Radiation Safety Committee

The Radiation Safety Committee shall advise the President, Provost, and Director of OEHS on policy matters concerned with the protection of personnel from radiation. The Committee shall recommend to the President, Provost, and Director of OEHS guidelines relating to procedures and facilities used in research laboratories, including such matters as safety training and health surveillance.

The Committee shall oversee the activities of Radiation Safety, (i) reviewing its objectives and performance goals, (ii) monitoring its progress in meeting those objectives and goals, and (iii) recommending changes in that section's organization and activities as it may find necessary.

The Committee shall meet regularly (usually monthly) to receive progress and to advise on specific safety issues as well as on general safety policy.

The Committee shall offer its counsel to all University personnel regarding matter of radiation safety. The President and Provost may ask the committee to inform the community about developments in the general area of radiation safety.

On matters of oversight which involve the evaluation of performance by the section of Radiation Safety, the Committee may, at the discretion of the chair, meet in executive session; in such cases the Radiation Safety Officer and the Director of OEHS shall be excused from participation and voting.

The Radiation Safety Committee is also responsible to carry out the duties related to the University's Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license. These are as follows:

Charge: The Committee shall:

• Ensure that NRC licensed material and other sources of radiation will be used safely. This includes review, as necessary, of training programs, equipment, facilities and procedures.
• Ensure that licensed material is used in compliance with NRC regulations and the institution's license.
• Ensure that the use of licensed material is consistent with the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) philosophy.
• Identify program problems and recommend solutions.
• Ensure that the institution's byproduct material license is amended, if required.

Responsibilities: The Committee shall:

• Be familiar with all pertinent NRC regulations.
• Review the training and experience of proposed authorized users and the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO), to determine that their qualifications are sufficient to enable the individuals to perform their duties safety, and are in accordance with regulations and the license.
• Review, on the basis of safety, and approve or deny, consistent with the limitations of the regulations and the license, all requests for authorization to use radioactive material within the institution.
• Review the RSO's periodic summary report of the occupational radiation exposure records of all personnel.
• Review programs to ensure that all persons whose duties may require them to work in, or frequent areas where radioactive material are use (e.g. security, housekeeping, physical plant) are appropriately instructed as required by the NRC regulations.
• Review, at least annually, the RSO's report of the radiation safety program to determine that activities are being conducted safely, in accordance with NRC regulations and the conditions of the license.
• Recommend remedial action to correct deficiencies identified in the radiation safety program.
• Maintain written minutes of all Committee meetings.