AERB/RSD / NLG / PREREQ /2001 Government of India Atomic Energy Regulatory Board Radiological Safety Division PREREQUISITES / GUIDELINES

FOR USERS OF NUCLEONIC GAUGE (S) / ANALYZER (S) FOR COMPLIANCE WITH RADIATION SAFETY REGULATIONS IN FORCE. 1. Type approval of devices Only devices duly type-approved by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) shall be permitted to be procured. 2. Conditions of authorization Conditions for issuance of authorization for the supply of a radioactive material for use in a device: (a) (b) The device shall have been type-approved by AERB. The user shall furnish an undertaking to the following effect:

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv) (v) (vi) (vii)

The user shall apply for authorization to procure and use a radioactive material, addressing it to Head, RSD, AERB, Niyamak Bhavan, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400 094 in the prescribed form, viz., NGU-1 from. The user shall have at least one person appropriately trained in radiological safety, within one year of issuance of the authorization. If a trained person is no longer responsible for radiological safety at the institution, another suitable person shall be trained in radiological safety without delay. The user shall have an appropriate radiation survey instrument within one year of issuance of the authorization. The instruments shall be calibrated at least once a year. Workers at institutions manufacturing nucleonic devices and those working with well-logging sources shall be subject to personal monitoring. The institution shall furnish Proforma A and Proforma B immediately after receiving and installing the devices. The institution shall furnish the status report twice a year, viz., in the first week of January and June without fail. After its useful life, the decayed source and any source, in the possession of the institution, which is no longer in use, shall be returned to the original supplier.

(viii) For disposal, re-export and transport of radioactive sources, the user shall obtain prior clearance from Head, RSD, AERB, Niyamak Bhavan, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400 094. (ix) When representatives of RSD, AERB visit the institutions for the conduct of periodic radiological protection survey of nucleonic gauge installations, such facilities as requested by RSD, AERB to enable the survey to be conducted shall be extended by the user. (x) If an off-normal incident occurs at the institution, potentially or actually involving the device, Head, RSD, the user without any delay shall inform AERB and such measures as recommended by him shall be implemented. (xi) Leak-test shall be carried out as directed by RSD, AERB for all pure beta sources ( except, krypton 85) (xii) The radioactive sources shall be utilized for the authorized purpose only. (xiii) The sources shall not be transferred to any other place or person/institution without obtaining prior permission from Head, RSD, AERB. 3. Training requirements

Every institution using nucleonic gauge(s) / analyzer(s), hereinafter referred to as Nucleonic Device(s) should have at least one trained person who has successfully completed an approved training course on Radiation Safety Aspects of Nucleonic Gauges. In case no trained person is available, the institution should depute an eligible person to attend the next training course to be conducted by this Division. Details of the course, fees etc. can be obtained from Head, Radiological Physics & Advisory Division, CTCRS, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400 094. The persons to be nominated as Radiological Safety Officer (RSO) by a user institution shall successfully complete the applicable course (i.e. Examinations shall be conducted at the end each of the sources.) given below: Users of gamma sources (except Users of
241 241

Am) and well-logging sources : :

NLG course 2-day course

Am, pure sources, ECD and XRF sources

The application for RSO nomination shall be made in the prescribed form in duplicate. 4. Radiation monitors requirements

For users of neutron sources, currently no area monitor is recommended. Only personal monitoring is recommended. However, for gamma and beta sources suitable radiation monitors shall be procured and used. For users of carbon 14, tritium, sulphur 35 and promethium 147 no area monitor is recommended. For other beta sources and gamma sources, suitable monitors shall be procured and used. The monitor models and the names of the manufacturers are given in the table that follows:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source Monitor model Manufacturer --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For gamma sources (except 241 Am) MR 4500 and XRF sources Minirad Digirad Radmon RM 701 Indram IM 702 PDM 103 PRM 125 L TL 103 GM 125 For XRF sources M/s ECIL M/s Pulsecho M/s Pulsecho Nucleonix Systems Pvt Ltd Nucleonix Systems Pvt Ltd PLA Electro Appliances PLA Electro Appliances PLA Electro Appliances PLA Electro Appliances

