I would like to welcome you to our online training material and hope you find this
an informative and convenient method to satisfy your annual training requirements.
As the Augusta University Radiation Safety Officer, I would like to take a few moments
to share some of our office's innovations that allow us to more effectively serve
your needs.
We are currently using a networked Health Physics database that allows us to tie together
all aspects of our radiation safety program, from personnel dosimetry to the large
inventory of radioactive sources here at Augusta University. This improvement allows
us to more rapidly process your procurement of radioisotopes.
Our instrument calibration services have also been greatly improved with the implementation
of the database. The percentage of uncalibrated survey instruments has dropped dramatically.
Tracking the calibration dates has also allowed our staff to more efficiently perform
the calibration procedures and get the meters back to the laboratories for your use
quickly. We can usually have the meters calibrated and returned to you in one day.
Any release of radioactive materials from Augusta University facilities may be considered
a serious license violation and could potentially jeopardize your activities. To help
assure compliance with all of Augusta University's waste disposal requirements, we
have installed a radioactive waste monitor for all waste exiting the hospital. We
have also installed a similar monitor at the rear loading dock of the Research and
Education Building.
We have also spent considerable resources to prepare our office to respond to spills
and other untoward situations. We have developed standard operating procedures, performed
extensive training, and successfully participated in an Emergency Response Drill involving
injured personnel contaminated with radioactive materials. Although we hope that these
situations will never arise in the research facilities, we are ready to respond in
a timely and effective manner to support you.
Other recent innovations include the temporary lab inactivation policy that is detailed
in the training material and our increased efficiency in activating and deactivating
research laboratories.
