Code of Maine Rules › 10 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › 144 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - GENERAL › Chapter 220 - Rules Relating to Radiation Protection › Part B - ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS, PROCEDURES, AND CIVIL PENALTIES › Appendix 144-220-B-A - SEVERITY CATEGORIES › Section 144-220-B-A-3 - Severity Level III - Significant violations

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A. Health Physics
1. Single exposure of a worker in excess of 3
					 rems (0.3 Sv) of radiation to the whole body, 7.5 rems (0.075 Sv) to the skin
					 of the whole body, or 18.75 rems (0.1875 Sv) to the feet, ankles, hands or
					 forearms;
2. A radiation level in
					 an unrestricted area such that an individual could receive greater than 100
					 millirem (1 mSv) in a one hour period or 500 millirem (5 mSv) in any seven
					 consecutive days;
3. Failure to
					 make a 24-hour notification or an immediate notification as required by Part
					 D.2202;
4. Substantial potential
					 for an exposure or release in excess of Part D of these rules, whether or not
					 such exposure or release occurs (e.g., entry into high radiation areas, such as
					 under reactor vessels or in the vicinity of exposed radiographic sources,
					 without having performed an adequate survey, operation of a radiation facility
					 with a nonfunctioning interlock system);
5. Release of radioactive material to an
					 unrestricted area in excess of the limits of Part D.1302;
6. Improper disposal of licensed material not
					 covered in Severity Level I or II;
7. Exposure of worker in restricted areas in
					 excess of the limits of Part D.1201.;
8. Release for unrestricted use of
					 contaminated or radioactive material or equipment which poses a realistic
					 potential for significant exposure to members of the public, or which reflects
					 a programmatic (rather than isolated) weakness in the radiation control
					 program;
9. Cumulative worker
					 exposure above regulatory limits when such cumulative exposure reflects a
					 programmatic, rather than an isolated weakness in radiation
					 protection;
10. Conduct of licensee
					 activities by a technically unqualified person;
11. Significant failure to control licensed
					 material;
12. Failure to use
					 exposure reduction devices properly (e.g., collimators, filtration);
13. For a fluoroscopic system where the
					 maximum allowable tabletop exposure rate is 5 R/min (0.05 Gy/min), test values
					 of greater than or equal to 7 R/min. (0.07 Gy/min) (uncorrected), but less than
					 25 R/min (0.25 Gy/min). Correspondingly, for a maximum allowable rate of 10
					 R/min (0.10 Gy/min) , test values of greater than or equal to 14 R/min (0.14
					 Gy/min) (uncorrected) but less than 25 R/min (0.25 Gy/min) are
					 included;
14. A radiographic x-ray
					 system having positive beam limitation where the x-ray field size in the plane
					 of the image receptor, whether automatically or manually adjusted, is such that
					 either the length or the width of the x-ray field differs from that of the
					 image receptor by greater than 10 percent of the SID when the equipment
					 indicates that the beam axis is perpendicular to the plane of the image
					 receptor.
15. Intraoral dental
					 systems capable of operations in the above 50 kVp range for which the field
					 size at the cone tip is greater than or equal to 9 centimeters or which exhibit
					 a minimum SSD less than 16 centimeters.
16. Dental radiographic systems in which it
					 is possible to produce x-rays with the timer in the zero or off
					 position.
17. Mammographic x-ray
					 systems in which the edge of the x-ray field at the chestwall extends beyond
					 the edges of the image receptor by more than 5 percent of the source to image
					 receptor distance.
18. Therapy
					 systems which fail to maintain proper surveys, calibrations, spot checks or
					 operating procedures.