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.	HPS and CRCPD Proclaim 8-14 November 2009 as National Radiation Protection Professionals Week
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.	2010 HPS Midyear Topical Meeting Radiation Risk Communication to the Public 24-27 January 2010 Albuquerque, NM
.	2010 HPS Professional Development School Radiation Risk Communication: Issues and Solutions 27-29 January 2010 Albuquerque, NM

07 November 2009

Answer to Question #1496 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Radiation Safety Careers — Radiation Safety Officers (RSOs)

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

We have one ⁹⁹Kr beta gauge used to measure plastic film thickness. We do annual familiarization training for our employees. Do we need to have a formally trained Radiation Safety Officer? We have one who is leaving. Please cite 10 CFR regulation/other reference. I am a former Navy Nuclear Power Officer and propose to do this job myself. Is there a list of minimum requirements, exam, etc.?

Every radioactive material license needs to identify a Radiation Safety Officer (RSO), and if one leaves a replacement must be named. The purpose of an RSO is to oversee the radiation safety program and be a point of contact for regulatory agencies and workers who may have questions about the use of radioactive material at their site.

The role of the RSO varies in accordance with the type of radioactive material used and the complexity of the use of material. As a result, the training requirements for radiation safety officers also varies. Training and experience requirements for certain types of licenses (such as medical facilities) are included in the regulations, while training and experience requirements for other types of licenses (such as fixed and portable gauges) are specified in guidance documents.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has put together a series of guidance documents called NUREG-1556, "Consolidated Guidance About Materials Licenses." Volume 4 of that series is called "Program-Specific Guidance About Fixed Gauge Licenses" and was published in October 1998. The NRC's training and experience requirements for an RSO for a fixed gauge are stated in Section 8.7.1 of NUREG-1556, Volume 4, and require either completion of a fixed gauge manufacturer's or distributor's course for users or RSOs, or an equivalent course. The criteria for determining an equivalent course is contained in Appendix G of NUREG-1556, Vol. 4. Training and experience requirements are usually comparable from state to state, and from state to the NRC, but it would be wise to double-check with the appropriate regulatory agency just to be certain.

Kathy Allen
Office of Radiation Safety
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety

Answer posted on 28 December 2001. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.