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Home > Departments > Environment, Health & Safety > EH&S Programs > Radiation Safety > Initial Training

Initial Training

Each Associate Investigator must attend a "New User Orientation" prior to working with any radioactive material. The candidate must submit an "Application to Use Radioactive Material" (RMA-2 pdf form) to EH&S to initiate the Associate Investigator process. The Principal Investigator shall sign the application certifying that the candidate has received safety training specific to the Principal Investigator’s lab and in accordnace to the information in the Campus Radioactive Materials Safety Manual (pdf) and Guide to Radioactive Waste Management (pdf).

Before attending the orientation the applicant must complete a short answer quiz which covers information in the Radioactive Materials Safety Manual and basic safety calculations. Upon completion of the orientation and passing a post orientation exam, the user will be granted approval to work under the direct supervision of the Principal Investigator. Previous training or experience at another facility will not exempt the candidate from the training requirement.

Annual re-training in radiation safety is required for all individuals who work with radioactive materials. This mandatory training is provided by EH&S.

Want More Information on Radiation Safety?

A good source for answers about radiation is RadiationAnswers.org, a site that shares factual, easy-to-read information about the subject. This web site was prepared by appointed Health Physics Society members, and technical accuracy was assured with a separate review by a technical panel appointed by the Society Board of Directors. The Health Physics Society is a nonprofit scientific professional organization whose mission is excellence in the science and practice of radiation safety. Society activities include encouraging research in radiation science, developing standards, and disseminating radiation safety information. Society members are involved in understanding, evaluating, and controlling the potential risks from radiation relative to the benefits. The Society's Web site can be visited at www.hps.org.