Laboratory Personnel - Radiation

Resources and trainings are separated into the type of lab or hazards associated with each type of lab. Find the category that best matches your lab and associated hazards.

Trainings

Radiation Safety X-ray (refresher)

Required annual review for personnel (PI’s and lab staff) who will continue work with X-ray equipment.

Radiation Safety X-ray (initial)

Required orientation for lab staff who work with X-ray equipment.

Radiation Safety Nuclear Gauge (refresher)

Required annual review for personnel who will continue work with nuclear gauges.

Radiation Safety Nuclear Gauge (initial)

Required orientation for personnel who will work with nuclear gauges.

Radiation Safety Awareness

Required for staff who perform duties near licensed dispensable radioactive material, nuclear gauges, or X-ray equipment.

Radiation Safety Authorized User Orientation

Required orientation for principal investigators who will work with licensed dispensable radioactive material and/or X-ray equipment.

Radiation Safety (refresher)

Required annual review for personnel (PI’s and lab staff) who will continue work with licensed dispensable radioactive material.

Radiation Safety (initial)

Required orientation for lab staff who work with licensed dispensable radioactive material.

Resources

Radiological Safety

Utah State University is licensed to use radioactive materials and devices by Utah’s Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control. Under this license, authority to review and approve campus uses of regulated radiological materials and devices is generally delegated to the Radiation Safety Committee (RSC).

The license also establishes a Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) for implementation of a Radiation Safety Program, as well as to ensure that work related exposures are As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA).

The use of radioisotopes is tightly controlled, and all persons using them must be registered and properly trained.

This license is available for review, upon request, at the Environmental Health and Safety Offices during normal business hours.

Additional Resources

• Radiation Safety Handbook (PDF)
• Materials or Equipment Order Form (PDF)
• Materials Use Application (DOC)
• Device Use Application (DOC)
• Radiation Awareness Guide (PDF)

Radiological Spill Guidelines

Promptly contact the Radiation Safety Officer if:

• 1 milli-Curie or more of radioactive material is spilled,
• A person becomes contaminated with radioactive material,
• Spilled radioactive material becomes fixed to a surface,
• Radioactive material volatizes or becomes airborne outside a fume hood, or
• You would like our assistance with resolving a radiological spill.

Radiological Spill Guidelines Information

Radiological Waste (Hazardous Waste)

Research is often made possible or enhanced by the use of radioisotopes. Some radiological waste generation is inevitable from manipulation of dispensable materials, expired sealed sources and defective X-Ray equipment. Such waste must be handled and disposed of according to state and federal regulations. The EHS Office provides support for collection, storage and disposal of radioactive waste. Visit the Hazardous Waste Pickup page for more information and or visit the EHS Assistant site to schedule for your hazardous waste to be removed.

Non-Ionizing Radiation and Radio Frequency (RF)

Non-ionizing electro-magnetic (EM) radiation lacks enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from their orbits around an atom’s nucleus. Examples of this radiation include microwave, radio-frequency (RF), infrared light (IR), visible light, extremely low frequency (ELF) fields, and fields produced by video display terminals. Extremely low frequency fields are produced by basic building electrical current. Ionizing radiation is radiation with enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from their orbits around an atom’s nucleus when the two interact.

Non-ionizing forms of EM energy are generally not dangerous, with some exceptions:

• High-energy radio waves microwaves and IR light can cause destructive heating of biological tissue;
• Intense visible light can cause blindness; and
• Intense UV can cause blindness and superficial skin burns in high doses over a short period of time. Skin cancer and cataracts of the eye at lower doses over long periods of time are also associated hazards.

Harmful effects of long-term exposure to moderate-to-intense radio-frequency (RF) fields and ELF fields are still being debated.