Radiation Safety Definitions

Front 1

Adult

Back 1

an individual 18 or more years of age.

Front 2

Agreement State

Back 2

any state with which the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission or the U.S.Atomic Energy Commission has entered into an effective agreement under subsection 274.b of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended.Non-agreement State means any other state.

Front 3

Airborne Radioactive Material

Back 3

any radioactive material dispersed in the air in the form of dusts,fumes, particulates, mists, vapors, or gases.

Front 4

Area of Use

Back 4

a portion of a physical structure that has been set aside for the purpose of receiving, using, or storing radioactive material.

Front 5

As Low As Is Reasonably Achievable (ALARA

Back 5

making every reasonable effort to maintain exposures to radiation as far below the dose limits in these regulations as is practical, consistent with the purpose for which the licensed or registered activity is undertaken, taking into account the state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation to state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation to benefits to the public health and safety, and other societal and socioeconomic considerations, and in relation to utilization of nuclear energy and licensed or registered sources of radiation in the public interest.

Front 6

Absorbed Dose

Back 6

the energy imparted by ionizing radiation per unit mass of irradiated material. The units of absorbed dose are the rad and the gray (Gy).

Front 7

Activity

Back 7

the rate of disintegration or transformation or decay of radioactive material. The units of activity are the becquerel (Bq) and the curie (Ci).

Front 8

Background Radiation

Back 8

radiation from cosmic sources; naturally occurring radioactive materials,including radon, except as a decay product of source or special nuclear material, and including global fallout as it exists in the environment from the testing of nuclear explosive devices or from past nuclear accidents, such as Chernobyl, that contribute to background radiation and are not under the control of the licensee.Background radiation does not include radiation from source,byproduct, or special nuclear materials regulated by the department.

Front 9

Becquerel

Back 9

the SI unit of measurement of radioactivity; it is equal to one disintegration per second. One curie is equal to 3.7 x 1010 becquerels (bq).

Front 10

Calendar Quarter

Back 10

any period consisting of not less than 12 consecutive weeks nor more than 14 consecutive weeks. The first calendar quarter of each year shall begin in January, and subsequent calendar quarters shall be so arranged that no day is included in more than one calendar quarter, and no day in any one year is omitted from inclusion within a calendar quarter. The method observed by the licensee or registrant for determining calendar quarters shall only be changed at the beginning of a year.

Front 11

Calibration

Back 11

the determination of:1. the response or reading of an instrument relative to a series of known radiation values over the range of the instrument;or 2. the strength of a source of radiation relative to a standard.

Front 12

CFR

Back 12

Code of Federal Regulations.

Front 13

Client's Address

Back 13

the area of use or a temporary jobsite for the purpose of providing mobile medical service in accordance with LAC 33:XV.726.

Front 14

Collective Dose

Back 14

the sum of the individual doses received in a given period of time by a specified population from exposure to a specified source of radiation.

Front 15

Controlled Area

Back 15

an area, outside a restricted area but inside the site boundary, to which access can be limited by the licensee for any reason.

Front 16

Curie

Back 16

the amount of radioactive material that disintegrates at the rate of 37 billion atoms per second or 3.7 x l010 disintegrations per second (dps). Commonly used sub multiples of the curie are the millicurie and the microcurie. One millicurie (mCi) is equal to 0.001 curie, which is equal to 3.7 x 107 dps. One microcurie (Ci) is equal to 0.000001 curie, which is equal to 3.7 x 104 dps. One curie is equal to 3.7 x 1010 becquerels.

Front 17

Dedicated Check Source

Back 17

a radioactive source that is used to assure the constant operation of a radiation detection or measurement device over several months or years. This source may also be used for other purposes.

Front 18

Deep Dose Equivalent (Hd)

Back 18

the dose equivalent at a tissue depth of 1 centimeter(1000 mg/cm2), which applies to external whole body exposure.

Front 19

Department

Back 19

the Department of Environmental Quality.

Front 20

Depleted Uranium

Back 20

the source material uranium in which the isotope uranium-235 is less than 0.711 weight percent of the total uranium present. Depleted uranium does not include special nuclear material.

Front 21

Dose

Back 21

a generic term that means absorbed dose, dose equivalent, effective dose equivalent, committed dose equivalent, committed effective dose equivalent, total organ dose equivalent, or total effective dose equivalent. For purposes of these regulations, radiation dose is an equivalent term.

