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Ordering and Receiving RAM

Ordering and Receiving RAM 

Reviewed 6/2/16

     All purchases, gifts or transfers from or to other Institutions or authorized users of radioactive materials must be approved by the Radiation Safety Office. The Radiation Safety Officer must assure that receipt of any radioactive material within SUNY Upstate be for authorized radioactive materials and within the possession limits of our license and those set for the individual authorized user.

To ensure this requirement, the following purchasing procedure must be followed:

     1. All purchase orders for radioactive materials shall be accompanied by a completed "Radioactive Materials Purchase Order Clearance Form" signed by the authorized user. The authorized user cannot delegate the signing of the card.

      2. The purchase order and clearance form shall then be sent to the Radiation Safety Office for approval and signing. The approved order will be sent by the Radiation Safety Office to the Campus Purchasing Department.

 Note: The Purchasing Department will not accept any order for radioactive material without the completed Clearance Form.

      3. Orders should be placed to arrive on normal work days, not holiday or weekends; as there is no one in receiving or the Radiation Safety Office to receive or deliver them.

      4. All radioactive materials are delivered to the Radiation Safety Office. Upon arrival, the shipments are checked for damage, accuracy of contents, in some cases wipe tested, and logged in the Receipt Book. Should a radioactive material (RAM) package be inadvertently delivered to a laboratory during normal business hours, after hours or on a weekend; do not open it, contact the Radiation Safety Office for instructions.

      5. The laboratory ordering the material is then contacted and informed of its arrival. The RAM shipment is picked up at the Radiation Safety Office. Upon returning to the laboratory the radioactive material shipment should be opened immediately. Inspect the contents for possible damage or leakage, check the label for correspondence with the shipping papers (radionuclide, chemical form, activity, assay date must match). Conduct a smear survey of the exterior of the radioisotope container and analyze the smear for removable contamination. If free of contamination, transfer it to an authorized storage area.

 NOTE:  When opening a shipment of radioactive material, wear disposable gloves.

      6. To avoid possible confusion and oversight in adherence to the required procedures for radioisotope shipment receipt and inspection, one person in each radioisotope permit holder's group should be assigned the responsibility of receipt, opening, inspection and surveying of radioisotope shipments. In his/her absence, this assigned person is responsible for appointing an alternate person to assume responsibility for these duties. The alternate is responsible for opening, inspecting and transferring the radioactive material to an authorized storage area as soon as possible.

    Shipments that are potentially volatile, gaseous, or could be released into the air should be opened in a radioisotope hood, and to further ensure the safety of personnel, a smear survey should be taken of the inner container to determine possible radioactive contamination. Notify the Radiation Safety Office at 464-6510 in the event of any contamination, improper packaging, leaking, damaged vials, etc.

The procedure below must be followed when a radioisotope shipment is received:

  •  Remove shipping papers and supplier's instructions and retain for receipt records.
  •  Remove inner packing materials and place into an appropriate receptacle (packing material must be surveyed for possible radioisotope contamination and shown to be free of contamination before being disposed of as non-radioactive trash or returned for recycling).
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