If an organization does not have an in-house cyclotron, the radiation safety team must procure radioactive materials from a local facility. All orders for a radiation source must first be approved by the PH and the appropriate local regulatory department. When a package containing radioactive material is shipped, the receiving organization will need to open the package, verify the contents, inventory the material, complete any other necessary established receiving procedures, and then deliver the material to the location in which it will be used or stored. Radiation safety software can assist users with every step of this process, starting with ordering.

RECEIVING RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS

Order and possession limits can be set for permit holders (PHs). Easy-to-use ordering templates and automated, transactional data calculations, and built-in checks and balances make it easier to place orders for radioisotopes and ensure they do not put facilities over their limits. For example, if the order includes too much radioactive material for the existing permits and would therefore exceed limits, that order will be flagged, and a notification will be shown to the user stating whether the order would exceed the permit holder’s limit or the overall site license limit. Users on the PH’s roster can place orders that they are authorized to have, specifying account information, PO codes, the location where it will be going, and any other information they would like to track. PHs will be notified of every order that is placed with the system and can easily authorize or reject it.

When the item shows up, the receiving user can use the system to confirm the corresponding order. To ensure the secure use of materials, access to radioisotope profiles will be based on PH roster information. When material surveys must be conducted, users can document the results (even inputting the information with a mobile device or tablet with access to the system), create a corrective action notification if the material is found to be contaminated, or record a verification that the external dose rates agree with the shipment statement. Users can also use a mobile device or tablet to take a picture of the packing slip with the device’s camera and attach it to the material’s profile in the system, as well as any other necessary notes (e.g., log of the DOT labels, inside the box/outside the box wipe test results, etc.).

When a new material has been logged in the system, a unique inventory code will be generated for that item. Authorized users will be able to use that unique code to track activity with the automatically generated decay rate calculations for each radioisotope based on the information entered at the moment of reception. Within a configurable software application, inventoried material profiles can have data entry fields that are optional, mandatory, structured by parameters or qualifiers, or any other user-defined specifics that support organizational workflows.

The time that a radioisotope is received can also be entered by users retroactively. For an example of when this functionality may be necessary, consider orders of F-18. F-18 has a 109-minute half-life, so time is crucial in delivering it to the radiochemist or other end-users. When a radioisotope is insignificant within 48 hours of its delivery, users may not have time to enter all the details of its use as it occurs. Instead, end-users of radiation safety software can receive an automated notification with a link to confirm their receipt of the material and make it immediately active in their inventory. Once the radioisotope has been applied where needed, users can go back and fill in any missing data for records.

Organizations may be securely established in their use of spreadsheets to manage the tracking of radioisotope activity and related work. However, having an integrated, mobile-accessible, database to help users log activity, training, and reports increases the efficiency and accuracy of all these processes. With the support of real-time radioisotope decay calculations, authorized individuals are empowered to perform the tasks and maintain the data that is essential for radiation safety compliance.

Publisher Bio

The SafetyStratus Research Advisory Group (RAG) brings together thought leaders from the global environmental, health, and safety community to promote best practices and provide key insights in the profession and the industries they serve. The Research Advisory Group also advocates, where practical, the intersection of and advances with the use of technology, such as the SafetyStratus enterprise EHS software platform. Group membership consists of representatives from across varied disciplines and market sectors as well as select members of the SafetyStratus team.
The primary objectives of the SafetyStratus RAG partnership are to:

• Build a strategic partnership between EHS practitioners and the SafetyStratus team.
• Provide engaging and practical content to the global EHS community.
• Provide discipline and market feedback specific to SafetyStratus products and services.

While the objectives of the RAG are varied, the primary public-facing outcome will be available through engaging and practical content found on the SafetyStratus resource pages. Various articles, papers, and other valuable resources will be produced and shared as part of an ongoing effort to cultivate a robust community. Ultimately, the SafetyStratus RAG will expand to have a broader reach and provide opportunities for more inclusion by all interested EHS professionals in a collaborative community environment.