MR121D M/s ECIL DIGICON (CM710) Nucleonix Systems Pvt Ltd

For pure beta sources & 241 Am - if activity < prescribed limit No monitor is required. - if activity prescribed limit DIGICON (CM710) Nucleonix Systems Pvt Ltd --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In the above table reference made to prescribed limit. This limit applies to the activity of the source. The potential hazard associated with a source of activity less than the prescribed limit is not significant. The prescribed limits on the activity of the sources are given below: Source Prescribed Activity Limit7 (Bq) 10 7 10 8 10 9 10 8 10 10 10 6 10 6 10 6 10 6

32 36

P Cl 45 Ca 55 Fe 63 Ni 85 Kr 90 Sr 204 Tl 241 Am

For other radionuclides, the prescribed activity limit shall be 100 x the exemption limit (vide Table I-1, IAE, BSS, 1996). For the procurement of radiation survey meter you may contact the following addresses.

A)

Marketing Manager ( Instrumentation Group ) Electronics Corporation of India Ltd., IDA, Cherlapalli, Hyderabad 500 062 ( Andhra Pradesh ) M/S Pulsecho Systems, 107, Nirmal Industrial Estate, Sion Fort, Mumbai 400 022 Nucleonix Systems Pvt. Ltd., Plot 167 A & B, IDA Phase II, Cherlapally, Hyderabad : 500 051 (Andhra Pradesh) PLA Electro Appliances Pvt Ltd., Thakore Estate, Kurla-Kilol Road, Vidyavihar ( West ) Mumbai 400 086

MR 121 D MR 4500

B)

Minirad Digirad

C)

Indram IM 702 Radmon RM 701 DIGICON (CM710)

D)

PDM 103 PRM 125 L TL 103 GM 125

5.

Status report on gauges Full inventory and status of Nucleonic Device installations should be sent to this Division in the prescribed proforma viz., RPAD / NLG /PROFORMA (C)/STATUS/ 98 twice in a year, i.e., in the month of January and July without fail.

6.

General instructions Storage: All Nucleonic Devices pending installation should be securely in an exclusive room for security and safety reasons. Full inventory of sources should be maintained at all times. Installations, commissioning and use: The user shall ensure that devices are installed and commissioned by the supplier of the devices or authorized agents thereof. During use of the devices the user shall ensure that there is no permanent occupancy in the immediate vicinity (i.e. within a distance of 3 m) of the installation. Appropriate local procedures shall be so evolved that any one who may have to carry out any work in the immediate vicinity of the gauge installation is required to obtain the prior permission from the RSO of the instillation.

A caution placard shall be placed near the installation of the device and also near the source storage. Specifications for the placard may be obtained from Head, RSD, AERB. If a person, who has been approved as RSO by AERB, is not in a position to function as the RSO, another suitable person who has successfully completed the course shall be nominated as the RSO. The radiation monitor shall be calibrated once in 6 months locally using a check source. If error is observed to be > 30 %, the monitor shall be sent by the user to the supplier for calibration and correction. Servicing Maintenance: It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that the devices are serviced and maintained only by the supplier / authorized agent. Disposal: All Nucleonic Devices which shall not be used in future should be disposed of in consultation with Radiological Safety Division (RSD), AERB. Either the Nucleonic Devices / sources should be returned to the manufacturer in the country of origin after obtaining permission from this Division or should be sent to BARC for disposal with prior permission from this Division. The expenses involved in the disposal will be born by the institution concerned. Kindly note that the source should never be disposed of at user premises. TransportImport, Re-export and local transport:

The user shall obtain instructions for the safe transport of the radioactive material from Head, RSD, AERB prior to undertaking transport of radioactive material. Emergency: An emergency response manual shall be drawn up by the institution specifying action plans for individuals. A model emergency plan may be obtained from Head, RSD, AERB.