Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 39, September 25, 2024
(a) Each
person who possesses any radiation source shall make, or cause to be made, the
applicable surveys required under this section and such additional surveys as
may be necessary for him/her to comply with other sections in this Part or as
the department may direct in order to evaluate the extent of the radiation
hazard that may be present.[FN4] Each person who possesses any radioactive
material not in a sealed source for which surveys are required shall provide or
have available appropriate calibrated and operable instruments capable of
detecting and measuring radiation and radioactive contamination.
(1) Any radiation installation subject to the
registration requirements of section
16.50(a)
of this Part shall be inspected periodically to assure compliance with this
Part and the maintenance of radiation exposures as far below the limits set
forth in this Part as is reasonably achievable. Except as otherwise provided in
subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, inspections shall be made at a frequency
as specified in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, with the first inspection
of an installation to be made at the time of the beginning of operation and
subsequent inspections not to exceed the maximum interval specified for such
installation in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. The inspection shall be
performed in a manner, and reported in writing on a form, prescribed by the
department. The person who makes the inspection shall include in such report
all recommendations necessary to accomplish compliance with this Part, and to
reduce radiation exposure as far below the limits set forth in this Part as
reasonably achievable. The inspection shall be made by the department, the New
York City Department of Health or, as the department shall direct, by the
appropriate county or part-county health officer having jurisdiction or by a
certified radiation equipment safety officer. Such county or part-county health
officer or the New York City health commissioner shall make the inspection only
under an inspection program that is certified by the department in writing as
approved and in effect. He/she may make the inspection or have it made by a
duly authorized representative approved for such purpose by both such health
officer and the department. The operator of an installation required to be
inspected by a certified radiation equipment safety officer, shall be solely
responsible for having all such required inspections made.
(i) Hospital, clinic, mammography and
radiologist installations shall be inspected at least once every year; dental,
podiatric and veterinary installations at least once every three years; and all
other installations at least once every two years. Follow-up inspections shall
be made at intervals of 60 days or less for the correction of any violation
found during an inspection and remaining uncorrected at the conclusion
thereof.
(ii) The department may
establish a schedule of required inspections of any installation different from
the schedule specified in this paragraph.
(iii) The certified radiation equipment
safety officer or the health officer having jurisdiction, as the case may be,
shall furnish the inspection report, signed by the person who made the
inspection, to the operator of the installation and a copy thereof to the
department in accordance with the instructions of the prescribed
form.
(2) Radiation
installations wherein radioactive materials are handled or installed which will
have any readily accessible area in which there is reasonable expectation that
a radiation level will exist in excess of two millirems per hour shall be
surveyed during the initial operation and whenever any change is made in the
installation or its use that might increase the radiation level to which a
person could be exposed.
(3)
Accessible areas and equipment within radiation installations wherein
radioactive material not contained in a sealed source is handled or installed
shall be surveyed at least once a month for radioactive contamination unless a
shorter interval is specified in a license issued pursuant to this Part.
Radioactive contamination of surfaces shall be kept ALARA and shall be brought
to levels not to exceed the limits specified in Appendix 16-A, Table 7,
infra.
(4) Each sealed source,
containing radioactive material other than Hydrogen 3, with a half- life
greater than 30 days and in any form other than gas shall be tested for leakage
prior to initial use and at successive intervals thereafter not to exceed six
months, except that each source designed for the purpose of emitting alpha
particles shall be tested at intervals not to exceed three months.
Notwithstanding the periodic leak test required by this paragraph, any licensed
sealed source is exempt from such leak tests when the source contains 100
microcuries or less of beta and/or gamma emitting material or 10 microcuries or
less of alpha emitting material. Except for alpha sources, the periodic leak
test required by this paragraph shall not apply to sealed sources that are
stored and not being used. The sources excepted from this test shall be tested
for leakage prior to any use or transfer to another person unless they have
been leak tested within six months prior to the date of use or transfer. In the
absence of the delivery of a certificate by the transferor to the transferee
indicating that a test pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Part was
made within six months prior to the transfer, the source shall not be used
until tested for leakage. If there is reason to suspect that a sealed source
might have been damaged, or might be leaking, such source shall be tested for
leakage before further use. The test sample shall be taken from selected
accessible surfaces of the sealed source or from the surfaces of the device in
which the sealed source is permanently mounted or stored. For teletherapy
and/or irradiator sources, the selected accessible surfaces should be those
surfaces on which one might expect contamination (if there were to be leakage)
to accumulate and shall include the inner surface of the most frequently used
treatment cone or beam collimating device. The test sample shall be taken with
the source in the "off" position. The leak test technique shall be capable of
detecting:
(i) the escape of radon at the
rate of 0.001 microcurie or more per 24 hours for sealed radium sources;
or
(ii) 0.005 microcurie or more of
removable radioactivity from all other sealed sources.
Detection of a leak in any sealed source in excess of the
sensitivity levels set forth in this paragraph shall result in immediate
suspension in the use of such source until such source is decontaminated and
repaired or disposed of in accordance with section
16.8 of
this Part. Records of leak test results shall be kept in units of microcuries
per test sample and maintained for inspection by the department. A leaking
source report shall be submitted to the department for each source found to be
leaking in excess of the above sensitivity levels within five days of detection
of the leak and shall describe the equipment involved, the test results, and
the corrective action taken.
(5) Protective devices such as interlocks,
safety switches, fume hoods, filters and trapping devices for radioactive
gases, shall be maintained in good repair and proper operating
condition.
(b) Each
person who possesses any radioactive material shall, no less than 30 days prior
to decontrolling a controlled area or vacating, or relinquishing possession or
control of premises wherein radioactive material is or has been stored or used
shall have the premises surveyed and shall notify the department in writing of
his intent to decontrol a controlled area or to vacate and the results of the
survey. When deemed necessary by the department, such person shall
decontaminate the premises to such radiation levels as the department may
specify. Such person shall provide the health officer having jurisdiction, the
operator of the installation housed on the premises and the landlord or
subsequent tenant with a copy of a report of the results of the survey made
pursuant to this subdivision.
(c)
Each person who possesses any radiation source shall secure such source against
its unauthorized removal from its place of storage or use. The following
additional restrictions apply to noncontrolled areas:
(1) Radiation sources stored in a
noncontrolled area shall be stored in a locked facility in the original
shipping container, or a container providing equivalent radiation protection.
Such a facility may be a cabinet, a safe or a room, providing the facility is
locked at all times when no activities are in progress relating to the use of
the radiation sources.
(2)
Radiation sources in a noncontrolled area and not in storage shall be tended
under the constant surveillance and immediate control of the licensee or
registrant.
[FN4] The specific survey requirements set forth in this
section shall not be construed as relieving any person from any survey
requirements specified in any registration or license.