Front 22

Dose Equivalent (HT)

Back 22

the product of the absorbed dose in tissue, quality factor, and all other necessary modifying factors at the location of interest. The units of dose equivalent are the sivert (Sv) and rem.

Front 23

Effective Dose Equivalent (HE)

Back 23

the sum of the products of the dose equivalent to each organ or tissue(HT) and the weighting factor (wT) applicable to each of the body organs or tissues that are irradiated (HE= ∑ wTHT).

Front 24

Embryo/Fetus

Back 24

the developing human organism from conception until the time of birth.

Front 25

Entrance or Access Point

Back 25

any opening through which an individual or extremity of an individual could gain access to radiation areas or to licensed or registered radioactive materials. This includes entry or exit portals of sufficient size to permit human entry, irrespective of their intended use.

Front 26

Exposure

Back 26

being exposed to ionizing radiation or to radioactive material.

Front 27

Exposure Rate

Back 27

the exposure per unit of time, such as Roentgen per minute (R/min) and milliroentgen per hour (mR/hr).

Front 28

External Dose

Back 28

that portion of the dose equivalent received from any source of radiation outside the body.

Front 29

Extremity

Back 29

hand, elbow, arm below the elbow, foot, knee, and leg below the knee.

Front 30

High-Radiation Area

Back 30

an area, accessible to individuals, in which radiation levels from radiation sources external to the body could result in an individual receiving a dose equivalent in excess of 100 millirems(one millisievert) in one hour at 30 centimeters from the radiation source or 30 centimeters from any surface that the radiation penetrates.

Front 31

Individual

Back 31

any human being.

Front 32

Individual Monitoring

Back 32

the assessment of:1. dose equivalent by the use of individual monitoring devices or by the use of survey data; or 2. committed effective dose equivalent by bioassay or by determination of the time-weighted air concentration to which an individual has been exposed, that is, DAC-hours. (See the definition of DAC-Hours in LAC 33:XV.Chapter 4.)

Front 33

Individual Monitoring Devices

Back 33

devices designed to be worn by a single individual for the assessment of dose equivalent. For purposes of these regulations, personnel dosimeter and dosimeter are equivalent terms. Examples of individual monitoring devices are film badges, thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs), pocket ionization chambers, and personal air sampling devices.

Front 34

Inspection

Back 34

an official examination or observation including, but not limited to,tests, surveys, and monitoring to determine compliance with rules,regulations, orders, requirements, and conditions of the department and/or administrative authority.

Front 35

Instrument Traceability

Back 35

the ability to show that an instrument has been calibrated at specified time intervals using a national standard or a transfer standard. If a transfer standard is used, the calibration must be at a laboratory accredited by a program that requires continuing participation in measurement quality assurance with the National Institute of Standards and Technology or other equivalent national or international programs.

Front 36

Interlock

Back 36

a device arranged or connected such that the occurrence of an event or condition is required before a second event or condition can occur or continue to occur.

Front 37

Internal Dose

Back 37

that portion of the dose equivalent received from radioactive material taken into the body.

Front 38

Ionizing Radiation

Back 38

any electromagnetic or particulate radiation capable of producing ions,directly or indirectly, in its passage through matter. It includes any or all of the following: alpha rays, beta rays, gamma rays,X-rays, neutrons, high-speed electrons, high-speed protons, and other atomic particles, but not sound or radio waves, or visible, infrared,or ultraviolet light.

Front 39

Licensed (or Registered) Material

Back 39

radioactive material received, possessed, used, transferred, or disposed of under a general or specific license (or registration) issued by the department.

Front 40

Licensee

Back 40

any person who is licensed by the department in accordance with the act and regulations promulgated by the administrative authority (R.S.30:2105).

Front 41

General License

Back 41

a license effective pursuant to regulations promulgated by the administrative authority without the filing of an application to transfer, acquire, own, possess, or use quantities of, or devices or equipment utilizing, byproduct, source or special nuclear materials,technologically enhanced natural radioactive material, or other radioactive material occurring naturally or produced artificially.

Front 42

Specific License

Back 42

a license issued after application to the department to use,manufacture, produce, transfer, receive, acquire, own, or possess quantities of, or devices or equipment utilizing byproduct, source, or special nuclear materials, technologically enhanced natural radioactive material, or other radioactive material occurring naturally or produced artificially (R.S. 30:2105).

Front 43

Licensing State

Back 43

any state with regulations equivalent to or more stringent than"Suggested State Regulations for Control of Radiation"relating to, and an effective program for, the regulatory control of naturally occurring or accelerator-produced radioactive material(NARM).

