Radioisotopes are used worldwide in a range of medical, industrial, research and academic applications. A large proportion of these radioisotopes are produced in particle accelerators, and the number of institutions that operate linear accelerators or cyclotrons and manufacture and distribute radiopharmaceuticals, for example, is significant and increasing. The production of radioisotopes using particle accelerators poses significant radiation hazards to workers, members of the public, and the environment when accelerators are operated without adequate radiation safety measures. This Safety Guide provides practical guidance for implementing radiation protection and safety measures in such facilities involved in the production and use of radioisotopes.

• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • Background
  • Objective
  • Scope
  • Structure
• 2. JUSTIFICATION OF PRACTICES
• 3. TYPES OF RADIOISOTOPE PRODUCTION FACILITY
• 4. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
  • General
  • Management of radiation safety and safety culture
    • Facilities and resources
    • Notification and authorization
  • Radiation protection officer
  • Qualified experts and radiation protection advisers
  • Workers
  • Local rules and procedures
• 5. SAFETY ASSESSMENT
  • General
  • Purpose and development procedure
  • Responsibility for development of the safety assessment
  • Safety arrangements
    • Shielding
    • Inner surfaces of hot cells
    • Fume hoods
    • Gloveboxes
    • Clean environment considerations
    • Interlocks
    • Transfer systems
    • Ventilation and other systems
    • Site selection
    • Waste management
    • Safety assessment report
    • Design specification of the facility and equipment
• 6. RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAMME
  • General
  • Structure of the radiation protection programme
  • Management structure and policies
    • Assignment of responsibilities for radiation safety
    • Local rules and supervision
    • Designation of controlled areas or supervised areas
    • Periodic reviews and audits of the performance of the radiation protection programme
    • Management system and process improvement
  • Health surveillance programme
  • Radiation safety committee
• 7. EDUCATION AND TRAINING
  • General
  • Training programme
    • Design of a training programme
  • Structure and content of training courses
  • Refresher training
• 8. INDIVIDUAL MONITORING OF WORKERS
  • Individual dose assessment and record keeping
  • External exposure
    • Types of monitoring for external exposure
  • Internal exposure
    • Types of assessment of internal exposure
    • Criteria for internal monitoring
  • Investigation of overexposures
• 9. WORKPLACE MONITORING
  • Radiation monitors
    • Installed and portable radiation dose rate monitors
    • Detection of surface contamination
    • Monitoring for airborne contamination
    • Maintenance and calibration
    • Records of radiation and contamination surveys
• 10. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND EFFLUENT DISCHARGE
  • Environmental monitoring
  • Effluent discharge
  • Monitoring of airborne effluents
  • Filtering of airborne effluents
  • Monitoring of liquid effluents
  • Minimizing effluent discharges
• 11. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
• 12. NUCLEAR SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
• 13. TESTING AND MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT
  • Periodic tests
  • Records
  • Facility maintenance and modification
• 14. RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT AND DECOMMISSIONING
  • Characterization of radioactive waste
  • Waste minimization
  • Handling and processing of radioactive waste
  • On-site storage of radioactive waste
  • Preparation of waste shipments
• 15. TRANSPORT OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
  • Transport requirements
    • Movement of radioactive material within the site
    • Transport to another site
• 16. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
  • General
  • Emergency plans and procedures
  • Emergency equipment
  • Training and exercises
  • Reporting
• REFERENCES
• Annex I KEY RADIATION SAFETY ISSUES TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN PLANNING THE PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATOR BASED RADIOISOTOPES
• Annex II EXAMPLES OF IMMEDIATE ON-SITE RESPONSE ACTIONS IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY AT A RADIOISOTOPE PRODUCTION FACILITY
• CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW