Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 33 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Part XV - Radiation Protection › Chapter 5 - Radiation Safety Requirements for Industrial Radiographic Operations › Subchapter A - Equipment Control › Section XV-544 - Leak Testing, Repair, Tagging, Opening, Modification, Replacement, and Records of Receipt and Transfer of Sealed Sources

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. 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
				  administrative authority, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or any other
				  agreement state.
B. Each sealed
				  source shall be tested for leakage at intervals not to exceed 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. The leak testing of the source shall be performed using
				  a method approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission or by an agreement
				  state.
C. The leak test shall be
				  capable of detecting the presence of 0.005 microcurie (185 Bq) 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, by a procedure which has been approved in accordance with LAC
				  33:XV.326.E.1.e. Records of leak test results shall be kept in units of
				  microcuries (becquerels) and maintained for inspection by the department for
				  three years.
D. Any test conducted
				  pursuant to LAC 33:XV.544.B and C that reveals the presence of 0.005 microcurie
				  (185 Bq) 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 of in accordance with LAC 33:XV. Within five
				  calendar days after obtaining results of the test, the licensee shall file a
				  written report with the Office of Environmental Compliance describing the
				  equipment involved, the test results, and the corrective action
				  taken.
E. Each radiographic
				  exposure device shall have permanently attached to it a durable label which
				  has, as a minimum, the instruction: "Danger-Radioactive Material-Do Not
				  Handle-Notify Civil Authorities if Found."
F. Each exposure device using depleted
				  uranium (DU) shielding and an "S" tube configuration must be tested for DU
				  contamination at intervals not to exceed 12 months. The analysis must be
				  capable of detecting the presence of 0.005 microcuries (185 Bq) of radioactive
				  material on the test sample and must be performed by a person specifically
				  authorized by the administrative authority, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
				  or any other agreement state to perform the analysis. Should such testing
				  reveal the presence of 0.005 microcuries (185 Bq) 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. Should the evaluation reveal 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 12 months. A record of
				  the DU leak test must be made in accordance with Subsection C of this
				  Section.
G. Each licensee or
				  registrant shall maintain records showing the receipts and transfers of sealed
				  sources and devices using DU for shielding and retain each record for
				  inspection by the department for three years. These records must include the
				  date, the name of the individual making the record, radionuclide, number of
				  becquerels (curies) or mass (for DU), and manufacturer, model, and serial
				  number of each source of radiation and/or device, as appropriate.
AUTHORITY
					 NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with
					 R.S.
					 30:2001 et
					 seq.