Re: ALARA Action levels

[fegallag@uci.edu (Frank E. Gallagher, III)]

This is a r3ply to Jake Chesser's post to Radsafe about ALARA levels.

Jake,

The University of California, Irvine has action levels under our agreement
state license as follows:

Level I,
Adults: 500 mrem/y TEDE, 1.5 rem/y LDE, 5 rem/y SDE or TODE.  
Minors: 100 mrem/y TEDE, 300 mrem/y LDE, 1 rem/y SDE or TODE.
Fetus:  100 mrem during pregnancy.

Level II,
Adults: 1.5 rem/y TEDE, 4.5 rem/y LDE, 15 rem/y SDE or TODE  
Minors: 250 mrem/y TEDE, 750 mrem/y LDE, 2.5 rem/y SDE or TODE
Fetus:  250 mrem during pregnancy.

We would take the following actions at these levels:

Level I,
A health physicist will conduct a Routine ALARA Investigation, which will be
reviewed by the RSO.
Note: The Radiation Safety Committee can set higher Level I Criteria for
selected radiation workers (e.g., our PET imaging center).  

Level II,
The RSO will conduct a Special ALARA Investigation, which will be reviewed
at the next meeting of the Radiation Safety Committee.

We may, and likely would, investigate strange doses at lower levels (good
radiation protection practice), but we are only required to investigate
doses at our levels I and II. 

     -- Frank

*******************************************************************
Frank E. Gallagher, III, CHP            
Manager, Radiation Protection           
  and Radiation Safety Officer
Environmental Health & Safety Office    Phone:  (714) 824-6904
University of California                Fax:    (714) 824-8539
Irvine, CA   92717-2725                 E-mail: fegallag@uci.edu
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