Re: Accelerator vs. X-ray unit

["Sue M. Dupre" <dupre@arundel.Princeton.EDU>]

Steve,

New Jersey issued particle accelerator regulations several years ago. 
These regulations define a particle accelerator to be "any machine 
that acclerates charged particles (electrons, protons, deuterons, or 
other charged particles, etc.) in a vacuum and discharges the 
resulting particulate or other radiation  but which does not meet the 
specifications of machines currently regulated under N.J.A.C. 7:28-14 
through 16 (my note:  14-16 refer to diagnostic x-ray and therapeutic 
units); particle accelerators include, but are not limited to, 
machines used for research, irradiation or other purposes; such 
machines include, but are not limited to, potential-drop 
accelerators, electron linear accelerators, cyclotrons, betatrons, 
microtrons, ion implant acclerators, and electron microscopes; 
particle accelerators do not include high voltage generators, 
televisions, video display terminals, cathode ray tubes or other 
similar devices whose primary purpose is not the production of a 
useful charged particle beam."

New Jersey's particle accelerator regulations exempt particle 
accelerators incapable of operating at more than 30 kVp from most of 
the particle acclerator requirements.  A set of limited requirements 
are set out for electron microscopes. We haven't had any marginal 
particle accelerators here - what we have are clearly what the state 
was trying to regulate - so we haven't had any experience with 
appealing for a different classification or for exemptions.  But if 
we did, I suppose I'd write a letter of appeal to the state's 
Commission on Radiation Protection.  At any rate, I think that under 
New Jersey's regulations, you've clearly got yourself a particle 
accelerator and would have to comply with all of New Jersey's 
particle accelerator requirements for training, survey, instrumentation, 
monitoring, control and interlock systems, warning systems, operating procedures, 
etc.  

Regards,




Sue M. Dupre, Health Physicist

Office of Occupational Health and Safety       
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Princeton University                           
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E-mail: dupre@princeton.edu
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