Personnel Monitoring

(A) The personnel monitoring program shall meet the applicable requirements of 105 CMR 120.200. (B) When performing industrial radiographic operations the following shall apply: (1) The licensee or registrant shall not permit an individual to act as a radiographer, or radiographer trainee unless each individual wears, on the trunk of the body at all times during radiographic operations, a combination of a direct-reading pocket dosimeter or an electronic personal dosimeter, an alarming ratemeter, and a personnel monitoring badge that is processed and evaluated by an accredited NVLAP processor. At permanent radiography installations where other appropriate alarming or warning devices are in routine use, the wearing of an alarming ratemeter is not required. (2) Pocket dosimeters shall meet the criteria in ANSI N13.5-1972 and shall have a range of zero to two millisieverts (zero to 200 millirems). (3) Pocket dosimeters shall be recharged at the start of each work shift. (4) Exposure indicated by each pocket dosimeter shall be recorded at the beginning of and at the end of each work shift. (5) If an individual's pocket dosimeter is discharged beyond its range (i.e., goes "off-scale"), or if an individual’s electronic personal dosimeter reads greater than two millisieverts (200 mrem), industrial radiographic operations by that individual shall cease and the individual's personnel monitoring badge shall be processed immediately. The individual shall not return to work with sources of radiation until a determination of his/her radiation exposure has been made. (6) Each personnel monitoring badge shall be assigned to and worn by only one individual. (7) If a personnel monitoring badge is lost or damaged, the worker shall cease work immediately until a replacement personnel monitoring badge is provided and the exposure is calculated for the time period from issuance to loss or damage of the personnel monitoring badge. (8) Each alarm dosimeter must: (a) Be checked to ensure that the alarm functions properly (sounds) prior to use at the start of each shift. (b) Emit an alarm signal at a preset dose rate of five mSv/hr (500 mr/hr). (c) Require special means to change the preset alarm function; and (d) Be tested at periods not to exceed one year for correct response to radiation. Acceptable dosimeters must alarm within plus or minus 20% of the true radiation dose rate. (C) Records of pocket dosimeter readings of personnel exposures shall be maintained for five years by the licensee or registrant for Agency inspection. If the dosimeter readings were used to determine external radiation dose (i.e., no TLD, OSL or film badge exposure records exist), the records shall be maintained until the Agency authorizes disposal. (D) Pocket dosimeters shall be checked for correct response to radiation at periods not to exceed one year. Acceptable dosimeters shall read within plus or minus 20% of the true radiation exposure. Records of pocket dosimeter calibrations shall be maintained for five years by the licensee or registrant for Agency inspection. (E) Processors of film badge, TLD and OSL devices must be certified by the NVLAP.