Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 33 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Part XV - Radiation Protection › Chapter 17 - Licensing and Radiation Safety Requirements for Irradiators › Section XV-1743 - Detection of Leaking Sources

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. Each
				dry-source-storage sealed source shall be tested for leakage at intervals not
				to exceed six months using a leak test kit or method approved by the
				department, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an agreement state, or a
				licensing state. In the absence of a certificate from a transferor that a test
				has been made within the six months before the transfer, the sealed source
				shall not be used until tested. The test shall be capable of detecting the
				presence of 200 becquerels (0.005 [MICRO]Ci) of
				radioactive material and shall be performed by a person approved by the
				department, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an agreement state, or a
				licensing state to perform the test.
B. For pool irradiators, sources shall not be
				put into the pool unless the licensee tests the sources for leaks or has a
				certificate from a transferor that a leak test has been done within the six
				months before the transfer. Water from the pool shall be checked for
				contamination each day the irradiator operates. The check may be done either by
				using a radiation monitor on a pool water circulating system or by analysis of
				a sample of pool water. If a check for contamination is done by analysis of a
				sample of pool water, the results of the analysis shall be available within 24
				hours. If the licensee uses a radiation monitor on a pool water circulating
				system, the detection of above normal radiation levels shall activate an alarm.
				The alarm set-point shall be set as low as practical, but high enough to avoid
				false alarms. The licensee may reset the alarm set-point to a higher level if
				necessary to operate the pool water purification system to clear up
				contamination in the pool if specifically provided for in written emergency
				procedures.
C. If a leaking source
				is detected, the licensee shall arrange to remove the leaking source from
				service and have it decontaminated, repaired, or disposed of by a licensee that
				is authorized to perform these functions by the department, the Nuclear
				Regulatory Commission, an agreement state, or a licensing state. The licensee
				shall promptly check its personnel, equipment, facilities, and irradiated
				product for radioactive contamination. No product shall be shipped until the
				product has been checked and found free of contamination. If a product has been
				shipped that may have been inadvertently contaminated, the licensee shall
				arrange to locate and survey that product for contamination. If any personnel
				are found to be contaminated, decontamination shall be performed promptly. If
				contaminated equipment, facilities, or products are found, the licensee shall
				arrange to have them decontaminated or disposed of by a licensee that is
				authorized to perform these functions by the department, the Nuclear Regulatory
				Commission, an agreement state, or a licensing state. If a pool is
				contaminated, the licensee shall arrange to clean the pool until the
				contamination levels do not exceed the appropriate concentration in LAC
				33:XV.499.Appendix B.Table II, Column 2. The licensee shall report all
				incidents in accordance with LAC 33:XV.486.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
				  Promulgated in accordance with
				  R.S.
				  30:2001 et
				  seq.