RSO Training, Emergency Preparedness, and Administration 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An RSO must report a misadministration in nuclear medicine to the NRC when:
- Any dose differs from the prescribed dose by more than 5%
- The administered dose exceeds the prescribed dose by defined thresholds (e.g., >20% for therapeutic doses) or involves the wrong patient/radionuclide (Correct answer)
- The patient reports any adverse symptoms after administration
- The NRC is notified automatically through the hospital's EMR system
Correct answer: The administered dose exceeds the prescribed dose by defined thresholds (e.g., >20% for therapeutic doses) or involves the wrong patient/radionuclide
NRC 10 CFR 35.3045 defines medical events (misadministrations) based on dose thresholds, wrong patient/radionuclide/route criteria; these require 24-hour verbal and 15-day written notification to the NRC.
Question 2: The RSO's primary role during a radiation emergency is to:
- Direct all fire department and emergency response activities
- Provide technical radiation safety expertise, coordinate response actions, and ensure personnel and public protection (Correct answer)
- Perform all decontamination work personally
- Suspend all facility operations for at least 30 days
Correct answer: Provide technical radiation safety expertise, coordinate response actions, and ensure personnel and public protection
During a radiation emergency, the RSO serves as the technical expert advising on radiation hazards, coordinating protective actions, and interfacing with emergency responders to ensure appropriate radiological controls.
Question 3: How often should an RSO conduct drills or exercises for the radiation emergency response plan?
- Only when mandated by an NRC inspection
- At a frequency specified in the facility's license or plan, typically annually, to verify plan effectiveness and worker preparedness (Correct answer)
- Every 5 years as part of license renewal
- Only after an actual emergency has occurred
Correct answer: At a frequency specified in the facility's license or plan, typically annually, to verify plan effectiveness and worker preparedness
NRC license conditions and good practice require periodic drills (commonly annual) to verify that emergency procedures are current, workers are trained, and the plan will work effectively in an actual emergency.
Question 4: License amendments must be obtained from the NRC BEFORE a licensee:
- Trains new authorized users
- Changes the RSO (if required by license condition) or adds new radionuclides/quantities/uses not covered by the existing license (Correct answer)
- Updates the emergency contact list
- Replaces a survey meter with one of equivalent type
Correct answer: Changes the RSO (if required by license condition) or adds new radionuclides/quantities/uses not covered by the existing license
License amendments are required for changes outside the scope of the existing license, such as adding new radionuclides, new use locations, new use categories, or changing the RSO where the license specifically requires amendment approval.
Question 5: NRC regulations require that a licensee notify the NRC Operations Center within 4 hours of discovering a radiation dose to an individual that:
- Exceeds 1 mSv above the occupational limit
- Exceeds 25 rem (250 mSv) TEDE in 24 hours or other immediate notification thresholds (Correct answer)
- Exceeds the quarterly ALARA action level
- Exceeds any investigational level established in the radiation protection program
Correct answer: Exceeds 25 rem (250 mSv) TEDE in 24 hours or other immediate notification thresholds
10 CFR 20.2202 requires immediate (4-hour) NRC notification for doses exceeding 25 rem TEDE, 75 rem to any organ, or 25 rem to the eye, or certain levels in a 24-hour period.
Question 6: An annual radiation protection program review conducted by the RSO should include evaluation of:
- Building structural integrity and HVAC performance only
- Occupational dose records, incident reports, audit findings, changes in operations, and regulatory updates (Correct answer)
- Only dosimetry vendor performance metrics
- Financial cost of dosimetry and shielding only
Correct answer: Occupational dose records, incident reports, audit findings, changes in operations, and regulatory updates
A comprehensive annual program review evaluates dose records and trends, incidents, audit results, changes in operations or regulations, and the continued effectiveness of all program elements.
RSO Training, Emergency Preparedness, and Administration 2
An RSO must report a misadministration in nuclear medicine to the NRC when: