New Radiation Usage
Faculty and staff who seek to become Principal Investigators (PIs) with authorization to purchase and use sealed and/or unsealed radiation sources must follow an application process initiated through the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) and the Radiation Safety Committee composed of NCSU faculty members who are currently authorized PIs.
Application Process
In general, application for authorization to use radioactive materials (excluding human or animal use) requires the submission of four forms:
- RS 01 – Application for Non-Human Use of Radioactive Material
- RS 02 – Training, Experience, Laboratory Staff, and Equipment Addenda
- RS 03* – Radiation Safety Training and Experience
- RS 04* – Dosimetry Service Request and Exposure History Form
* Forms RS 03 and RS 04 may be required for technical staff and other personnel as well.
Additional Requirements
All lab workers must attend radiation safety training prior to being potentially exposed to radiation sources. Note that there are different training sessions depending on the type of potential radiation exposure (e.g., X-ray instrumentation versus radioactive materials use). Lab workers should register for the proper radiation safety training session. See our Training Guide for more information on course registrations and training selection.
Log of Use Form (RS 8)
This form logs the use of unsealed radioactive materials in the laboratory by tracking the consumption of such material during experiments and its subsequently transferred into radiation waste containers. Once the primary vial of radioactive material is empty, send this form to the Radiation Safety Office for inventory adjustment. Maintain a copy in the PI’s lab for inspection purposes.
Lab Survey Form (RS 9)
This form is used for monthly contamination surveys in laboratories with unsealed radioactive material. A schematic diagram of the lab should be drawn and swiped areas should be identified. For those labs requiring removable contamination surveys, a copy of the liquid scintillation counting results must be attached to the diagram and filed in the lab’s Radiation Safety notebook for review during quarterly (3-month frequency) inspections by Radiation Safety staff.
Pregnancy Declaration Form (RS 11)
This form is used by a radiation worker to formally make a voluntary pregnancy notification directly to the Radiation Safety staff. Pregnancy declaration is solely left to the radiation worker’s discretion, but is highly recommended both for the well-being of the worker and the developing fetus. This declaration should be made as soon as the radiation worker is aware of the pregnancy. Other paperwork and further consultation may be required if the radiation worker decides to submit the declaration form.