Further information
This policy particularly applies to employees and students whilst performing tasks using equipment or substances that fall into the following categories.
- Laboratory Emergency Response Procedures
- X-ray equipment
- Radioactive materials
- Lasers
- Ultraviolet light / Transilluminators
- Radiofrequency radiation
- Microwave ovens and radiation
- Nuclear moisture gauges / density gauge guidelines
- Electric and magnetic fields
- Personal radiation monitoring
- School Radiation Safety Officers
- Laser Safety Officers
The University is committed to ensuring the safety, health and security of staff, students and others who are on University premises and are working with ionising or non-ionising radiation.
Under these circumstances there are special risks because of the nature of the hazard. These risks may have implications for those directly exposed or their offspring, and may become apparent in the short term or only after an extended period of time.
Legislation
The Radiation Safety Act 1975 and the Radiation Safety (General) Regulations (1983-1997) provide a number of restrictions to the use of potentially hazardous radiation producing equipment. The Act is administered by the Radiological Council, a statutory body set up under the Act.
The Act and Regulations refer extensively to current Australian,/New Zealand Standards and National Health and Medical Research Council codes.
Responsibilities
The responsibility for implementation of the following general procedures rests with the relevant Heads of Schools, managers and supervisors. Each workplace is responsible for preparing and enforcing its own procedures and for informing, instructing, training and supervising staff and students whose activities are affected by this policy.
To help Heads of School maintain radiation safety within their schools, the University has nominated School Radiation Safety Officers (RSO) and Laser Safety Officers.
Staff and students are required to comply with the workplace procedures and to report any accidents or incidents and also any safety, health or security concerns. Each individual is responsible for taking reasonably practicable steps to ensure their own safety and personal security when working with radiation.
The registrant and Radiation Safety Officer, under the general regulations, are required to institute and maintain a system of radiation safety at the University.
In particular, the registrant must appoint an RSO and a radiation safety committee to perform duties imposed regarding radiation safety as below:
- prepare working rules for the safe use and operation of radiation
- ensure that the regulator is fully informed of radiation usage at the University
- ensure that appropriate safety devices, equipment, radiation monitoring and surveying devices are available, regularly tested and in good order
- provide medical examination of radiation workers where necessary
- maintain all records required by the Act and Regulations to be kept by the registrant
- ensure that any conditions, restrictions or limitations imposed on the registration are complied with
- notify the registrant of any suspected or known contravention of the Regulations and Act
- if any person is unnecessarily exposed to radiation, evaluate the radiation dose received by that person
- notify the registrant of radiation doses which exceeds the limits or any abnormal or unplanned radiation exposure
- ensure relevant radiation users have the appropriate licences or are under the supervision of a licensed user.
Procedures
Authority
All personnel working with radiation must have received appropriate training in relation to the hazard. Unauthorised use of radiation is not permitted within the University.
The radiation work to be conducted must first have a risk assessment performed on it.
Training
Each workplace area is responsible for preparing and enforcing their own procedures and for informing, instructing, training and supervising staff and students in these. Assistance with this is available from Safety and Health.
References
- Radiation Safety Act 1975
- Radiation Safety (General) Regulations 1983
- Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984
- Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996
- Australian /New Zealand Standards 2243.1:1997. Safety in Laboratories. Part 1.
- Australian /New Zealand Standards 2211:1997. Laser Safety.
University information
CRICOS Code: 00126G
