Radiation safety

Radiation safety organisation at Linnaeus University

Responsibility

The university Vice-Chancellor is the licence holder and responsible for radiation safety. The Dean of each affected faculty is responsible for implementing and following the prescribed radiation safety policies and procedures, as well as ensuring a safe environment for employees, students and the public at the department. In the event of changes in laboratory activities with radioactive materials, each faculty dean must report to the "Swedish Radiation Safety Authority Contact Person/Radiation Safety Officer".

Radiation Safety Officer (RSO)

The Radiation Safety Officer at Linnaeus University acts as a coordinator with the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and has the authority to issue local radiation protection policies and procedures that are necessary for work with radioactive materials and ionising radiation.

The Radiation Safety Officer's duties include keeping all necessary permits and documents up to date, assessing whether reported changes in operations can be handled within existing permits, and submitting necessary reports to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. The Radiation Safety Officer also monitors compliance with issued regulations.

Ionising radiation

At Linnaeus University, there are activities that handle radioactive materials and ionising radiation in both Kalmar and Växjö. The university is classified as an organisation with reporting obligations to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM).

The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority has issued a collective permit for activities that use ionising radiation at Linnaeus University. The permit covers work with open and sealed radiation sources as well as X-ray equipment (up to 200 kV) for research and teaching. It allows the university to obtain, import, transport, possess and use radioactive material up to a maximum of 2 GBq, according to the terms and conditions of SSMFS 2018:2.

Activities with open radioactive sources at Linnaeus University are not classified as "extensive work" according to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority's regulation SSMFS 2018:1.

Local consent (Permit) and annual inventory

To ensure radiation safety within each department or institution that works with radionuclides and X-ray equipment, local consent is required. This consent is assessed and issued by the Radiation Safety Officer. The purpose of the local consent is to assess whether the scope and type of work falls under Linnaeus University's general permit and to ensure that the work can be carried out safely from a radiation safety perspective and that the conditions according to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority's regulations are met.

All radioactive substances and all equipment that emits ionising radiation must be registered in a central register. The Radiation Safety Officer is responsible for the register. A contact person is appointed for each laboratory/equipment. A department/faculty can also choose to have a Radiation Safety Representative who compiles, carries out the inventory and manages contact with the Radiation Safety Officer. Every year, an annual inventory of equipment and radioactive substances must be carried out by the contact person, which is reported to the Radiation Safety Officer.

Radiation Safety Training and Risk Assessment

Staff at Linnaeus University who work with ionising radiation (open/closed sources and X-ray equipment) must follow the regulations of the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) and the university's local radiation safety regulations. It is important to have the necessary skills and training before starting work, use adequate protective equipment and protective devices and work according to the activity's established routines. The training must also be repeated at least every 5 years. Anyone who works with ionising radiation is also responsible for ensuring that radioactive waste is handled in accordance with the university's regulations. For further information, contact your local contact person.

Before any activity involving ionising radiation begins, a risk assessment must be prepared and documented. The requirement for risk assessment is contained in the provisions on systematic work environment management (AFS 2023:1). Systematic work environment management is an ongoing process and it is therefore necessary to regularly revise the risk assessment and whether any changes have been made to the work. Contact the Radiation Safety Officer for questions about risk assessments for radiation safety.

After the planned activity/activity involving radiation has been determined to have a permit and is justified, and the radiation safety has been optimised as below with an approved risk assessment, the work may begin.

1. The probability of exposure,
2. the number of exposed persons and
3. the size of the individual radiation doses is kept As Low as Reasonably Achievable, taking into account economic and societal factors

When points 1 - 3 are met, the radiation activity/action is OPTIMISED. This procedure is also called the ALARA principle, after the phrase As Low As Reasonably Achievable. The result of a RISK ASSESSMENT should ensure that these three points are met.

Radiation Safety Manual – activities with open radioactive sources

In laboratories, radioactive substances are sometimes used in the form of open radiation sources. They are called this because they are handled openly. This means that the radioactive substances can spread to the surroundings. The Radiation Safety Manual describes the radiation safety policies and procedures implemented at Linnaeus University to ensure a safe environment for students and employees as well as the public.

Radiation safety manual

Research activities involving ionising radiation - Notification, de-notification

If you conduct research activities involving ionizing radiation, you must report all changes in your activities that may have significance for ¬radiation safety¬ to Linnaeus University's Radiation Safety Officer.

For example, you should report the following:

• If you want to acquire a new technical device that can generate radiation or a new radioactive substance.
• If you want to get rid of an old technical device that can generate radiation or an old radioactive substance.

New radioactive substance or new technical device

If you want to start using a new radioactive substance or a new technical device that can generate radiation, you must notify the Radiation Safety Officer before anything can be purchased. You must wait for confirmation from the Radiation Safety Officer before you can use the new device or substance.

