Umeå University has a collective permit for ionizing 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 permission for one more year.
Roles and responsibilities
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 ionizing 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/director/etc.
Head of Department
At each department working with ionizing radiation, the head of the department is responsible for ensuring that the radiation protection is in accordance with the current regulations from the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority. This includes (among other things):
- Obligation to ensure that all work involving ionizing radiation is in accordance with current permits, laws and regulations
- Obligation to ensure that staff working with ionizing radiation are informed of the risks associated with the work
- Obligation to ensure that local regulations are prepared and established together with the radiation protection expert at the university
- Obligation 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
- Obligation to inform the radiation protection expert at the university, of any planned changes to the work involving ionizing radiation at the department
- Obligation to provide a contact at the department for the radiation protection coordinator.
Radiation protection expert
According to the university's collective permit, we are 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. Torbjörn Näsmark, also from the Department of Radiation Sciences, is assisting Pia 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 ionizing radiation. Questions regarding ionizing radiation, radiation protection or radioactive waste can be directed to the radiation protection expert.
Questions of a general nature can be directed to the working environment coordinator at the Building Office.
Work environment coordinator
The work environment coordinator at the Building Office is responsible for coordinates the radiation protection effort at the university. This includes compiling the yearly inventory, collecting the local permits, assist in educating the staff and organise visits and inspections at the different departments and units of the university.
Staff working with ionizing radiation
Staff working with ionizing radiation must follow the law as well as the local codes of 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 yearly 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 permission
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 permission for one more year.
Pregnant and nursing women
Staff working with ionising radiation is obligated to report pregnancy or nursing. The employer is obligated to inform the staff of this. When pregnant, an employee has the right to demand that the employer offer new work duties that don't 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 occur, the head of the department is obligated to file a report for an accident or near miss.
Radioactive waste
Radioactive waste and equipment, solid or liquid, shall be left at the waste room at NUS (Building 27, floor -1, room 27-1020). When you have waste please send an email to cmts.avfall@vll.se then you get in contact with VLL and can make an appointment for delivery.
Code of rules and procedures for disposal of radioactive waste.
Declaration and receipt of radioactive waste.