South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL › Subchapter 61-63 - Radioactive Materials (Title A) › Part V - SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR INDUSTRIAL RADIOGRAPHIC OPERATIONS › Section 61-63.V.RHA 5.14 - Personnel Monitoring Control

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
5.14.1 The licensee may
				not permit any individual to act as a radiographer or a radiographer's assistant
				unless, at all times during radiographic operations, each individual wears, on the
				trunk of the body, a direct reading dosimeter, an operating alarm rate meter and a
				personnel dosimeter. At permanent radiography facilities where other appropriate
				alarming or warning devices are in routine use, the wearing of an alarming rate
				meter is not required. Pocket dosimeters must have a range from zero to at least 200
				milliroentgens and must be recharged at the start of each shift. Electronic personal
				dosimeters may only be used in place of ion-chamber pocket dosimeters. Each
				personnel dosimeter must be assigned to and worn by only one individual. Film badges
				must be replaced at least monthly and all other personnel dosimeters that require
				replacement must be replaced at least quarterly. All personnel dosimeters must be
				evaluated at least quarterly or promptly after replacement, whichever is more
				frequent.
5.14.2 Pocket dosimeters or
				electronic personal dosimeters must be read and exposures recorded at the beginning
				and end of each shift. The licensee shall retain each record of these exposures in
				accordance with RHA 5.14.7.1.
5.14.3
				Pocket dosimeters or electronic personal dosimeters shall be checked at periods not
				to exceed one year for correct response to radiation. Acceptable dosimeters shall
				read within plus or minus 20 percent of the true radiation exposure. Records must be
				maintained in accordance with RHA 5.14.7.1.
5.14.4 If an individual's pocket chamber is found
				to be off scale, or if his or her electronic personal dosimeter reads greater than 2
				millisieverts (200 millirems), and the possibility of radiation exposure cannot be
				ruled out as the cause, the individual's personnel dosimeter must be sent for
				processing within 24 hours. For personnel dosimeters that do not require processing,
				evaluation of the dosimeter must be started within 24 hours. In addition, the
				individual may not resume work associated with licensed material use until a
				determination of the individual's radiation exposure has been made. This
				determination must be made by the RSO or the RSO's designee. The results of this
				determination must be included in records to be maintained by the licensee until the
				Department terminates the license.
If the personnel dosimeter that is required by RHA 5.14.1 is lost
				  or damaged, the worker shall cease work immediately until a replacement personnel
				  dosimeter meeting the requirements is provided and the exposure is calculated for
				  the time period from issuance to loss or damage of the personnel dosimeter. The
				  results of the calculated exposure and the time period for which the personnel
				  dosimeter was lost or damaged must be included in the records to be maintained until
				  the Department terminates the license.
5.14.5 Dosimetry results must be retained in
				accordance with RHA 5.14.7.
5.14.6 Each
				alarm rate meter must:
5.14.6.1 Be checked to
				ensure that the alarm functions properly (sounds) prior to use at the start of each
				shift;
5.14.6.2 Be set to give an alarm
				signal at a preset dose rate of 500 mR/hr.;
5.14.6.3 Require special means to change the
				preset alarm function; and
5.14.6.4 Be
				calibrated at periods not to exceed one year for correct response to radiation:
				Acceptable rate meters must alarm within plus or minus 20 percent of the true
				radiation dose rate. Records of these calibrations must be maintained in accordance
				with RHA 5.14.7.2.