[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: UNH Announces System to Track Radioactive Materials
"We believe that the RSO is the best person to input this data because he is
ultimately
responsible for the safe use and possession of the materials, as spelled out
in our broad-scope license. "
The RSO is not the ultimately responsible for the safe use and possession -
The ultimately responsible for radiation protection in an establishment lies
with the employer, registrants or licensees.
Workers, and in this include RSO, shall responsible to follow any applicable
rules and procedures for protection and safety specified by employer,
registrant or licensee.
This considering the IAEA Basic Safety Standards 115 - and I do believe also
considering national regulations.
Jose Julio Rozental
joseroze@netvision.net.il
Israel
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Gillum" <David.Gillum@unh.edu>
To: "'radsafe@list.Vanderbilt.Edu'" <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 8:19 PM
Subject: RE: UNH Announces System to Track Radioactive Materials
> Here is a response from one of the designers of the program:
>
> ~~~
>
> David,
>
> As you know, our RSO is responsible for ordering, receiving and
distributing
> all radioactive materials on campus. The actual data entry involved with
> each order can be accomplished in less than one minute. We believe that
the
> RSO is the best person to input this data because he is ultimately
> responsible for the safe use and possession of the materials, as spelled
out
> in our broad-scope license. Once the data is entered, the automatic decay
> calculations can be set to either the current date, or another date in the
> past (for example, we have sealed sources whose start date is in the
1940s,
> and all decay is calculated from that point in time). Periodic inventories
> submitted by the users help reconcile what researchers believe they have
to
> our records. Also, sink disposals and waste pick-up data entered by our
> office will decrement the users' possession, and add to what is available
to
> order, as detailed in individual permits.
>
> We have included a field that identifies each isotope as either being an
> unsealed or sealed source. Sealed sources are designated as either exempt
or
> non-exempt. We have put exempt sealed sources (such as those in GC's) into
> our inventory for the purpose of tracking, but these items do not count
> against established possession limits. And by establishing a start date
for
> these sources, we know when they have decayed to background levels.
>
> The pricing of our software compared to what is commercially available is
> probably the hardest question to answer. UNHCEMS includes so many features
> that the program itself is hard to compare to others. It is a chemical
> inventory tracking system, an emergency response system, a radioactive
> tracking system, a regulatory compliance system (ASTs, SAA inspection
> reports, etc.), and several other user friendly modules. Also, UNH
Research
> Computing is going to spend a lot of resources this summer to make UNHCEMS
> more readily available to a greater variety of institutions.
>
> I hope this helps. If people have more questions about the features, they
> can contact me at ken.brown@unh.edu or Phil at philip.collins@unh.edu.
>
> Ken
>
> CEMS website: www.cems-info.sr.unh.edu
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Russ Johnson [mailto:rujohnso@nmsu.edu]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 11:38 AM
> To: David Gillum
> Cc: radsafe@list.Vanderbilt.Edu
> Subject: Re: UNH Announces System to Track Radioactive Materials
>
> Mr. Gillum;
>
> Our EH&S office is preparing to buy an existing commercial software
product
> that does these things. We have very limited resources and do not have
> centralized shipping or receiving for rad materials or devices. Therefore
> tracking is becoming an issue we are attempting to resolve within our
> constraints.
>
> Some questions came to mind that might be of interest to others.
>
> 1) Who would be reponsible to input cradle-to-grave data into the system,
> EH&S staff or the researchers themselves? Who is responsible for
maintaining
> that data as current?
>
> 2) How would this system track radioactive chemicals or devices that are
not
> required to be permitted but may exist in quantity on the campus (such as
> uranium/thorium bulk lab chemicals, geological specimens, smoke detectors,
> exempt source sets, etc)? Consider both these questions in the context of
> the constraints noted above.
>
> 3) Finally, how does this software compare with existing commercial
> software? The software system we are preparing to buy is 5-figures (ouch).
> Is there a cost associated with yours?
