Title: |
Radiological Control Standards |
Publication date: |
10/30/2020 |
Effective date: |
10/30/2020 |
BRIEF
Policy Summary
This policy describes Berkeley Lab's approach to ensuring personnel radiation exposures remain below the occupational dose limits set by 10 CFR 835, Occupational Radiation Protection.
Who Should Read This Policy
All persons who plan to work in or near an area controlled for radiological protection or who plan to work with or support work with radiation-generating devices or radiological materials
To Read the Full Policy, Go To:
The POLICY tab on this wiki page
To Read the ES&H Program Details, Go To:
ES&H Manual Chapter 21
David Kestell
Radiological Control Manager
Environment, Health, and Safety Division
Environment, Waste, and Radiation Protection Department
djkestell@lbl.gov
Title: |
Radiological Control Standards |
Publication date: |
10/30/2020 |
Effective date: |
10/30/2020 |
POLICY
A. Purpose
This policy describes Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's (Berkeley Lab's) approach to ensuring personnel radiation exposures remain below the occupational dose limits set by 10 CFR 835, Occupational Radiation Protection.
B. Persons Affected
All persons who plan to work in or near an area controlled for radiological protection or who plan to work with or support work with radiation-generating devices or radiological materials
C. Exceptions
Not applicable
D. Policy Statement
To accomplish DOE's objective of maintaining individual doses well below regulatory limits (see the REFERENCE TABLE tab on this wiki page), Berkeley Lab has established administrative control levels below the regulatory limits. These control levels are indicated in Table 1 below, and are multi-tiered with increasing levels of authority required to approve higher administrative control levels.
Table 1. Summary of Berkeley Lab Administrative Control Levels
RPG will investigate any abnormal or unanticipated personnel exposure exceeding any of the administrative control levels.
D.1 Occupational Dose Limits
- Radiation Workers: Radiation workers shall maintain their radiation exposures as low as reasonably achievable and within the administrative control levels described above. Dose limits are shown in Table R1, under the REFERENCE TABLE tab on this wiki page.
- Workers Under 18 Years Old: No one under 18 years old (minors) should be employed in or allowed to enter any Radiological Area or work with radioactive material where he or she can receive a total of more than 0.1 rem (1 millisievert [mSv]) per year from both internal and external doses. The dose equivalent received by minors shall not exceed 0.1 rem (1 mSv) per year based on the sum of both internal and external doses.
- Declared Pregnant Radiation Worker: No declared pregnant radiation worker may receive more than 0.5 rem (5 mSv) during the nine-month gestation period.
- Non-Employees and Visitors
- The dose equivalent received by members of the public during direct on-site access shall not exceed 0.1 rem (1 mSv) per year based on the sum of both internal and external doses.
- Contract personnel are the responsibility of their employers and are obligated by contract to comply with all pertinent DOE and Berkeley Lab safety and health regulations and requirements, including restrictions on personnel under 18 years of age.
E. Roles and Responsibilities
Role |
Responsibility |
Deputy Director for Operations |
Reviews and approves (or denies) requests to exceed administrative control levels |
Line manager |
Reviews and approves (or denies) requests to exceed administrative control levels |
Radiation Protection Group (RPG) |
Investigates any abnormal or unanticipated personnel exposure exceeding any of the administrative control levels |
Radiological Control Manager (RCM) |
Reviews and approves (or denies) requests to exceed administrative control levels |
Supervisor, leads, managers |
Frequently monitor their employees' radiation doses and working environment to establish good ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) work practices |
Workers |
Monitor and minimize their own radiation exposure through good ALARA work practices |
F. Definitions/Acronyms
Term |
Definition |
As low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) |
An approach to radiological management and control that aims to keep exposures (individual and collective) of the workforce and of the general public at levels as low as reasonably achievable, taking into account social, technical, economic, practical, and public policy considerations |
Declared pregnant radiation worker |
A radiation worker who has voluntarily informed her employer in writing of her pregnancy and the estimated date of conception |
Radiation worker |
A worker whose job assignment requires work on, with, or in the proximity of radiation-producing machines or radioactive materials, or has the potential for being exposed to more than 0.1 rem (1 millisievert) per year, which is the sum of the dose equivalent from external irradiation and the committed effective dose equivalent from internal irradiation. A radiation worker may also be referred to as a "radiological worker" or a "rad worker." |
Radiological Area |
Any area within a Controlled Area that is required by 10 CFR 835 to be posted as a Radiation Area, High Radiation Area, Very High Radiation Area, Contamination Area, High Contamination Area, or Airborne Radioactivity Area |
G. Recordkeeping Requirements
The care, maintenance, and disposition of RPG records will be done in accordance with Berkeley Lab records management policies and procedures, as listed in the Requirements and Policies Manual (PUB-201).
H. Implementing Documents
Document number |
Title |
Type |
07.08.001.001 |
Radiation Protection Program |
Program |
|
Radiological Control Manual |
Manual |
David Kestell
Radiological Control Manager
Environment, Health, and Safety Division
Environment, Waste, and Radiation Protection Department
djkestell@lbl.gov
J. Revision History
Date |
Revision |
By whom |
Revision Description |
Section(s) affected |
Change Type |
11/4/2013 |
0 |
Q. Le |
Re-write for wiki |
All |
Major |
| 3/8/2017 |
0.1 |
M. Stoufer |
Update "Chief Operating Officer" position title to "Deputy Director for Operations" |
All |
Editorial |
| 10/30/2020 |
1 |
K. Heinzelman |
Minor updates for clarity |
D.1, E, F, H |
Minor |
FEDERAL EXPOSURE LIMITS TABLE
The following table, which is taken from 10 CFR 835, lists the federal exposure limits for general employees, declared pregnant workers, minors, and visitors/the public. The reader may also wish to review the Radiation Protection Program details and the particular cited references.
Table R1. Federal Exposure Limits
TYPE OF EXPOSURE |
LIMIT |
General employee: Whole body (internal + external) |
5 rem/year |
General employee: Lens of the eye (external) |
15 rem/year |
General employee: Skin and extremities (external shallow dose plus internal dose resulting in dose to the skin) |
50 rem/year |
General employee: Any organ or tissue (other than lens of eye) (internal + external) |
50 rem/year |
Declared pregnant worker: Embryo/fetus (internal + external) |
0.5 rem/gestation period |
Minors: Whole body (internal + external) |
0.1 rem/year |
Visitors (not completed training) and public: Whole body (internal + external) |
0.1 rem/year |
