Washington Administrative Code › Title 246 - Health, Department of › RADIATION › Chapter 246-236 - Licenses and radiation safety requirements for irradiators › DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR IRRADIATORS › Section 246-236-023 - Access control

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) Each
				  entrance to a radiation room at a panoramic or beam-type 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.
(2) In addition, each entrance to a radiation
				  room at a panoramic or beam-type 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 on-site of the
				  entry. That individual shall be trained on how to respond to the alarm and
				  prepared to promptly render or summon assistance.
(3) A radiation monitor must be provided to
				  detect the presence of high radiation levels in the radiation room of a
				  panoramic or beam-type 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 subsection (2) of
				  this section. The monitor may be located in the entrance (normally referred to
				  as the maze) but not in the direct radiation beam.
(4) Before the sources move from their
				  shielded position in a panoramic or beam-type 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.
(5) Each radiation room at a panoramic or
				  beam-type 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.
(6) Each
				  radiation room of a panoramic or beam-type 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.
(7) Each entrance to the radiation room of a
				  panoramic or beam-type irradiator and each entrance to the area within the
				  personnel access barrier of an underwater irradiator must be posted as required
				  by WAC
				  246-221-120.
				  Radiation postings for panoramic or beam-type irradiators must comply with the
				  posting requirements of WAC
				  246-221-120,
				  except that signs may be removed, covered, or otherwise made inoperative when
				  the sources are fully shielded.
(8)
				  If the radiation room of a panoramic or beam-type 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.
(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 on-site) who is prepared to respond or
				  summon assistance.