Radiation Guide 1.3 - Guide and Application for Licenses to use Sealed Sources in Measuring, Gauging, Controlling Devices (Gauges), at Fixed Locations and Bench Top X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzers

  1. Purpose of Guide/Application

    This guide describes procedures for use and control over devices which contain radioactive sources. Licenses are required for all such devices in order to properly control them, and to ensure that they are accounted for at all times and properly disposed of when no longer needed.

    This guide describes a radioactive device control program which an applicant may adopt by signing the application page 6. The signed guide then becomes your application and should be mailed to the address below, along with a check in the amount of $3,000, made out to the Department of Health. This fee will be payable every three years upon license renewal.

    You should keep a copy of the signed guide/application, and provide a copy to your radiation safety officer. You and your radiation safety officer will be responsible for ensuring that the radiation protection program described in the guide/application is implemented.

    When your application is approved, you will receive a license containing numbered paragraphs, or "license conditions." These will repeat the requirements of this guide, and state some additional limitations and requirements to make sure radioactive devices are used safely. You must ensure that your radiation safety officer enforces these requirements.

    Your premises will be inspected periodically by a representative of this office to assess compliance with requirements, and to recommend possible improvements to your program.

  2. Policies and Procedures
    1. Radiation Safety Officer. You must designate someone in your company to oversee your radiation protection program and be responsible to you for its implementation. This person's name and telephone number must be entered on line 5 of the application page (page 6). If this person leaves your company you must notify us promptly and designate a new Radiation Safety Officer.
    2. Appendix I to this guide/application contains an explanation of the requirements, or license conditions, that will be a part of your license when it is issued. A sample license is enclosed so that you can review it along with the explanation.

      Your signature on the application page constitutes a commitment to comply with those requirements. You and your radiation safety officer should review these requirements to be sure that you understand them, and plan for their implementation.

    3. Once your license is issued, you may obtain any radioactive device for use at a fixed location, which is authorized for distribution to general or specific licensees by an Agreement State or the U.S. NRC, without prior approval from this office.
    4. You must submit to this office an accurate annual inventory of all devices possessed under the license (see the explanation of license condition (19) for details).
    5. You must perform, or have performed, certain tests and checks on devices (see the explanation of license conditions (17) and (18) for details). The required "leak test" sample must be analyzed by a person or company licensed by the USNRC or a state to perform such analysis.
    6. Under this license you are not authorized to install, remove or reinstall devices.

      If you want authorization to remove or reinstall devices, you must have access to a properly calibrated survey meter, and make surveys of devices to ensure that the shutter is closed before handling the device. The shutter must be locked in the closed position before surveying or handling the device.

      You should contact this office to have your license modified to allow these activities. At that time you will be required to submit the make and model of the survey meter that will be used, the training of the person(s) who will perform the surveys and the arrangements you will make to have the meter calibrated annually.

    7. Emergency Procedures. Employees must be instructed in the actions to take if they observe a problem with a device. Any apparent malfunctions or radiation exposure to individuals must be reported to this office (see also the explanation of license conditions 21 and 22) by telephone, at the following numbers:

      Daytime: (518) 402-7550
      After-hours: (518) 292-2200 (State Warning Point)

  3. Submitting Your Application

    After reading this guide and reviewing all requirements, you should sign the Application Page (last page), and make copies of the entire guide and application for your records.

    The signed original should be mailed to the address below, along with a check for $3,000 made out to the Department of Health. You will receive your license within ten (10) days of our receipt of your application.

    MAILING ADDRESS:

    State of New York Department of Health
    Bureau of Environmental Radiation Protection
    Industrial Unit
    547 River Street
    Troy, New York 12180-2216

Appendices

The Appendices can be found on pages 4-10 of Radiation Guide 1.3 which is available in Portable Document Format (PDF, 42KB, 10pg.)