Umeå University has a collective permit for ionising radiation and one permit for medical exposure. Before a department can start a new activity involving ionising radiation, the University's radiation protection expert must grant a local permission. During the first quarter of the year, all departments working with ionising radiation must conduct an inventory and report it to SSM. The radiation protection then assesses whether to renew the local permit for one more year.
Roles and responsibilities
Read more about roles and responsibilities in the Radiation Protection Organisation at Umeå University.
Vice-Chancellor
The Vice-Chancellor is the utmost accountable for the radiation protection, and the permit holder. The Vice-Chancellor is obligated to ensure that the departments working with ionising radiation have access to the competence and the trained professionals required to achieve adequate radiation protection.
Dean
The dean delegates from the Vice-Chancellor to the head of the department or equivalent manager.
Head of department
At each department working with ionising radiation, the head of department is responsible for ensuring that the radiation protection follows current regulations issued by the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority. This includes obligations (among other things):
- to ensure that all work involving ionising radiation follows current permits, laws and regulations;
- to ensure that staff working with ionising radiation are informed of the risks associated with the work;
- to ensure that local regulations are prepared and established together with the radiation protection expert at the University;
- to ensure that the radioactive waste produced by the department is disposed of according to the code of rules and procedures for disposal of radioactive waste established by the University;
- to inform the radiation protection expert at the University of any planned changes to the work involving ionising radiation at the department; and
- to provide a contact at the department for the radiation protection coordinator.
Radiation protection expert
According to the University's collective permit, Umeå University is required to have a radiation protection expert as an internal consultant on radiation protection issues. Our radiation protection expert is Pia Grahn, from the Department of Radiation Sciences. William Holmlund is assisting Pia Grahn in her role as radiation protection expert.
Departments working with ionising radiation must consult the radiation protection expert regarding protection of staff, the public, animals and the environment, from exposure to ionising radiation. Questions regarding ionising radiation, radiation protection or radioactive waste can be directed to the radiation protection expert.
Questions of a general nature can be directed to the environmental coordinator at the Property Management Office.
Environmental coordinator
The environmental coordinator at the Property Management Office is responsible for coordinating the radiation protection undertakings at the University. This includes compiling the annual inventory, collecting the local permits, assisting in educating the staff and organising visits and inspections at the different departments and units of the University.
Staff working with ionising radiation
Staff working with ionising radiation must follow the law as well as the local rules and procedures pertinent to the work.
Contact person for radiation protection
Each department working with ionising radiation must provide a contact person at the department, for the work environmental coordinator and the radiation protection expert to contact as needed. When the contact person is appointed, a written delegation must be provided by the head of the department. The contact person is responsible for submitting the annual inventory of radioactive sources to the work environmental coordinator at the University.
Radiation protection training
New staff working with ionising radiation must be given introductory radiation protection training by the radiation protection expert, and then participate in refresher training at five-year intervals.
Inventory and local permit
Before a department can start a new activity involving ionising radiation, the University's radiation protection expert must grant a local permit. During the first quarter of the year, all departments working with ionising radiation must conduct an inventory and report it to SSM. The radiation protection expert then assesses whether to renew the local permit for one more year.
Pregnant and nursing women
Staff working with ionising radiation must report if they are pregnant or nursing. The employer is obligated to inform the staff of this. When pregnant, an employee has the right to demand that the employer offers new work duties that do not involve ionising radiation. When an employee reports that they are nursing, the employer must plan the work duties so that no intake or contamination of radioactive substances that would lead to the child being exposed to ionising radiation can occur.
Accidents and incidents
When an accident or incident occurs, the head of the department must file a report for an accident or near miss.
Radioactive waste
Radioactive waste and equipment, solid or liquid, must be left at the waste room at the University Hospital of Umeå, NUS, (Building 27, level -1, room 27-1020). When you have waste to discard of, please send an email to cmts.avfall@vll.se. This will put you in contact with Region Västerbotten and you can make an appointment for delivery.
Code of rules and procedures for disposal of radioactive waste
Declaration and receipt of radioactive waste.