ES&H Manual Radiation Control Supplement

Part 3 Entry and Exit Requirements

The degree of personnel entry control should be commensurate with existing and potential radiological hazards within the area.

The Radiation Control Group uses administrative procedures, including incorporation of entry and exit requirements into work control documents, Radiological Work Permits (RWPs) and Radiological Control Operating Procedures (RCOPs), to ensure these requirements are met. These administrative procedures include actions essential to ensure the effectiveness and operability of interlocks, barricades, devices, alarms, locks, and other devices used to control entry and exit for radiological areas.

Under no circumstance shall control(s) be installed at any radiological area exit that would prevent rapid evacuation of personnel under emergency conditions.

331 Controlled Areas

Successful completion of General Employee Radiological Training or the equivalent as approved by the Radiation Control Group is required for unescorted entry into Controlled Areas. Untrained visitors must be escorted at all times while in Controlled Areas. Visitors shall not enter into posted Radiation Areas without the express permission of the Radiation Control Group.

332 Radiological Buffer Areas

332-01) Minimum requirements for unescorted entry into Radiological Buffer Areas shall include the following:

a) Radiological Worker I training.

b) Personnel dosimetry, as defined by a Radiation Control Group member.

332-02) Personnel who exit a Radiological Buffer Area containing, High Contamination Areas, or Airborne Radioactivity Areas should monitor as specified in Article 338.

333 Radioactive Material Areas

General Employee Radiological Training is required for unescorted entry into Radioactive Material Areas. Other requirements may apply depending on the use and quantity of the radioactive material and the dose equivalent rate in the area. These requirements will be contained in the applicable postings for the area.

334 Entry into Radiologically Controlled Areas

Radiologically Controlled Areas (RCAs) are areas where radiological controls are implemented. These controls may include training, dosimetry, work-specific controls, or others. Routine occupancy in RCAs may result in a dose greater than 100 mrem per year to an employee. RCAs may or may not contain Radiation, High Radiation and Very High Radiation Areas, Exclusion Areas, Radioactive Material Areas, and Contamination Areas.

334-01) A “radiological area” is defined as a Radiation Area, High Radiation Area, Very High Radiation Area, Contamination Area, or High Contamination Area, or an Airborne Radioactivity Area. Personnel entry control shall be maintained for each radiological area. The degree of personnel entry control shall be commensurate with existing and potential radiological hazards within the area. One or more of the following methods shall be used to ensure personnel entry control:

a) Signs and barricades;

b) Control devices on entrances;

c) Conspicuous visual and/or audible alarms;

d) Locked entrance ways; or

e) Administrative procedures.

334-02) Written authorizations, such as RWPs, shall be required to control entry into and perform work within radiological areas. These authorizations shall specify radiation protection measures commensurate with the existing and potential hazards.

334-03) Minimum requirements for unescorted entry into a RCA shall include the following:

a) Satisfactory completing of Radiological Worker I Training

b) Properly attached personnel dosimetry

334-04) Minimum requirements for unescorted entry into Radiation Areas shall include the following:

a) Satisfactory completing of Radiological Worker I training

b) Worker's signature on the RWP, as applicable

c) Properly attached personnel dosimetry.

334-05) Physical controls to prevent inadvertent or unauthorized access to High and Very High Radiation Areas shall be maintained in accordance with Appendix 3B. No controls shall be installed at any radiological area exit that would prevent rapid evacuation of personnel under emergency conditions.

334-06) Minimum requirements for entry into High Radiation Areas shall include the following:

a) The area shall be monitored as necessary during access to determine the exposure rates to which the individuals are exposed

b) Satisfactory completing of Radiological Worker I Training

c) Worker's signature on the RWP

d) Properly attached personnel and supplemental dosimeters (for immediate dose estimates)

334-07) In addition to the physical controls to prevent inadvertent or unauthorized access to High and Very High Radiation Areas in accordance with Appendix 3B, the minimum requirements for entry into High Radiation Areas where dose rates exist such that a worker could exceed a whole body dose of 1 rem in one hour shall include the following items in the RWP:

a) A determination of the worker’s current exposure, based on primary and supplemental dosimeter readings

b) Pre-job briefing, as applicable

c) Review and determination by the Radiation Control Group regarding the required level of Radiological Control Technologist coverage.

334-08) Prior to the first entry into any area where a source could create a very high radiation area, a survey shall be made after the source has been secured or shielded to verify the very high radiation field has been terminated. For accelerator enclosure entry after shutdown, a radiation survey begins upon entry to locate radiological areas. This survey also serves as an indicator that the accelerator is shut down and prompt radiation producing operations have terminated. In some cases, such as when access is restricted to an area where activation of accelerator components is negligible, alarming fixed instrumentation or personnel electronic alarming pocket dosimeters may be used to indicate that prompt radiation production has terminated.