>
> Russ Johnson, MS
> Radiation Safety / Training Specialist
> EH&S, New Mexico State University
>
> David Gillum wrote:
>
> > UNH Announces System to Track Radioactive Materials
> >
> > New Web-based System is Available to Universities Nationwide
> >
> > Contact: Lori Wright
> > 603-862-0574
> > UNH Media Relations
> >
> > June 14, 2004
> >
> > DURHAM, N.H. - As the United States enters a summer of heightened
concern
> > regarding terrorist attacks, the University of New Hampshire announces
it
> > has expanded its comprehensive online system that tracks hazardous
> materials
> > to include radioactive materials, such as substances that could be used
to
> > manufacture a dirty bomb.
> >
> > The UNH Chemical Environmental Management System (UNHCEMS) was developed
> by
> > the UNH Research Computing Center (RCC) in consultation with the UNH
> Office
> > of Environmental Health and Safety. The Web-based system allows public
and
> > private research institutions to manage hazardous chemicals and
> radioactive
> > materials stored at multiple locations on their campuses.
> >
> > Radioactive materials are common in medicine and research, according to
> Brad
> > Manning, director of UNH Environmental Health and Safety. UNHCEMS
already
> > tracks thousands of chemical and radioactive materials, and UNH is
working
> > to expand the system to track biological agents, such as anthrax and the
> > plague.
> >
> > "From the standpoint of Homeland Security and the U.S. Patriot Act, this
> > system dramatically increases the ability of universities to track
> specific
> > radioactive materials. For example, if we need to determine if we have a
> > particular hazard on campus, we can query the system and find out within
a
> > minute if that substance is on campus and exactly where it is located,"
> > Manning says.
> >
> > The system also tracks radioactive decay for materials. Radioactive
> > materials decay, or disintegrate, at different rates. By calculating the
> > radioactive decay of all radioactive materials stored on campuses,
UNHCEMS
> > can accurately determine the level of radioactivity of the materials.
> >
> > "Most universities do not maintain comprehensive, online inventories of
> > their hazardous materials. Most universities simply don't have that
> > information available or up-to-date. My counterparts at other
universities
> > have had to hire people to go out and look in every laboratory -
hundreds
> of
> > laboratories - to find these hazards," Manning says. "Unlike many
> > universities, we know what our risk factors are."
> >
> > A case study of UNHCEMS published by the Environmental Protection Agency
> was
> > included in the EPA's best management practices catalog for colleges and
> > universities regarding homeland security. UNHCEMS was developed as part
of
> a
> > settlement agreement with the agency following an EPA inspection at UNH
> five
> > years ago. At the time, UNH was found to have violated the Resource
> > Conservation and Recovery Act regarding waste disposal in laboratories.
> >
> > "This online chemical management system holds great potential to help
> > universities and colleges improve tracking and management of chemicals
and
> > wastes," says Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New
> England
> > Office. "We've found in our inspections that many colleges are wasting
> > significant amounts of chemicals because they do not have systems in
place
> > for accurately recording the identity, quantity and location of
materials.
> > This system holds great promise to reverse this problem, resulting in
> > campuses that are safer and better for the environment."
> >
> > Brown University and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst are
using
> > UNHCEMS, and numerous universities and hospitals have expressed interest
> in
> > the system, according to Manning. In addition, a government delegation
> from
> > Macedonia recently visited UNH and was presented the system as an option
> for
> > part of its national emergency response system. Universities and other
> > organizations can easily access the system via the Web, with data and
> > software securely stored at UNH.
> >
> > Institutions wanting to learn more about UNHCEMS can visit:
> >
> > www.cems-info.sr.unh.edu
> >
> > or contact Patrick Messer, associate director of the UNH Research
> Computing
> > Center, at 603-862-2889.
> >
> > Editors: Brad Manning, director of UNH Environmental Health and Safety,
is
> > available for press inquiries. He can be reached at 603-862-2571. The
UNH
> > EHS website is located at www.unh.edu/ehs.
> >
> > --
> > David R. Gillum, MS
> > Laboratory Safety Officer
> >
> > University of New Hampshire
> > Environmental Health and Safety
> > 11 Leavitt Lane, Perpetuity Hall
> > Durham, NH 03824
> > Telephone # 603-862-0197
> > Facsimile # 603-862-0047
> > ************************************************************************
> > You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To
> > unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu Put the
> > text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,
> > with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at
> > http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/
> ************************************************************************
> You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To
> unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu Put the
> text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,
> with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at
> http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/
>
************************************************************************
You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To
unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu Put the
text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,
with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/