Alabama Administrative Code › Title 420 - ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH › Chapter 420-3-26 - RADIATION CONTROL › Section 420-3-26-.11 - Radiation Safety Requirements For Analytical X-Ray Equipment

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1)
Purpose and Scope
. This Rule
			 420-3-26-.11 provides special
			 requirements for analytical x-ray equipment; provided, however, that nothing in
			 this Rule shall apply to x-ray equipment used to detect, measure, gauge or
			 control the density, level, interface location, thickness of materials, or
			 equipment used for industrial radiography as defined in Rule
			 420-3-26-.04, or sources of
			 radiation used in the healing arts. The requirements of this Rule are in
			 addition to, and not in substitution for applicable requirements in other
			 Rules. Note that Rules
			 420-3-26-.01,
			 420-3-26-.03,
			 420-3-26-.05, and
			 420-3-26-.10 also apply to
			 analytical x-ray equipment users.
(2)
Definitions
.
(a) "Analytical x-ray equipment" means any
			 device which utilizes x-rays for the purpose of examining the microstructure of
			 materials. This includes all types of x-ray diffraction, fluorescence, and
			 spectographic analysis equipment.
(b) "Analytical x-ray system" means a group
			 of local and remote components utilizing x-rays to determine the elemental
			 composition or to examine the microstructure of materials. Local components
			 include those that are struck by x-rays such as radiation source housings, port
			 and shutter assemblies, collimators, sample holders, cameras, gonimeters,
			 detectors and shielding. Remote components include power supplies,
			 transformers, amplifiers, readout devices, and control panels.
(c) "Fail-safe characteristics" means a
			 design feature which causes beam port shutters to close, or otherwise prevents
			 emergence of the primary beam, upon a failure of a safety or warning
			 device.
(d) "Normal operating
			 procedures" means operating procedures for conditions suitable for analytical
			 purposes with shielding and barriers in place. These do not include maintenance
			 but do include routine alignment procedures. Routine and emergency radiation
			 safety considerations are part of these procedures.
(e) "Open-beam configuration" means an
			 analytical x-ray system in which an individual could accidentally place some
			 part of his body in the primary beam path during normal operation.
(f) "Positive visual warning light" means a
			 warning light which has redundant lights so that a single failure will not
			 prevent the warning light from functioning.
(g) "Primary Beam" means ionizing radiation
			 which passes through the aperture of the source housing by a direct path from
			 the x-ray tube or a radioactive source located in the radiation source
			 housing.
(h) "Unattended operation"
			 means any operation in which the analytical x-ray system is generating x-rays
			 and an operator trained in accordance with
			 420-3-26-.11(6) 
			 of this Rule
			 420-3-26-.11 is not physically
			 present in the area sufficiently near the local components to prevent any
			 operation which could cause an individual to exceed the limits given in
			 420-3-26-.03(6) 
			 of these rules.