Radioactive Materials in Equipment Transferred or Released for Surplus & Salvage

April 1998
Chapter 6

PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT & FACILITIES
 Section: 6:025

Radioactive Materials in Equipment Transferred or Released for Surplus & Salvage

Persons responsible for equipment suspected of containing radiation sources or labeled as containing or as contaminated with radioactive material shall inform Environmental Health and Safety, Radiation Safety Office at 882-7018 before the equipment is release to Surplus Property, or transferred to another person, or used as a trade-in on new equipment.

Equipment Containing Radioactive Material

Radiation sources and radioactive materials are not to be distributed or transferred to unauthorized personnel or used for other purposes. The sources and materials shall not be released as surplus or junk to which the public or unwary surplus property handlers could be exposed.

Procedure for Release of Equipment Containing Radioactive Material

  1. Inform Environmental Health and Safety, Radiation Safety Office (882-7018) when the equipment is removed from service and is not transferred to another authorized user or to radioactive waste.
    NOTE: Environment Health and Safety, Radiation Safety Office will check the equipment for radiation sources, remove the source if required, or request the you contact the instrument vendor for proper disposal methods. Radiation Safety Office will survey for release all equipment labeled as containing or contaminated with radioactive material.
  2. Call Environmental Health and Safety Radiation Safety Office (882-7018) when the equipment is to be release to Surplus Property, transferred to another person (not an authorized user), or used as a trade-in on new equipment.
  3. Confirm equipment has been cleared for release by Environmental Health and Safety by verifying it has been labeled as “cleared.”
  4. Inform Surplus Property (882-5051) of any items released for surplus or disposal that may contain radioactive materials by leaving the “cleared” labels on the equipment.

Types of Equipment with Radioactive Sources

Several types of scientific instruments contain radioactive sources for standardization or analysis of samples, including but not limited to:

  • Liquid scintillation radiation counters.
  • Gas chromatographic units with electron capture detectors.
  • Gamma counters.
  • Radioactive static eliminators.
NOTE: These sources do not constitute a radiation risk or problem to persons routinely operating the equipment; however, the radiation sources are not to be distributed or transferred to unauthorized personnel or used for other purposes.

Types of Labeled Equipment Potentially Containing or Contaminated with Radioactive Materials

  • Refrigerators, freezers.
  • Centrifuges of all sizes.
  • Incubators, ovens.
  • Other laboratory apparatus.
NOTE: Any equipment, which is labeled and was routinely used with radioactive materials should be cleared by the Radiation Safety Office prior to release to Surplus Property or movement outside of restricted areas (i.e. refrigerators, centrifuges, freezers.)