If your purchase concerns a type of radioactive substance or technical equipment that can generate radiation, which is not previously known to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, you must wait for it to be approved before you put it into operation.

When the notified activity ceases, it is important to notify the university's radiation safety officer, as each notified activity or equipment also means that the Faculty/Department must pay an annual fee as long as the activity is not de-registered.

Report holdings that you no longer use and want to get rid of

A radioactive substance or a technical device that can generate radiation that you no longer use must be disposed of in a radiation-safe manner. If you want to scrap or pass on a radioactive substance or technical device, you must contact Linnaeus University's Radiation Safety Officer for more information about what is required.

Upon handover: you are responsible for your holding until you can show with a certificate to whom it has been handed over. The activity that takes over your radioactive substance or technical device that can generate radiation must have a permit from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority or have had its notification registered with them. Only then will the authority de-register your holding.

When scrapping: contact the company you purchased the radioactive substance/equipment from, where you can get help with correct handling. Alternatively, contact Ragn-Sells or Stena recycling for scrapping. Note that when you have scrapped these, you must have a scrapping certificate/disposal certificate (a written certificate from the recipient that the radiation source has been taken care of or disposed of), which is then sent to the Radiation Safety Officer for de-registration with the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.

Non-ionising radiation

If the activity possesses lasers, strong laser pointers or devices that produce intense pulsed light, according to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority's regulations and general advice this holding must be reported to the Radiation Safety Officer. You can find more information below.

Laser and UV

Laser radiation can lead to significant risks and injuries. The most powerful lasers, class 3B and class 4 lasers, can be particularly harmful to the eyes and skin. Serious and potentially chronic damage can occur, including life-threatening conditions such as skin cancer or disabilities such as impaired vision, which is common with retinal damage.

To use, own, sell or import strong laser pointers (class 3R, 3B or 4) a special permit from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority is required. It is also prohibited to use class 3B and 4 lasers in public places or in airspace, as well as for entertainment, art or advertising, without a permit. To use lasers as described above, a special permit from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority is required. If a permit is required, contact the Radiation Safety Officer.

• Strålsäkerhetsmyndighetens föreskrifter och allmänna råd om laser (The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority's regulations and general advice on lasers)
• Arbetsmiljöverkets regler om laser, vilket gäller i Linnéuniversitetets lokaler (The Swedish Work Environment Authority's rules on lasers, which apply on Linnaeus University premises.)

If your employees work with artificial optical radiation and specifically with UV (ultraviolet light), there are the following rules to follow.

• Arbetsmiljöverkets föreskrifter om artificiell optisk strålning (The Swedish Work Environment Authority's provisions on artificial optical radiation)
• Strålsäkerhetsmyndighetens allmänna råd om hygieniska riktvärden för UV-strålning (The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority's general advice on hygienic guideline values for UV radiation)

Electromagnetic fields

The Swedish Work Environment Authority has issued provisions to protect personnel against health and safety risks that may arise from exposure to electromagnetic fields during work. When working with electromagnetic fields at Linnaeus University, you must carry out a risk assessment to ensure that the exposure levels specified in the appendices are not exceeded and that exposure to electromagnetic fields is limited to the relevant limit values.

If the risk assessment shows that the exposure limit values are exceeded, an action plan with technical or organisational measures must be developed to reduce exposure.

• Arbetsmiljöverkets föreskrifter om elektromagnetiska fält (The Swedish Work Environment Authority's provisions on electromagnetic fields)

Laws and links

Radiation safety work is governed by the Radiation Protection Act and the Radiation Protection Ordinance, the statutes issued by the Radiation Safety Authority and the provisions of the Swedish Work Environment Authority.

The following governing documents apply to Linnaeus University:

• Strålskyddslag (2018:396), Radiation Protection Act (2018:396)
• Strålskyddsförordningen (2018:506), Radiation Protection Ordinance (2018:506)
• SSMFS 2018:1 (Grundläggande bestämmelser för tillståndspliktig verksamhet), SSMFS 2018:1 (Basic provisions for activities requiring a permit)
• SSMFS 2018:2 (Anmälningspliktig verksamhet), SSMFS 2018:2 (Notifiable activities)
• SSMFS 2018:3 (Undantag från strålskyddslagen och friklassning av material, byggnadsstrukturer och områden), SSMFS 2018:3 (Exemptions from the Radiation Protection Act and clearance of materials, building structures and areas)
• AFS 2023:1 (Arbetsmiljöverkets föreskrifter och allmänna råd om systematiskt arbetsmiljöarbete), AFS 2023:1 (The Swedish Work Environment Authority's provisions and general advice on systematic work environment management)
• AFS 2023:10 (Arbetsmiljöverkets föreskrifter och allmänna råd om risker i arbetsmiljön), AFS 2023:10 (The Swedish Work Environment Authority's provisions and general advice on risks in the work environment)

Other statutes and laws can be found on the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and Swedish Work Environment Authority websites.