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Most radioactive material (RAM) that comes to the
UW's research laboratories comes first to the Radiation Safety
Office. The system works this way so that accurate accounting for
the University's RAM can be maintained. Typically, this is how
new RAM is ordered:
Obtaining a new authorization to use radioactive
material at the UW can be a detailed process and many factors are
considered. Typically it is the Principal Investigator of a
laboratory that carries the RAM authorization for that lab. If
you are interested in obtaining such an authorization, please
call 206.543.0463 or e-mail: radsaf@u.washington.edu for information.
Once an authorization is in place, the
radionuclides and quantities allowed to be possessed at any one
time will be established. As new radioactive material is ordered
and disposed, a running total of the authorization's inventory is
maintained by Radiation Safety. Rooms are authorized to possess
predetermined types and quantities of RAM; staff working with RAM
must take an 8 hour Radiation Safety course. Instruments capable
of detecting the radionuclides authorized must be available to
the lab and they must all be calibrated once a year.
In addition, every authorized space must be
surveyed for contamination on a predetermined, regular basis.
Currently this requirement is detailed specifically within the
Authorized Investigator's(AUI) authorization. More information on
surveys is available by contacting
Radiation Safety.
- A department or laboratory completes a Rush Form for
Purchases of Radioactive Material (RUSH ORDER) - (pdf) . A
PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER is required before any order can be
processed!! This Rush Form should then be faxed to Radiation
Safety at 206.543.9726.
- The Radiation Safety Office verifies that the Authorized Investigator is
authorized for the type and quantity of radioactive material
desired. If approved the Radiation Safety Office forwards the
Rush Form for Purchases of Radioactive Material (RUSH
ORDER) to Purchasing who will then place the order with the
appropriate vendor.
- The vendor ships the item to Radiation Safety's receiving
office (B122 Health Sciences Center, 206.685.2993) where it is
logged into the UW Radioactive Materials database.
- Once all of the day's incoming boxes are logged in, they are
distributed to the labs by Radiation Safety.
If the lab requesting new material is not
authorized for the radionuclide in question, or if the new order
will exceed the activity limits of the authorization, the lab
will be contacted either by Purchasing or by Radiation
Safety.
The most common problem with ordering new RAM is
exceeding activity limits which is easily solved by disposing of
material currently on-hand. Typically the material on-hand has
already been disposed of, but the disposal forms (Form 160) have
not yet been sent to Radiation Safety. If a need can be
demonstrated, it is also possible to increase the limit set for a
lab's authorization.
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