Washington Administrative Code › Title 246 - Health, Department of › RADIATION › Chapter 246-236 - Licenses and radiation safety requirements for irradiators › OPERATION OF IRRADIATORS › Section 246-236-059 - Detection of leaking sources

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1)
				  Each dry-source-storage sealed source must be tested for leakage at intervals
				  not to exceed six months using a leak test kit or method approved by the NRC or
				  an agreement 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
				  may not be used until tested. The test must be capable of detecting the
				  presence of two hundred becquerels (five-thousandths microcurie) of radioactive
				  material and must be performed by a person approved by the NRC or an agreement
				  state to perform the test.
(2) For
				  pool irradiators, sources may not be put into the pool unless the licensee
				  tests the sources for leaks or has a certificate from a transferor that leak
				  test has been done within the six months before the transfer. Water from the
				  pool must 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 must be available within twenty-four hours. If the licensee uses a
				  radiation monitor on a pool water circulating system, the detection of above
				  normal radiation levels must activate an alarm. The alarm set-point must 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 clean up contamination in the pool if specifically
				  provided for in written emergency procedures.
(3) 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 an NRC or an agreement state
				  licensee that is authorized to perform these functions. The licensee shall
				  promptly check its personnel, equipment, facilities, and irradiated product for
				  radioactive contamination. No product may 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 must be performed promptly. If contaminated
				  equipment, facilities, or products are found, the licensee shall arrange to
				  have them decontaminated or disposed of by an NRC or an agreement state
				  licensee that is authorized to perform these functions. If a pool is
				  contaminated, the licensee shall arrange to clean the pool until the
				  contamination levels do not exceed the appropriate concentration in WAC
				  246-221-290
				  in column 2 of Table II "Effluent Concentration." The licensee shall comply
				  with the reporting requirements of WAC
				  246-221-250,
				  246-221-260,
				  and
				  246-221-265.