Minnesota Administrative Rules

4731.4411 RADIATION SAFETY OFFICER AND ASSOCIATE RADIATION SAFETY OFFICER TRAINING.

Subpart 1.

Training and education requirements.

Except as provided under part 4731.4414, a licensee must require an individual fulfilling the responsibilities of a radiation safety officer or an individual assigned duties and tasks as an associate radiation safety officer as provided under part 4731.4405, subpart 1, to be an individual who:

A.

(1) is certified by a specialty board whose certification process has been recognized by the NRC or an agreement state. The names of board certifications that have been recognized by the NRC or an agreement state are posted on the NRC's Medical Use Licensee Toolkit web page; and

(2)

has training in the radiation safety, regulatory issues, and emergency procedures for the types of use for which a licensee seeks approval. This training requirement may be satisfied by completing training that is supervised by a radiation safety officer, associate radiation safety officer, authorized medical physicist, authorized nuclear pharmacist, or authorized user, as appropriate, who is authorized for the types of use for which the licensee is seeking approval;

B.

(1)

has completed a structured educational program consisting of both:

(a)

200 hours of classroom and laboratory training in the following areas:

i.

radiation physics and instrumentation;

ii.

radiation protection;

iii.

mathematics pertaining to the use and measurement of radioactivity;

iv.

radiation biology; and

v.

radiation dosimetry;

(b)

one year of full-time radiation safety experience under the supervision of an individual identified as the radiation safety officer on an NRC or agreement state license or permit issued by an NRC master material licensee that authorizes similar types of uses of radioactive material. An associate radiation safety officer may provide supervision for those areas for which the associate radiation safety officer is authorized on an NRC or agreement state license or permit issued by an NRC master material licensee. The full-time radiation safety experience must involve:

i.

shipping, receiving, and performing related radiation surveys;

ii.

using and performing checks for proper operation of instruments used to determine the activity of dosages, survey meters, and instruments used to measure radionuclides;

iii.

securing and controlling radioactive material;

iv.

using administrative controls to avoid mistakes in the administration of radioactive material;

v.

using procedures to prevent or minimize radioactive contamination and using proper decontamination procedures;

vi.

using emergency procedures to control radioactive material; and

vii.

disposing of radioactive material;

(2)

has obtained written attestation, signed by a preceptor radiation safety officer or associate radiation safety officer who has experience with the radiation safety aspects of similar types of use of radioactive material for which the individual is seeking approval as a radiation safety officer or an associate radiation safety officer. The written attestation must state that the individual has satisfactorily completed the requirements in this item and is able to independently fulfill the radiation safety-related duties as a radiation safety officer or as an associate radiation safety officer for a medical use licensee; and

(3)

has training in the radiation safety, regulatory issues, and emergency procedures for the types of use for which a licensee seeks approval. This training requirement may be satisfied by completing training that is supervised by a radiation safety officer, associate radiation safety officer, authorized medical physicist, authorized nuclear pharmacist, or authorized user, as appropriate, who is authorized for the types of use for which the licensee is seeking approval;

C.

(1) is a medical physicist who has been certified by a specialty board whose certification process has been recognized by the NRC or an agreement state under part 4731.4412, has experience in radiation safety for similar types of use of radioactive material for which the licensee is seeking approval of the individual as radiation safety officer or associate radiation safety officer; and

(2)

has training in the radiation safety, regulatory issues, and emergency procedures for the types of use for which a licensee seeks approval. This training requirement may be satisfied by completing training that is supervised by a radiation safety officer, associate radiation safety officer, authorized medical physicist, authorized nuclear pharmacist, or authorized user, as appropriate, who is authorized for the types of use for which the licensee is seeking approval;

D.

(1) is an authorized user, authorized medical physicist, or authorized nuclear pharmacist identified on an NRC or agreement state license, a permit issued by an NRC master material licensee, a permit issued by an NRC or agreement state licensee of broad scope, or a permit issued by an NRC master material license broad scope permittee, and has experience with the radiation safety aspects of similar types of use of radioactive material for which the individual has radiation safety officer responsibilities; and

(2)

has training in the radiation safety, regulatory issues, and emergency procedures for the types of use for which a licensee seeks approval. This training requirement may be satisfied by completing training that is supervised by a radiation safety officer, associate radiation safety officer, authorized medical physicist, authorized nuclear pharmacist, or authorized user, as appropriate, who is authorized for the types of use for which the licensee is seeking approval; or

E.

has experience with the radiation safety aspects of the types of use for which the individual is seeking simultaneous approval both as the radiation safety officer and the authorized user on the same new medical use license, and has training in the radiation safety, regulatory issues, and emergency procedures for the types of use for which a licensee seeks approval. This training requirement may be satisfied by completing training that is supervised by a radiation safety officer, associate radiation safety officer, authorized medical physicist, authorized nuclear pharmacist, or authorized user, as appropriate, who is authorized for the types of use for which the licensee is seeking approval.

Subp. 2.

Certification requirements.

A specialty board under subpart 1, item A, shall require all candidates for certification to:

A.

(1)

hold a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in physical science or engineering or biological science with a minimum of 20 college credits in physical science;

(2)

have five or more years of professional experience in health physics, including at least three years in applied health physics. Graduate training may be substituted for no more than two years of the required experience; and

(3)

pass an examination administered by diplomates of the specialty board, which evaluates knowledge and competence in radiation physics and instrumentation, radiation protection, mathematics pertaining to the use and measurement of radioactivity, radiation biology, and radiation dosimetry; or

B.

(1)

hold a master's or doctor's degree in physics, medical physics, other physical science, engineering, or applied mathematics from an accredited college or university;

(2)

have two years of full-time practical training or supervised experience in medical physics:

(a)

under the supervision of a medical physicist who is certified in medical physics by a specialty board recognized by the NRC or an agreement state; or

(b)

in clinical nuclear medicine facilities providing diagnostic or therapeutic services under the direction of physicians who meet the requirements for authorized users in part 4731.4414, 4731.4436, or 4731.4443; and

(3)

pass an examination, administered by diplomates of the specialty board, that assesses knowledge and competence in clinical diagnostic radiological or nuclear medicine physics and in radiation safety.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 144.1202; 144.1203

History:

29 SR 755; 32 SR 831; 36 SR 74; 46 SR 791

Published Electronically:

May 26, 2022