Washington Administrative Code
Title 246 - Health, Department of
RADIATION
Chapter 246-243 - Radiation protection - Industrial radiography
Section 246-243-090 - Leak testing, repair, tagging, opening, modification, and replacement of sealed sources

(1) The replacement of any sealed source fastened to or contained in a radiographic exposure device and leak testing, repair, tagging, opening, or any other modification of any sealed source shall be performed only by persons specifically authorized to do so by the department, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any agreement state.

(2) Each sealed source shall be tested for leakage at intervals not to exceed six months. Sealed sources that are in storage and not in use do not require leak testing, but must be tested before use or transfer to another person if the interval of storage exceeds six months. In the absence of a certificate from a transferor that a test has been made within the six-month period prior to the transfer, the sealed source shall not be put into use until tested and results obtained.

(3) The leak test shall be capable of detecting the presence of 185 becquerels (0.005 microcurie) of removable contamination on the sealed source. An acceptable leak test for sealed sources in the possession of a radiography licensee would be to test at the nearest accessible point to the sealed source storage position, or other appropriate measuring point where contamination might accumulate, by a procedure specifically approved in a license condition. Records of leak test results shall be kept in units of becquerels (microcuries) and maintained for inspection by the department for three years after the leak test is performed.

(4) Any test conducted under subsections (2) and (3) of this section which reveals the presence of 185 becquerels (0.005 microcurie) or more of removable radioactive material shall be considered evidence that the sealed source is leaking. The licensee shall immediately withdraw the equipment involved from use and shall cause it to be decontaminated and repaired or to be disposed in accordance with regulations of the department. Within five days after obtaining results of the test, the licensee shall file a report with the department describing the involved equipment, the test results, and the corrective action taken.

(5) Each exposure device using depleted uranium (DU) shielding and an "S" tube configuration must be tested for DU contamination at intervals not to exceed twelve months. The analysis must be capable of detecting the presence of 185 becquerels (0.005 microcuries) of radioactive material on the test sample and must be performed by a person specifically authorized by the department, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission or an agreement state to perform the analysis. If testing reveals the presence of 185 becquerels (0.005 microcuries) or more of removable DU contamination, the exposure device must be removed from use until an evaluation of the wear on the S-tube has been made. If the evaluation reveals that the S-tube is worn through, the device may not be used again. DU shielded devices do not have to be tested for DU contamination while in storage and not in use. Before using or transferring such a device however, the device must be tested for DU contamination if the interval of storage exceeded twelve months. A record of the DU leak-test results shall be kept in units of becquerels (microcuries) and maintained for inspection by the department for three years after the DU leak test is made or until the source in storage is removed. Licensees will have until January 1, 2001, to comply with the DU leak testing requirements of this section.