Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 111-8-90-.05 - Radiation Safety Requirements for Particle Accelerators

(1) Scope. This section establishes procedures for the registration and use of particle accelerators for medical and non-medical applications. Additional requirements for medical accelerators are found in Section 111-8-90-.04(18) entitled "Radiation and Electron Therapy Machines with Energies of one MeV and Above."

(2) Registration Requirements. No person shall receive, possess, use, own, or acquire a particle accelerator except as authorized in the accelerator registration issued pursuant to these regulations. The procedures for registration of particle accelerator facilities are included in these regulations.

(3) General Requirements for the Issuance of a Certificate of Registration for Particle Accelerators. In addition to the requirements of .02(1), (2), (6), (7) and (8) of these regulations, the applicant shall submit a supplementary registration application for use of a particle accelerator. Registration will be approved only after the Department determines that:

(a) the applicant is responsible for the use of the accelerator;

(b) the applicant's proposed or existing equipment, facilities, operating and emergency procedures are adequate to protect health and minimize risk to public health and safety or property; and

(c) the issuance of the registration will not be inimical to the health and safety of the public, and the applicant satisfies any applicable special requirement in this section; and

(d) the applicant has appointed, for medical applications, a physician who is designated on the application as the radiation therapist and other such professional staff necessary to the safe operation and use of the accelerator.

(e) The applicant and/or the applicant's staff has experience in the use of particle accelerators and training sufficient for application to its intended uses; and

(f) The applicant has established a radiation safety committee (composed of one or more persons trained or experienced in the safe use of accelerators) to approve, in advance, proposals for uses of particle accelerators; and

(g) The applicant conducts training programs to assure continued competency for operators of particle accelerators; the protocol shall be in writing.

(4) Human Use of Particle Accelerators. In addition to the requirements of .02 of these regulations, a registration for use of a particle accelerator in the healing arts will be issued only if:

(a) The applicant has appointed a medical committee of at least three members to evaluate all proposals for research, diagnostic, and therapeutic use of particle accelerator. Membership of the committee shall include physicians expert in internal medicine, hematology, therapeutic radiology, and the radiological physicist.

(b) The individuals designated on the application as the users are radiation therapists who have substantial training and experience in deep therapy techniques or in the use of particle accelerators to treat humans.

(5) Limitations.

(a) No registrant shall permit any person to act as an operator of a particle accelerator until such person:

1. has been instructed in radiation safety and in operating and emergency procedures; and

2. has received copies of, and instruction in, the applicable requirements of these regulations; and

3. has demonstrated competence to use the particle accelerator, related equipment, and survey instruments which will be employed in their assignment, and be able to demonstrate such knowledge to the Department upon request.

(b) The radiation safety committee, radiological health physicist or the radiation safety officer shall have the authority to terminate the operations at a particle accelerator facility if any one of them deems such action is necessary to protect health and minimize danger to public health and safety or property.

(6) Shielding and Safety Design Requirements. Each particle accelerator installation shall be provided with such primary and/or secondary barriers as are necessary to assure compliance with .03(2)(a) and .03(2)(c) of these regulations. This requirement will be deemed to be met if the barriers are constructed in accordance with NCRP Report No.51.

(7) Particle Accelerator Controls and Interlock Systems.

(a) Instrumentation, readouts, and controls on the particle accelerator control console shall be clearly identified and easily discernible.

(b) Except for portable accelerator, all entrances into a target room or other high radiation area shall be provided with interlocks. When access is gained through any entrance the accelerator shall shut down automatically.

(c) When an interlock system has been tripped, it shall only be possible to resume operation of the accelerator by manually resetting the tripped interlock and initiating starting up procedures at the main control console.

(d) An emergency power cutoff switch shall be located and easily identifiable in all high radiation areas. Such a cutoff switch shall include a manual reset so that the accelerator cannot be restarted from the accelerator control console without resetting the cutoff switch.

(e) Portable accelerators shall be exempt from .06(7)(b) provided that they are not used in one location in excess of 30 days.

(8) Warning Devices.

(a) All locations designated as high radiation areas, and all entrances to such locations, shall be equipped with easily observable red warning lights that operate when, and only when, radiation is being produced.

(b) Except in facilities designed for human exposure, each high radiation area shall have an audible warning device which shall be activated for 15 seconds prior to the possible creation of such high radiation area. Such a warning device shall be clearly discernible in all high radiation areas and all radiation areas.

(c) Barriers, temporary or otherwise, and pathways leading to high radiation areas, shall be identified with caution signs, labels and signals in accordance with .03(4) of these regulations.

(9) Operating Procedures.

(a) Particle accelerators, when not in operation, shall be secured to prevent unauthorized use;

(b) The safety interlock system shall not be used to turn off the accelerator beam except in an emergency;

(c) All safety and warning devices, including interlocks, shall be checked for proper operability at intervals not to exceed one month. Results of such tests shall be maintained at the accelerator facility for inspection by the Department;

(d) Electrical circuit diagrams of the accelerator and the associated interlock systems shall be kept current and available at each accelerator facility;

(e) If, for any reason, it is necessary to intentionally by-pass a safety interlock or interlocks, such action shall be:

1. authorized in writing by the radiation safety committee and/or radiation safety officer; and

2. recorded in a permanent log and a notice posted at the accelerator control console; and

3. terminated as soon as possible.

(f) A copy of the current operating and the emergency procedures shall be maintained at the accelerator control panel and shall include instructions in at least the following:

1. the use of the accelerator in such a manner that no person is likely to be exposed to radiation doses in excess of the limits established in these regulations; and

2. methods and occasions for conducting radiation surveys; and

3. methods for controlling access to high radiation areas; and

4. methods and occasions for locking the control panel of the accelerator; and

5. personnel monitoring and the use of personnel monitoring equipment; and

6. methods for minimizing exposure of individuals in the event of an accident; and

7. the procedures for notifying appropriate persons in the event of an accident; and

8. the maintenance of records.

(10) Radiation Monitoring Requirements.

(a) There shall be available at each particle accelerator facility, appropriate portable monitoring equipment which is operable and has been calibrated for the appropriate radiations being produced at the facility. Such equipment shall be tested for proper operation daily and calibrated at intervals not to exceed one year and after each servicing and/or repair.

(b) Whenever applicable, periodic smear surveys shall be made to determine the degree of contamination in target and other pertinent areas.

(c) Facility shall have a written procedure concerning the conducting of area surveys and radiation protection surveys of the machine and facility shielding.

(d) Records of all radiation protection surveys, calibration results, instrumentation tests, and smear results shall be kept current and on file at each accelerator facility and made available for Departmental inspection.

(11) Ventilation Systems.

(a) Means shall be provided to ensure that personnel entering any area where airborne radioactivity may be produced will not be exposed to airborne radioactive material in excess of those limits specified in Chapter 391-3-17 (Rules and Regulations for Radioactive Materials).

(b) A registrant shall not vent, release or otherwise discharge airborne radioactive material to an uncontrolled area except as authorized pursuant to Chapter 391-3-17.

Notes

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 111-8-90-.05

Ga. L., 1964, pp. 507, 569, 570; O.C.G.A. § 31-13-5.

Original Rule entitled "Radiation Safety Requirements for Particle Accelerators" adopted. F. Oct. 9, 2020; eff. Oct. 29, 2020.