Front 44

Limits (Dose Limits)

Back 44

the permissible upper bounds of radiation doses.

Front 45

Member of the Public

Back 45

any individual, except when that individual is receiving an occupational dose.

Front 46

Minor

Back 46

an individual less than 18 years of age.

Front 47

Monitoring

Back 47

the measurement of radiation, radioactive material concentrations,surface area activities, or quantities of radioactive material and the use of the results of these measurements to evaluate potential exposures and doses. For purposes of these regulations, radiation monitoring and radiation protection monitoring are equivalent terms.

Front 48

Nationally Tracked Source

Back 48

a sealed source containing a quantity equal to or greater than the Category 1 or Category 2 levels of any radioactive material listed in LAC 33:XV.399.Appendix G. In this context a sealed source is defined as radioactive material that is sealed in a capsule or closely bonded, in a solid form, and that is not exempt from regulatory control. It does not mean material encapsulated solely for disposal,or nuclear material contained in any fuel assembly, subassembly, fuelrod, or fuel pellet. Category 1 nationally tracked sources are those containing radioactive material at a quantity equal to or greater than the Category 1 threshold. Category 2 nationally tracked sources are those containing radioactive material at a quantity equal to or greater than the Category 2 threshold but less than the Category 1 threshold.

Front 49

Natural Radioactivity

Back 49

radioactivity from naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM).

Front 50

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Back 50

the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission or its duly authorized representatives.

Front 51

Occupational Dose

Back 51

the dose received by an individual in the course of employment in which the individual's assigned duties for the licensee or registrant involve exposure to sources of radiation and/or radioactive material from licensed and unlicensed sources of radiation, whether in the possession of the licensee, registrant, or other person. Occupational dose does not include dose received: from background radiation, from any medical administration the individual has received, from exposure to individuals administered radioactive material and released in accordance with LAC 33:XV.725, from voluntary participation in medical research programs, or as a member of the public.

Front 52

Package

Back 52

the packaging together with its radioactive contents as presented for transport.

Front 53

Person

Back 53

any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust,estate, public or private institution, group, agency, political subdivision of this state or any other state or political subdivision or agency thereof, and any legal successor, representative, agent, or agency of the foregoing, other than the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission or federal government agencies licensed by the U.S.Nuclear Regulatory Commission (R.S. 30:2105).

Front 54

Personnel-Monitoring Equipment

Back 54

devices such as film badges, pocket dosimeters, or thermoluminescent dosimeters designed to be worn or carried by an individual for the purpose of estimating the dose received by the individual.

Front 55

Public Dose

Back 55

the dose received by a member of the public from exposure to sources of radiation and/or radioactive material released from licensed or registered operations. Public dose does not include occupational dose, dose received from background radiation, dose received from any medical administration the individual has received, dose received from exposure to individuals administered radioactive material and released in accordance with LAC 33:XV.725, or dose received from voluntary participation in medical research programs.

Front 56

Rad

Back 56

a special unit of absorbed dose. One rad equals one hundredth (0.01) of a Joule per kilogram of material. For example, if tissue is the material of interest, then 1 rad equals 100 ergs per gram of tissue.The SI unit of absorbed dose is the gray (Gy). One gray is equal to one Joule per kilogram.

Front 57

Radiation Area

Back 57

an area, accessible to individuals, in which radiation levels could result in an individual receiving a dose equivalent in excess of five millirems (0.05 millisievert) in one hour at 30 centimeters from the radiation source or from any surface that the radiation penetrates.

Front 58

Radiation Machine

Back 58

any device capable of producing radiation except those which produce radiation only from radioactive material.

Front 59

Radiation Safety Officer

Back 59

an individual who:1. meets the requirements in LAC 33:XV.763.A.1 or 3.a and M; or

2. is identified as a radiation safety officer on:

a. a specific medical use license issued by the agreement state or Nuclear Regulatory Commission; or

b. a medical use permit issued by a Nuclear Regulatory Commission master material licensee.

Front 60

Radioactive Material

Back 60

any material, whether solid, liquid, or gas, that emits radiation spontaneously (R.S. 30:2105).

Front 61

Radioactivity

Back 61

the transformation of unstable atomic nuclei by the emission of radiation. A unit of quantity of radioactivity is the curie (Ci). The SI unit of measurement of radioactivity is the Becquerel (Bq), which is equal to one transformation per second (tps). One curie is equal to 3.7 x 1010 Bq.