334-09) The Crew Chief and the Radiation Control Group shall be notified prior to personnel entry to areas where operational or system changes made by operations personnel could result in significantly increased area dose rates.

334-010) The number, issue, and use of keys shall be strictly controlled where locked entryways are used to control access to High and Very High Radiation Areas. The loss of any key for these areas shall be immediately addressed by the Radiation Control Group.

334-011) Inspections of the physical access controls to accessible High and Very High Radiation Areas shall be made at appropriate intervals to verify controls are adequate to prevent unauthorized entry.

335 Contamination and Airborne Radioactivity Areas

335-01) Minimum requirements for unescorted entry into Contamination Areas shall include the following:

a) Radiological Worker II training

b) Worker’s signature on the RWP, as applicable

c) Protective clothing

d) Personnel dosimetry, as appropriate.

335-02) Minimum requirements for unescorted entry into Airborne Radioactivity Areas shall include the following:

a) Radiological Worker II training

b) Worker’s signature on the RWP

c) Protective clothing and respiratory protection, as specified by the RWP

d) Pre-job briefing for High Contamination or Airborne Radioactivity Areas, as applicable

e) Personnel dosimetry, as appropriate.

335-03) Personnel exiting Contamination or Airborne Radioactivity Areas shall use appropriate monitoring to detect and prevent the spread of contamination. The following will be performed by individuals exiting radiological areas established to control removable contamination and/or airborne radioactivity as appropriate:

a) Remove protective clothing as specified in Appendix 3C

b) Monitor to detect personnel contamination in accordance with Article 338

c) Tools or equipment being removed from the area shall be monitored for release in accordance with Article 421.

335-04) Exit points from Contamination or Airborne Radioactivity Areas should include the following:

a) Step-off pad located outside the exit point, contiguous with the area boundary

b) Step-off pads maintained free of radioactive contamination

c) Labeled containers inside the area boundary for the collection of protective clothing and equipment

d) Contamination monitoring equipment located as close to the step-off pad as background radiation levels permit.

335-05) Multiple step-off pads should be used at the exits from High Contamination Areas. Use of multiple step-off pads is described in Appendix 3C.

335-06) Protective clothing and monitoring requirements specific to benchtop work, laboratory fume hoods, sample stations and gloveboxes are identified in Article 347.

336 Visitor Entry Restrictions

336-01) Signs and training identify area entry requirements and access restrictions for visitors.

336-02) Visitors shall be prevented from entering Radiation Areas, High Radiation Areas, and Very High Radiation Areas and shall be prohibited access to Contaminated, Highly Contaminated, and Airborne Radioactivity Areas.

336-03) Training requirements for visitors are identified in Article 622.

337 Controlling the Spread of Contamination

The following measures should be used to prevent the spread of contamination from Contamination Areas and Airborne Radioactivity Areas:

337-01) Use solid barriers to enclose areas wherever practicable

337-02) Mark and secure items such as hoses and cords that cross the boundary

337-03) Control and direct airflow from areas of lesser to greater removable contamination

337-04) Use engineered controls and containment devices such as glovebags, gloveboxes, tents, and high efficiency particulate air filtering system (HEPA)–filtered ventilation.

338 Monitoring for Personnel Contamination

Jefferson Lab will use appropriate monitoring to detect and prevent the spread of contamination. Monitoring will be performed by individuals exiting radiological areas established to control removable contamination and/or particulate airborne radioactivity.

338-01) Personnel shall perform a whole body survey under the following conditions:

a) Immediately upon exiting Contamination Areas and Airborne Radioactivity Areas (where established for particulate radioactivity)

b) As directed by the RWP or the Radiation Control Group

338-02) In addition to the above, personnel exiting a Contamination, High Contamination or Airborne Radioactivity Areas should, at a minimum, perform a hand and foot frisk.

338-03) Where monitoring cannot be performed at the exit from Contamination Areas or Airborne Radioactivity Areas due to high background radiation levels, personnel shall:

a) Remove all protective equipment and clothing at the exit

b) Proceed directly to the nearest designated monitoring station

c) Conduct a whole body survey.

338-04) Personnel monitoring shall be performed after removal of protective clothing and prior to washing or showering.

338-05) Personnel monitoring shall be performed using instruments that meet the minimum detection requirements of Article 221-02). Guidelines for personnel frisking are provided in Appendix 3D.

338-06) Guidelines for personnel monitoring are provided in Appendix 3D.

338-07) Personal items, such as notebooks, papers and flashlights, shall be subject to the same monitoring requirements as the person carrying them.

338-08) Instructions for personnel monitoring should be posted adjacent to personnel monitoring instruments or monitors.

ISSUING AUTHORITY	CHAPTER AUTHOR	APPROVAL DATE	EFFECTIVE DATE	EXPIRATION DATE	REV.
RadCon Dept	Keith Welch	January 2004	January 2004		3

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