Section R12-1-716. Surveys of Ambient Radiation Exposure Rate, Surveys for Contamination, and PET Radiation Exposure Con- cerns

A.      In addition to the surveys required in Article 4 of this Chapter, a licensee shall survey with a radiation detection survey instru- ment at the end of each day of use all areas where unsealed radioactive material, requiring a written directive, is prepared for use or administered. In areas of routine use, that are to be released for unrestricted use, a licensee shall perform a survey of the area using an instrument appropriate for detecting con- tamination before releasing the area for unrestricted use.

B.       A licensee shall obtain the services of a person, experienced in the principles of radiation protection and installation design, to design a PET facility and perform a radiation survey when the facility is ready for patient imaging. The licensee shall provide a copy of the installation radiation survey to the Agency within 30 days of imaging the first patient.

C.      The licensee shall use engineering controls or shield each PET use area with protective barriers necessary to comply with the radiation exposure limits in R12-1-408 and R12-1-416.

1.        At the time of application for a new license or amend- ment to an existing license, and before imaging of the first patient, the licensee shall provide to the Agency a copy of the installation report signed by the contractor who installed the shielding material recommended by a person meeting the requirements in subsection (B) and a copy of the installation radiation survey required in sub- section (B).

2.        The licensee shall perform shielding calculations in accordance with AAPM Task Group 108: PET and PET/ CT Shielding Requirements, in Medical Physics, Vol. 33, No. 1, January 2006, which is incorporated by reference, published by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, and on file with the Agency. This incorporation by refer- ence contains no future editions or amendments. In lieu of these procedures, the licensee may use equivalent cal- culations approved by the Agency.

D.      As part of the annual ALARA review required in R12-1-407, the licensee shall document a review of the PET patient work- load and associated change, if any, in public exposure resulting from the installed facility shielding and other public radiation exposure controls in use at the time of the review.

Historical Note

New Section adopted by final rulemaking at 5 A.A.R. 1817, effective May 12, 1999 (Supp. 99-2). Amended by

final rulemaking at 10 A.A.R. 2122, effective July 3, 2004 (Supp. 04-2). Section repealed; new Section made

by final rulemaking at 13 A.A.R. 1217, effective May 5, 2007 (Supp. 07-1).