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RADIATION SAFETY TRAINING MANUAL

CHAPTER 8
RECORD KEEPING

CHAPTER 8 Table Of Contents

A. UCSF RADIOISOTOPE USAGE FORM

B. RADIOISOTOPE INVENTORY

C. WIPE SURVEY RECORDS

Figure 8.1 UCSF Radioisotope Usage Form

The use of radioactive materials at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is subject to strict controls regarding their receipt, usage, and disposal. Meticulous records must be kept to document adherence to the requirements. Each laboratory authorized to use radioactive materials is provided with a Radiation Safety Logbook to simplify the maintenance of required records and to expedite auditing by the Radiation Safety Office or inspection by the State.

Given below are three important record keeping elements, but the logbook should be reviewed to see the entire record keeping program for a laboratory (e.g. instrument calibrations, sealed source leak tests, personnel monitoring records).

A. UCSF RADIOISOTOPE USAGE FORM

Each laboratory must maintain records of incoming shipments, usage, and disposal of radioactive materials. Completing the information requested on the Radioisotope Usage Form largely satisfies these requirements.

Prior to delivery to the laboratory, each radioisotope vial is assigned a unique number that is also recorded on the Radioisotope Usage Form. The form should be kept in a convenient location so that it can be easily completed whenever a radioisotope is withdrawn from the vial. The number on the vial should be checked to ensure that the correct form is completed. When use of the vial is completed, the form can be filed. Every user is responsible for ensuring that the Radioisotope Usage Form is properly completed each time that radioisotopes are used.

To simplify record keeping, radioactive decay is not considered when recording the activity of radioisotopes. For example, consider a 1 mCi shipment of ³²P that is received and used throughout the course of a week: 100 uCi used on day 1; 250 uCi used on day 2; and 100 uCi used on day 5; then the balance on hand on day 5 would be recorded as 550 uCi. In short, if 1,000 uCi was received by the lab, records should account for 1,000 uCi leaving the laboratory.

A copy of the Radioisotope Usage Form is given in Figure 8.1.

B. RADIOISOTOPE INVENTORY

Each laboratory must submit an inventory to the Radiation Safety Office every three months listing the types and quantities of radioactive material in the laboratory. The inventory is used to document that UCSF is not exceeding the possession limits authorized by the State and to verify that each laboratory is not exceeding their individual possession limits.

C. WIPE SURVEY RECORDS

A comprehensive contamination control program is necessary to assure that spilled radioactive material does not expose ourselves or others, get tracked outside of the laboratory, get taken home with workers, or contaminate equipment or people. You should carefully survey the work area after every use of radioactive materials. If contamination is found, it should be promptly cleaned.

Figure 8.1 UCSF Radioisotope Usage Form

BLDG./RM. # ___________

UCSF RADIOISOTOPE USAGE FORMRUA#VIAL # _______

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: ____________________ Lab. Receipt date: _______ Received by: __________________

1. RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS RECEIVED

2. SURVEY RESULTS

Wipe Test (cpm), Bkgd. ____________, surface ____, vial ____. Exp. Rate (mR/hr): ____, Bkgd: ________

Surface _______, lm _______

Tech. Name: _______________________________

3. USAGE 4. METHOD OF DISPOSAL

L=Liquid;D=Dry;V=LSC Vials;B=Biological;ABS=Absorbed Liquid

The contamination limit for uncontrolled areas is 2 x background. An uncontrolled area is any area that access is not restricted to radioisotope users. However, all floors are considered uncontrolled areas. Examples of uncontrolled areas include:

1. Outside refrigerators, especially handles.

 

2. Fume hoods (outside surfaces of sashes).

 

3. Floors under fume hoods and lab benches.

 

4. Lab benches (including under absorbent paper).

 

5. Doorways to uncontrolled areas.

 

6. Telephones.

 

7. Desks and chairs.

 

8. Exterior surfaces of waste containers.

 

9. Exterior surfaces of centrifuges, LSC, and other equipment (knobs, handles).

The contamination limit for controlled areas is 25 x background. A controlled area is any area that access is restricted to radioisotope users only. Examples of controlled areas are:

1. The inside of fume hoods (inside of sashes, bottom surface of the hood, side and back panels).

 

2. Inside of centrifuges.

 

3. Inside of radioactive waste containers, and storage areas.

These areas must be clearly labeled with CAUTION - RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL signs.

Records of weekly or monthly wipe surveys must be available for review by the Radiation Safety Office. Weekly records are required for those labs authorized to use 100 uCi or more per experiment and monthly records are required when less than 100 uCi per experiment has been authorized.

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