Ariz. Admin. Code § 9-7-731

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section R9-7-731 - Safety Procedures and Instructions for Remote Afterloader Units, Teletherapy Units, and Gamma Stereotactic Radiosurgery Units

A. A licensee shall:

1. Secure the unit, the console, the console keys, and the treatment room when not in use or unattended;

2. Permit only individuals approved by the authorized user, Radiation Safety Officer, or authorized medical physicist to be present in the treatment room during treatment with a source;

3. Prevent dual operation of more than one radiation producing device in a treatment room if applicable; and

4. Develop, implement, and maintain written procedures for responding to an abnormal situation when the operator is unable to place a source in the shielded position, or remove the patient or human research subject from the radiation field with controls from outside the treatment room. These procedures shall include:

a. Instructions for responding to equipment failures and the names of the individuals responsible for implementing corrective actions;

b. The process for restricting access to and posting of the treatment area to minimize the risk of inadvertent exposure; and

c. The names and telephone numbers of the authorized users, the authorized medical physicist, and the Radiation Safety Officer to be contacted if the unit or console operates abnormally.

B. A licensee shall post instructions at the unit console to inform the operator of:

1. The location of the procedures required by subsection (A)(4); and

2. The names and telephone numbers of the authorized users, the authorized medical physicist, and the Radiation Safety Officer to be contacted if the unit or console operates abnormally.

C. A licensee shall provide instruction, initially and at least annually, to all individuals who operate the unit, as appropriate to the individual's assigned duties, in:

1. The procedures identified in subsection (A)(4); and

2. The operating procedures for the unit.

D. A licensee shall ensure that operators, authorized medical physicists, and authorized users participate in drills of the emergency procedures, initially and at least annually.

E. A licensee shall retain a record of individuals receiving instruction required by subsection (C) for three years from the date of the instruction.

F. A licensee shall maintain a copy of the procedures required by subsections (A)(4) and (C)(2) for Department review. The copy shall be maintained for three years beyond the termination date of the activities for which the procedures were written.

G. Prior to the first use for patient treatment of a new unit or an existing unit with a manufacturer upgrade that affects the operation and safety of the unit, a licensee shall ensure that vendor operational and safety training is provided to all individuals who will operate the unit. The vendor operational and safety training must be provided by the device manufacturer or by an individual certified by the device manufacturer to provide the operational and safety training.

H. A licensee shall have each teletherapy unit and gamma stereotactic radiosurgery unit fully inspected and serviced during each source replacement to assure proper functioning of the source exposure mechanism and other safety components. The interval between each full-inspection servicing shall not exceed five years for each teletherapy unit and shall not exceed seven years for each gamma stereo-tactic radiosurgery unit.

I. A licensee shall:

1. Ensure that inspection and servicing are performed only by persons specifically licensed to do so by the Department, the NRC or another Agreement State, and

2. Keep a record of the inspection and servicing for three years after termination.

J. A licensee shall maintain a record of safety instruction required by R9-7-722, R9-7-725 and this Section and the operational and safety instructions for three years after the date of the instruction. The record must include a list of the topics covered, the date of the instruction, the name(s) of the attendee(s), and the name(s) of the individual(s) who provided the instruction.

Ariz. Admin. Code § R9-7-731

New Section R9-7-731 recodified from R12-1-731at 24 A.A.R. 813, effective March 22, 2018 (Supp. 18-1). Amended by final expedited rulemaking at 25 A.A.R. 3561, effective 12/3/2019.