3.0 Duties and responsibilities of persons coming within the scope of the regulations

3.1 The Vice-chancellor is deemed by the Enforcing Authorities to be the head of the University's Administration, and as such is the person ultimately responsible for the University's compliance with statute and good practice.

3.2 A College Dean also has a duty to ensure that the administration of safety within his or her College is as good as is reasonably achievable, in so far as his or her responsibilities extend.

3.3 The Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) is formally appointed by the Vice-chancellor or the Registrar and Secretary, and reports to them. He advises the University on those matters of radiation protection specified in the Ionising Radiations Regulations Schedule 5. He also acts for the Vice-Chancellor’s in ensuring compliance with the Radioactive Substances Act (see 2.2 - 2.4). The University then organises its own system within the Regulations. In the case of this University the RPA is a member of the staff.

The RPA is Mrs Sonia Nuttall, external consultant.

3.4 The University Radiation Protection Officer (URPO) is responsible for organising all aspects of radiation safety for the University. The duties of the URPO are:

To advise (in consultation with the RPA) on the classification of workers and to draw up appropriate Schemes of Work for both Classified and Non-Classified workers.
To advise (in consultation with the RPA) on the classification of areas where work involving ionising radiations is carried out, in particular to determine the need for controlled and supervised areas.
To interview all new workers to ensure that they are familiar with the Local Rules in general and specific items with respect to the particular work they intend to carry out, and to confirm that training is provided.
To ensure that new workers undergo, if necessary, a medical examination and to keep the results of these examinations in a confidential file.
To provide and maintain in proper working order (including calibration) suitable monitoring equipment for the assessment of contamination of surfaces with radioactive substances, the dose from equipment producing ionising radiations, from sealed and unsealed sources, and from storage sites for radioactive materials.
To keep an inventory of radioactive materials stored throughout the University site, and to make returns as required by the Enforcing Authorities.
To organise and control the disposal of radioactive waste via the sewers, rubbish bins and special disposal schemes, to ensure compliance with authorisation limits.
To leak-test sealed sources held within the University every two years.
To order and distribute all new radioactive material required by authorised users, providing that no acquisition will cause the University to exceed any of its authorisation limits.
To assess the need for personal dose monitoring of individual workers and where necessary organise the procurement and distribution of relevant dosemeters. To maintain dose records for non-classified workers and to forward those for classified workers to the National Radiological Protection Board - the approved record-keeping centre for this University.
To investigate and account for abnormal dose returns and to keep a record of all incidents and accidents involving ionising radiations.
To keep abreast of developments in the field of radiation protection and regularly to inform workers within the University.
In the event that a separate RPA is appointed, to consult with him and to bring to his attention any matter of which the RPA should be aware.

The URPO is Mr Michael Bell Tel (int) 4159

3.5 The College Radiation Protection Officer (CRPO)

The duties of the CRPO are:

To ensure within a relevant College that the Local Rules, schemes of work and Regulations are adhered to.
To ensure that suitable and appropriate training is provided for all radiation workers.
To keep the URPO informed of all changes in the nature of the work in the College, and to assist in the reformulation of Local Rules and schemes of work to accommodate these.
To ensure the keeping of records of the radioactive materials brought into the College, how they are used and any disposals. To ensure that all disposals are in accordance with the waste disposal certificates held by the University. To allow the URPO reasonable access to these records at all times.
To make regular checks and inspections of storage sites for radioactive materials and to monitor radiation levels at these sites, to monitor contamination of working surfaces etc. at least two times each year and to keep records of these checks.
To monitor the scatter and leakage from X-ray analytical equipment at least twice a year and to keep records of these measurements (X-Ray machine monitoring form).
To report to the URPO any irregularity noted during the above checks, or arising at other times.
To arrange with the URPO for the disposal of waste.
To inform the URPO of new workers in the College so that medical tests can be arranged for them if necessary and so that they can be interviewed by the URPO. To inform the URPO when any worker ceases to work with ionising radiations or leaves the University.
To organise, where necessary, free access to areas of the College by the URPO for inspections.
To attend meetings of the Radiation Hazards Committee.
To arrange and ensure prompt distribution and collection of dosemeters within the College.
To bring to the attention of the URPO any other matters of which he should be aware.
To act as Radiation Protection Supervisor in those areas where no other RPS has been appointed.

The College Radiation Protection Officers are:

School	Name	Phone
Biosciences (Exeter and Tremough)	Dr Chris Thornton	4653
Camborne School of Mines (Tremough)	Mr Ian Faulks	01326 371846
Education	Dr Nigel Skinner	4932
Engineering	Dr Mike Belmont	3622
Geography	Mr James Grapes	3322
Physics	Dr David Bradley	4085
Postgraduate Medical	Dr Jackie Whatmore	01392 403092
Sports and Health Sciences	Mr Dave Childs	4997

3.6 Radiation Protection Supervisor (RPS)

The duties of the RPS are:

To ensure that all workers within a particular group observe the Local Rules, Schemes of Work and Regulations.
To ensure that suitable and appropriate training is provided for all radiation workers under his supervision.
To report to the CRPO, to whom the RPS is directly responsible, any changes in the nature of the work carried out by his group and any incidents involving ionising radiations.
To keep records of the acquisition of radioactive substances and their use and disposal by a particular group. These records must be made available to the CRPO in a form laid down by him.
To inform the CRPO of new workers and to help in their training. To inform the CRPO of the cessation of radiation work by existing workers.
To monitor regularly, where appropriate and as laid down in the Local Rules, for radioactive contamination and leakage from equipment generating ionising radiations. To keep records of such monitoring.
To keep a record of the location of sealed and unsealed sources and to check this inventory regularly at a frequency laid down in the Local Rules. The records must be made available to the CRPO and be in a format laid down by him.
To bring to the attention of the CRPO any other matters of which he should be aware.

