Daily Use Logs

After a package of radioactivity has been inspected by Health Physics, a Daily Usage Log is attached. Make an entry each day that the material is used. You may use a different form or format if all the required information is included. Keep the logs in the Radioisotope Journal or post them on the refrigerator or storage cabinet. Do not keep these logs in your individual laboratory notebook.

Sealed source storage and use

If several sealed sources are in use, they should be kept in a central location. Sources being used in experiments must be secured, properly shielded, and labeled with the radionuclide, activity, and date. The use log should identify each source, dates of removal and return, and user. If sources are moved to other authorized locations, the use log should indicate this along with the date and the name of the recipient.

Sealed source inventory

A Sealed Source Inventory that is e‐mailed quarterly lists all sealed sources. The responsible individual must personally examine each source to ensure it is on hand and in its proper place. Verify the location of the sources and return the form to Health Physics. File a copy in the Radioisotope Journal.

Leak testing

Most sealed sources must be leak tested twice each year. Health Physics provides this service. Request a leak test when you receive a new sealed source, before transferring it to another CRA, before shipping it to a vendor, or if it appears damaged.

Radionuclide Inventory Summary

An Inventory Summary form for unsealed radioactive materials is emailed each January, April, July, and October. The forms must be filled out showing disposition of materials to the nearest microcurie. Use the Daily Use Log as the source document. You can remove items that have gone through ten half‐lives and contain less than one microcurie. If you have accumulated an inventory of short‐lived stock vials, you may have to decay‐correct the entries to avoid going over your inventory limit. Indicate the primary vial location if different from the location listed. When completing the October inventory you must also physically examine each container to ensure its location and labeling are accurate.

Fax the forms to Health Physics by the date specified. If it has not been received by the due date, your incoming packages will be held at the Inspection Station until the forms are submitted. File a copy of each summary in the Radioisotope Journal.

Transfer to another CRA

Transfers of radioactive materials from one CRA to another must be reported to Health Physics with the quarterly Inventory Summary report. Before transferring radioactive material outside your CRA, verify that the person receiving the material is an authorized user of the CRA, and that the material and activity is within the limits of the CRA you are transferring the material to.

Transfer report

If the transfer exceeds ten times the Quantities of Licensed Material Requiring Labeling, print and complete a transfer form available at http://radforms.stanford.edu. Place the original and one copy into your Radioisotope Journal and provide the recipient with two copies. Both the transferor and recipient must attach a copy of the form to their respective quarterly Inventory Summary report.

Off‐campus transfer

Health Physics is the only campus group authorized to ship radioactive materials off campus. For further details and assistance, call the Inspection Station.

To ensure safety and compliance with transportation regulations, all shipments of radioactive materials from the campus must be prepared under Health Physics supervision. The shipping container must meet the appropriate US Department of Transportation specifications. The package must not be sealed until Health Physics completes its inspection.

Note that carrying radioactive material with you or in your checked airplane luggage is forbidden under Federal Aviation Administration regulations.