Associate Radiation Safety Specialist

Overview

Performs Routine Radiation Protection Surveys In Campus Radioisotope Laboratories For Compliance With Departmental And State Regulations. All Laboratories Must Be Inspected On a Regular Basis.

• Inspects laboratory’s radiation safety program. Enforces regulations as well as recommends corrective and preventive measures.
• Performs surveys for removable radioactive contamination and radiation levels. Analyze samples using appropriate instrumentation and interprets the results. Follows up on inspection deficiencies until full compliance is achieved.
• Reviews requests for changes in user’s program. This would include: adding/deleting use areas; changing/modifying types and amount of radioactive materials used. Make recommendations to the Radiation Safety Manager.
• Prepare reports for approval by various oversight committees (Radiation Safety Committee, Reactor Decommissioning Safety Committee, etc.) and the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO).
• Provides overall management of and leads the Department s educational programs:
  Conducts the EH&S "New User Orientation" program. Recommends improvements, updates course material as appropriate.
• Develops training material and participates in annual retraining sessions for radiological workers.
• Receives and processes incoming radioisotope shipments. Verifies that user can receive radioactive materials.
• Checks package for external and internal contamination. Decontaminates package if required, reports problem to vendor.
• Enters inventory information into electronic database and arranges delivery of the package to user in accordance with Department of Transportation regulations.
• Issues/collects personnel monitoring devices to individuals requiring them and maintains associated records. Dosimeters are exchanged on a monthly or bi-monthly frequency.
• Performs overall management of Campus radioactive source inventory and leak testing programs.
• Receives and processes radioactive waste for disposal according to State and Federal guidelines. Waste is processed every week.
• Performs oversight of the routine inspection of all dental x-ray machines, electron microscopes, x-ray diffraction machines and other radiation producing machines.
• Schedules and performs bioassays when required to determine any intake of radioactive material inside the body.
• Performs instrument calibration and quality control/performance testing of equipment at regular intervals. All equipment must be calibrated at least annually.