The radiation safety program of Western University of Health Sciences has been established to assist researchers to use small quantities of radioactive material in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. All individuals who utilize radioactive material at Western must be in compliance with the California radiation control regulations in Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. In addition to the regulations, the University has been granted a radioactive material license from the State of California with limits on the amount of radioactivity that can be possessed on campus, and a number of special requirements that must be followed.
One of the requirements of the regulations is that the University have a Radiation Safety Committee to review the uses of radioactive material, approve procedures that faculty and students must follow in their research, review the appropriate disposal of low-level radioactive waste, and approve an annual review of the radiation safety program. Another requirement is that the University appoint a Radiation Safety Officer, named in the license, to manage the radiation safety program and provide leadership and oversight to all laboratory personnel approved to use radioisotopes.
When a new faculty member decides to initiate the use of radioactive materials in research, he or she should contact the Radiation Safety Officer, Dr. Stanley Wong by email at swong@westernu.edu to obtain an application form and assistance in completing it. In addition, the faculty member must complete a Statement of Training and Experience. These forms must be submitted to the Department of Public Health so that the new faculty member can be added to the radioactive material license. This approval process by the State of California usually takes several months, so early contact with the Radiation Safety Officer is encouraged.
In addition, the new faculty member will be required to complete WesternU's Radiation Safety Course. The course consists of the following components, and can be accessed through the course link above. (Note: A Blackboard account is required to access the course. If you need such an account, contact techsupport@westernu.edu.)
- Radiation Safety Manual (4th ed., 2008)
- Radiation Safety Videos:
- Radiation Detection (21 Minutes)
- Radiation Control (25 Minutes)
- Radiation Decontamination (17 Minutes)
- Quizzes:
- Radiation Detection Quiz
- Radiation Control Quiz
- Radiation Decontamination Quiz