This page last updated on 2/10/2006 @ 14:46
Radioactive Materials Information

Next Radiation safety Class at SHEA:

March 13-17, 2006, 09:00-11:00, Laboratory Session (Mandatory) Friday, March 17th, 2006 from 1:00-3:00pm, Final Exam on Monday, March 20th, 2006 09:00-11:00   (See details on the bulletin board outside my office (Bright Red poster), Room 118).

Most of the radioactive sources which are located in the department are low level sources and currently all are sealed sources. The licensee and the backup licensee for the department are Elliott Bailey and Dr. Bernd Bassalleck. For any information in or out concerning radioactive materials you should contact either of us.

NOTE: For the protection of the University, and for the peace of mind of parents of any under age (below 18) visitors to our labs, please contact me well in advance of any "Tours" or events where these under age visitors may be entering our Radioactive Materials labs. This will facilitate our notifying SHEA, and their having sufficient time to do a survey of the labs prior to the visitors arrival. See number 2 below.

Some basic rules required by the State of New Mexico, UNM, and the Department:

1) No radioactive materials are to be used in any room that does not have a yellow and red Radioactive Materials sign, a user information sheet, and a "Notice to Employees" sign posted on the door and/or in the room.

2) No person under the age of 18 shall be allowed into a room containing ANY radioactive materials, regardless of the activity of the source, or whether it is shielded or not.

3) All sources shall be signed out on the log sheet in their storage compartment by a qualified user and shall be returned to the storage compartment upon completion of use.

4) No non-qualified user shall be allowed in a room with, or shall be allowed to handle any radioactive materials without a qualified user within sight of the source at all times.

5) If a source needs to be left in a labeled room with no qualified user present, the room must be secured by lock and key, and no other personnel are to be allowed in that room until the source has been removed to its proper storage compartment or a qualified user is present again.

6) A QUALIFIED USER is a person who has successfully completed the SHEA (Safety, Health & Environmental Affairs) Radioactive Materials Safety course, or other government agency course pre-approved by SHEA, who is registered with the department Radioactive Materials licensee (Elliott Bailey) as a Department of Physics and Astronomy user, and who completes to SHEA satisfaction an Annual Radiation Safety Training Self Learning Module each year.

7) Violation of any of these rules, or of any training instructions from the SHEA Safety course(s), will be considered appropriate for removal of all Radioactive Materials use priviledges.

8) No food or drink are to ever be in any Radioactive Materials marked room or lab, regardless of whether there are Radioactive Materials  present or not. This includes CONTAINERS, such as water bottles, coffee cups, glasses, etc., since these are indicators of use in the room.