Ionising Radiation
Background
Ionising radiations (IR) occurs as either electromagnetic rays (such as X-rays and gamma rays) or particles (such as alpha and beta particles). IR occurs naturally (e.g. from the radioactive decay of natural radioactive substances, such as radon gas and its decay products) but can also be produced artificially.
There is a prescriptive set of environmental and safety regulations that our processes and procedures address. These include, but are not limited to:
- Appointment of key radiation pretention roles including a Radiation Protection Advisor (RPA) to provide expert advice to the University and Radiation Protection Supervisors (RPS) in specific areas, wherever ionizing radiation is used.
- Produce local rules for each area involved in radiation work.
- Obtain appropriate permits and provide appropriate notifications to the regulators.
- Provide training to staff who work with radiation.
- Monitor potential exposures to employees who work with radiation.
- Overall governance provided by the Radiation Safety Committee.
- Dispose of radioactive waste in line with University permits.
QMUL Documents
- Queen Mary Ionising Radiation Policy, Guidance and Arrangements [PDF 999KB]
- Ionising Radiation Work Activities Framework Template [DOC 313KB]
- Ionising Radiation Risk Assessment Template
- Uranyl Acetate - Waste Disposal Procedure [DOC 21KB]
- RPS Appointment Form
- Tritium and Carbon-14 Wipe Test Procedure [DOC 33KB]
- Isostock Activation Guidance
- QMUL_HS_203 Radiation Labs_Inspection hardcopy folder content_Feb 2019 [DOC 38KB]
- Checklist RPS Supervision of local rules.
- Local Rules Template
- RPS Training and Competency Log
Primary legislation
- The Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017, Approved Code of Practice and Guidance
- The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, Guidance
- The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009
References
Contacts
For Advice and Assistance at QMUL, contact the H&S Manager / Advisor for your Faculty / PS or the subject lead at http://www.hsd.qmul.ac.uk/contact-us/
All H&S staff can be contacted via the help desk at hs-helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk