fence off, barricade, or otherwise restrict entrance to each controlled area that is readily accessible, but not normally occupied.
(g) The user shall remove all signs and labels bearing the radiation symbol when a hazard is no longer present.
SECTION 13. DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES
(a) No user shall release radioactive material into the air or water in such a manner as to cause exposure of any person above the limits specified in Section 6. If several users are discharging radioactive waste to the same environs, they shall, upon being notified of the fact, cooperate in limiting the release and shall file with the Agency a statement of their agreed pro rata releases. If this is not done within a reasonable time, the Agency may assign quantity limits to them severally.
(b) For purposes of controlling the exposure of persons outside controlled areas, each user shall control the release of radioactive material on the following basis:
1. The average concentration of the radionuclide (or radionuclides) in air or water at points of release from control of the user shall not exceed the limits specified in Section 6. However, with the approval of the Agency, the user may exceed these limits by taking account of the known environmental factors of occupancy, dilution, dispersion, etc., provided that the average concentration of the radionuclide (or radionuclides) in air at points where it is commonly used by humans, or in water at points of supply (exclusive of treatment, if any) prior to use by humans, shall not exceed these limits.
(For any radionuclide, where the effective half-life in the body is less than 60 days, the term "average" as used above shall mean the arithmetic mean of a series of determinations representative of plant operations and environmental condition over any period of 13 consecutive weeks; for other radionuclides this arithmetic mean shall be taken over a period of any 12 consecutive months.)
2. The total quantity of the radionuclide (or radionuclides), released in a period of any 24 consecutive hours, shall not exceed 100 times the quantities listed in Section 14, Table 2, Column 1, unless approval for the release of larger quantities is obtained from the Agency in advance.
(c) A user may dispose of radioactive material into a sanitary sewerage system, provided that:
(1) It is readily soluble or dispersible in water; and
(2) The quantity of any radioactive material released into the system by the user in any one day does not exceed the larger of the following subparagraphs (i) or (ii):
(i) The quantity which, if diluted by the average daily quantity of sewage released into the sewer by the user, will result in an average concentration equal to the limits specified in Table 3, Column 2; or
(ii) Ten times the quantity of radioactive material specified in Table 4; and
(3) The quantity of radioactive material released in any one month, if diluted by the average monthly quantity of water released by the user, will not result in an averate [average] concentration exceeding the limits specified in Table 3, Column 2; and
(4) The gross quantity of radioactive material released into a sewerage system by the user does not exceed one curie per year.
NOTE: Excreta from persons undergoing medical diagnosis or therapy with radioactive material shall be exempt from any limitation contained in this section.
(d) A user may dispose of radioactive waste by burial in soil, provided that:
(1) The total quantity of radioactive material buried at any one location and time does not exceed, at the time of burial, 1000 times the amount specified in Table 4; and
(2) Burial is at a minimum depth of four (4) feet; and
(3) Successive burials are separated by distances of at least six feet, and not more than twelve burials are made in any year.
(e) A user may treat or dispose of radioactive material by incineration only when specific approval has been given by the Agency pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 (b) (1).
(f) Nothing in this Code shall be construed as permitting release of materials that would be unlawful for other reasons.
|