South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL › Subchapter 61-63 - Radioactive Materials (Title A) › Part XI - LICENSING AND RADIATION SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR IRRADIATORS › Section 61-63.XI.RHA 11.8 - Access Control

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
11.8.1 Each entrance to
				a radiation room at a panoramic irradiator must have a door or other physical
				barrier to prevent inadvertent entry of personnel if the sources are not in the
				shielded position. Product conveyor systems may serve as barriers as long as they
				reliably and consistently function as a barrier. It must not be possible to move the
				sources out of their shielded position if the door or barrier is open. Opening the
				door or barrier while the sources are exposed must cause the sources to return
				promptly to their shielded position. The personnel entrance door or barrier must
				have a lock that is operated by the same key used to move the sources. The doors and
				barriers must not prevent any individual in the radiation room from
				leaving.
11.8.2 In addition, each
				entrance to a radiation room at a panoramic irradiator must have an independent
				backup access control to detect personnel entry while the sources are exposed.
				Detection of entry while the sources are exposed must cause the sources to return to
				their fully shielded position and must also activate a visible and audible alarm to
				make the individual entering the room aware of the hazard. The alarm must also alert
				at least one other individual who is onsite of the entry. That individual shall be
				trained on how to respond to the alarm and prepared to promptly render or summon
				assistance.
11.8.3 A radiation monitor
				must be provided to detect the presence of high radiation levels in the radiation
				room of a panoramic irradiator before personnel entry. The monitor must be
				integrated with personnel access door locks to prevent room access when radiation
				levels are high. Attempted personnel entry while the monitor measures high radiation
				levels must activate the alarm described in paragraph 11.8.2. The monitor may be
				located in the entrance (normally referred to as the maze) but not in the direct
				radiation beam.
11.8.4 Before the
				sources move from their shielded position in a panoramic irradiator, the source
				control must automatically activate conspicuous visible and audible alarms to alert
				people in the radiation room that the sources will be moved from their shielded
				position. The alarms must give individuals enough time to leave the room before the
				sources leave the shielded position.
11.8.5 Each radiation room at a panoramic
				irradiator must have a clearly visible and readily accessible control that would
				allow an individual in the room to make the sources return to their fully shielded
				position.
11.8.6 Each radiation room of
				a panoramic irradiator must contain a control that prevents the sources from moving
				from the shielded position unless the control has been activated and the door or
				barrier to the radiation room has been closed within a preset time after activation
				of the control.
11.8.7 Each entrance to
				the radiation room of a panoramic irradiator and each entrance to the area within
				the personnel access barrier of an underwater irradiator must be posted as required
				by RHA 3.22. Radiation postings for panoramic irradiators must comply with the
				posting requirements of RHA 3.22, except that signs may be removed, covered, or
				otherwise made inoperative when the sources are fully shielded.
11.8.8 If the radiation room of a panoramic
				irradiator has roof plugs or other movable shielding, it must not be possible to
				operate the irradiator unless the shielding is in its proper location. This
				requirement may be met by interlocks that prevent operation if shielding is not
				placed properly or by an operating procedure requiring inspection of shielding
				before operating.
11.8.9 Underwater
				irradiators must have a personnel access barrier around the pool which must be
				locked to prevent access when the irradiator is not attended. Only operators and
				facility management may have access to keys to the personnel access barrier. There
				must be an intrusion alarm to detect unauthorized entry when the personnel access
				barrier is locked. Activation of the intrusion alarm must alert an individual (not
				necessarily onsite) who is prepared to respond or summon assistance.