Front 62

Registrant

Back 62

any person who owns or possesses any radioactive material or device capable of emitting radiation and who is legally obligated to register with the department pursuant to these regulations and the act.

Front 63

Registration

Back 63

the identification of any material or device capable of emitting radiation, together with such other information as the owner of such material or device is required to furnish by rules and regulations adopted here under (R.S. 30:2105).

Front 64

Regulationsof the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT)

Back 64

the regulations in 49 CFR 100-189.

Front 65

Restricted Area

Back 65

an area, access to which is limited by the licensee or registrant for the purpose of protecting individuals against undue risks from exposure to sources of radiation. A restricted area does not include areas used as residential quarters, but separate rooms in a residential building may be set apart as a restricted area.

Front 66

Roentgen(R)

Back 66

a special unit of exposure. One Roentgen equals 2.58 x 10-4 Coulomb/kilogram of air. (See exposure)

Front 67

Sealed Source

Back 67

any radioactive material that has been encased in a capsule constructed in such a manner as to prevent leakage or escape of any radioactive material.

Front 68

Shallow Dose Equivalent (Hs)

Back 68

applies to the external exposure of the skin of the whole body or the skin of an extremity, and is taken as the dose equivalent at a tissue depth of 0.007 centimeter (7 mg/cm2).

Front 69

SI

Back 69

the International System of Units.

Front 70

Sievert(Sv)

Back 70

the SI unit of dose equivalent; it is equal to one Joule per kilogram.One Rem is equal to 0.01 Sievert.

Front 71

Source of Radiation

Back 71

any radioactive material or any device or equipment emitting or capable of producing radiation (R.S. 30:2105).

Front 72

Survey

Back 72

an evaluation of the production, use, release, disposal,transfer, and/or presence of sources of radiation under a specific set of conditions to determine actual or potential radiation hazards.When appropriate, such evaluation includes, but is not limited to,tests, physical examination, and measurements of levels of radiation or concentrations of radioactive materials present.

Front 73

Temporary Jobsite

Back 73

any location where sources of radiation are used other than the location(s) listed in a license or registration certificate for nonlicensed sources of radiation.

Front 74

Test

Back 74

the process of verifying compliance with an applicable regulation.

Front 75

U.S. Department of Energy

Back 75

the Department of Energy established by Public Law 95-91, August 4, 1977,91 Stat. 565, 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq., to the extent that the Department of Energy exercises functions formerly vested in the U.S.Atomic Energy Commission, its chairman, members, officers, and components and transferred to the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration and to the administrator thereof pursuant to Section 104(b), (c), and (d) of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-438, October 11, 1974, 88 Stat. 1233 at 1237,effective January 19, 1975) and re transferred to the Secretary of Energy pursuant to Section 301(a) of the Department of Energy Organization Act (Public Law 95-91, August 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 565 at 577-578, 42 U.S.C. 7151, effective October 1, 1977).

Front 76

Unit Dosage

Back 76

a dosage prepared for medical use for administration as a single dosage to a patient or human research subject without any further manipulation of the dosage after it is initially prepared.

Front 77

Units of Activity

Back 77

for purposes of these regulations,activity is expressed in the SI unit of becquerel (Bq) or in the special unit of curie (Ci), or their multiples, or disintegrations or transformations per unit of time:

1. one becquerel (Bq) = 1 disintegration or transformation per second (dps or tps).

2. one curie (Ci) = 3.7E+10 disintegrations or transformations per second(dps or tps) = 3.7E+10 becquerel (Bq) = 2.22E+12 disintegrations or transformations per minute (dpm or tpm).

Front 78

one becquerel (Bq)

Back 78

1 disintegration or transformation per second (dps or tps).

Front 79

one curie (Ci)

Back 79

3.7E+10disintegrations or transformations per second (dps or tps) = 3.7E+10becquerel (Bq) = 2.22E+12 disintegrations or transformations perminute (dpm or tpm).

Front 80

Gray(Gy)

Back 80

the SI unit of absorbed dose. One gray is equal to an absorbed dose of 1 joule per kilogram (100 rad).

Front 81

Rem

Back 81

the special unit of any of the quantities expressed as dose equivalent. The dose equivalent in rem is equal to the absorbed dose in rad multiplied by an appropriate quality factor (1 rem = 0.01 Sv).

Front 82

Committed Dose Equivalent

Back 82

The dose equivalent to organs or tissues of reference that will be received from an intake of radioactive material by an individual during the 50-year period following the intake.