Specialist Radiation Protection Supervisors have been appointed in the School of Biosciences:

Location	Room	Name	Phone
Hatherly	C01	Prof Charles Tyler	4450
	C10	Dr Rod Wilson	4652
	B04	Dr Laurie Dinan	4605
Washington Singer	129	Dr Nick Smirnoff	3756
	Annexe A	Prof Nick Talbot	4653
Tremough	Lab 3075	Prof Richard ffrench-Constant	01326 3711800

3.7 Individual Workers

The duties of individual workers are:

To ensure that they have read and understood the Local Rules and the relevant sections of the Regulations before commencing any work for the first time.
To undergo any medical or haematological investigations as specified in the Local Rules and required by the URPO before commencing work. (NOTE workers who require classified status must undergo medical tests annually).
To sign a statement that they have complied with (a) and (b), that they have been interviewed by the URPO and that they will abide by the Local Rules of the University.
To attend all such training sessions as shall be organised for them.
To ensure at all times that they work safely with ionising radiations.
To bring to the attention of their RPS any other matters of which he should be aware.

3.8 Other Rules

a Special Category Workers

Any persons under the age of 18 years, or pregnant, should consult the URPO before planning work with ionising radiations. THE RPA SHOULD BE INFORMED AS SOON AS A FEMALE RADIATION WORKER IS AWARE THAT SHE IS PREGNANT, IN ORDER THAT THE RISK TO THE FOETUS MAY BE ASSESSED.

b Risk Assessments

A full risk assessment must be made for each generic procedure, and reviewed regularly , especially when a change in procedure occurs that will markedly affect the assessment.

c New Work

No experiment involving new apparatus for the production of ionising radiations shall commence until the RPA has checked it and agreed that the experiment may be undertaken. In addition no experiment involving different or higher specific activity radioactive materials than already used in a particular laboratory shall be started until the RPA has approved all the procedures. A full Risk Assessment must be made of all new work.

d Schemes of Work and Local Rules

All schemes of work within the Local Rules shall be displayed and a copy of the Local Rules and the Ionising Radiations Regulations must be readily available in each College.

e Ordering of Radioactive Materials

All radioactive materials must be ordered through the University Radiation Protection Service.

f Delivery of Radioactive Materials

All radioactive materials must be delivered to the URPO either directly or via the Physics Department Stores, who will immediately inform the URPO of the arrival of the goods. The URPO will record the arrival and details of the material, assign a code-number, create a record card and deliver the material to the end-user, the CRPO or another responsible person.

Material for use at the Tremough Campus, Cornwall, will be ordered by the URPO but delivery will be direct to the Tremough Campus (main reception). It is then the responsibility of the local RPS/responsible person to check the delivery and inform the URPO for record keeping purposes – a code-number will be assigned by the URPO to retain traceability control using the same system as used in Exeter.

SHOULD RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL ENTER THE UNIVERSITY BY ANY ROUTE OTHER THAN THE ABOVE, THE URPO MUST BE INFORMED IMMEDIATELY.

3.9 Permitted dose limits
(a) The limit on effective dose for any employee over 18 years of age shall be 20 mSv in a calendar year.

the limit on equivalent dose for the lens of the eye shall be 150 mSv in a calendar year.
the limit on equivalent dose for the skin shall be 500 mSv in a calendar year averaged over 1cm².
the limit on effective dose for hands, forearms, feet and ankles shall be 500 mSv in a calendar year.

(b) The limit on effective dose for any trainee under 18 years of age shall be 6 mSv in a calendar year.

the limit on equivalent dose for the lens of the eye shall be 50 mSv in a calendar year.
the limit on equivalent dose for the skin shall be 150 mSv in a calendar year averaged over 1cm².
the limit on effective dose for hands, forearms, feet and ankles shall be 150 mSv in a calendar year.

(c) In addition to (a) and (b) above, the limit on equivalent dose for the abdomen of a woman of reproductive capacity shall be 13 mSv in any consecutive period of three months.

(d) The limit on effective dose for any person not an employee or trainee shall be 1 mSv in any calendar year.

3.10 Dose action levels

For monitored workers, the action levels on dose returns will be as follows:

Zero dose return No action.
0 - 0.5 mSv Await next dose return. If a second measurable dose is recorded, alert CRPO.
0.5 - 1 mSv Alert CRPO, and request an investigation and review of handling techniques.
Above 1 mSv Initiate a full investigation without delay.

The Emergency contacts page has more information about who to contact in case of an emergency.

3.0 Duties and responsibilities of persons coming within the scope of the regulations

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