Management of Radioactive Material Safety Programs at Medical Facilities

A Task Force, comprising eight U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and two Agreement State program staff members, developed the guidance contained in this report. This report describes a systematic approach for effectively managing radiation safety programs at medical facilities. This is accomplished by defining and emphasizing the roles of an institution's executive management, radiation safety committee, and radiation safety officer. Various aspects of program management are discussed and guidance is offered on selecting the radiation safety officer, determining adequate resources for the program, using such contractual services as consultants and service companies, conducting audits, and establishing the roles of authorized users and supervised individuals; NRC's reporting and notification requirements are discussed, and a general description is given of how NRC's licensing, inspection and enforcement programs work. The appendices present detailed guidance on specific aspects of a radiation safety program, including a glossary that defines terms used in this report and an annotated bibliography prepared by the Radiological Sciences Division of Brookhaven National Laboratory.NRC's statutory authority is limited to byproduct material; therefore, the guidance in this report is primarily directed toward the safe use of such material in medical facilities. However, the management principles discussed could be applied to managing the safe use of other sources of radiation within a medical facility.The guidance contained herein does not represent new or proposed regulatory requirements, and licensees will not be inspected against any portion of it. In accordance with NRC usage, the word "should" is used when discussing or referencing NRC regulations. Additionally, regulatory compliance with all applicable regulations is not assured by licensees who adopt any portion of, or apply the principles described in, this report.