Protection of radio-exposed personnel

The process consists of the following steps:

1. The Head of the Radioisotope Laboratory requests the Radiation Protection Expert to classify a new user (specifying the name, place and date of birth of the person, duties, type and quantity of radioisotopes that the person will use), by sending the job destination form - MDL Form.
2. The Radiation Protection Expert proposes the classification for the subject in question and communicates it to the Head of the Radioisotope Laboratory, returning the completed and signed MDL form to the Head of the Radioisotope Laboratory
3.  The Head of the Radioisotope Laboratory transmits the MDL form to the Safety Office, together with the request for a preventive medical examination - Form M-P.
4. After receiving the request from the Security Office, the Authorised Physician shall perform the examination and issue the fitness certificate, informing the Safety Office and the workers concerned; the latter shall inform their respective Laboratory Managers.
5. The Radioisotope Laboratory Manager shall communicate the suitability to the Radiation Protection Expert, who shall establish the dosimetry sheets of the workers about to commence work.
6.  The worker attends a radiation protection course organised by the Laboratory Manager, at the end of which he/she receives a certificate of attendance.
7.  The Head of the Radioisotope Laboratory, where applicable, assigns the dosimeters to the classified user, then completes the M-I form and sends it, duly signed, to the Security Office.
8.  The Radioisotope Laboratory Manager shall collect the dosimetry readings on a monthly basis and communicate them to the Radiation Protection Expert.
9.  The Radiation Protection Expert shall, on the basis of the dosimetry readings, calculate the official doses and communicate them, at least once every six months, to the Authorised Physician, the Safety Office and the Head of the Radioisotope Laboratory.
10.  The Authorised Physician reports the doses on each user's personal health record and assesses them during subsequent medical examinations to confirm or deny suitability.

The suspension procedure consists of the following steps:

• The exposed worker promptly communicates the suspension of exposure, to the Department Director or manager in charge and to the Radioisotope Laboratory Manager, indicating the date and causes (pregnancy, changes in laboratory activity, etc.).
• The Employer shall order the immediate removal of the worker from the supervised and controlled areas, notifying the worker, the Radiation Protection Expert and the Head of the Radioisotope Laboratory.
•  He also orders the immediate removal of the access badge and dosimeter, with communication to the worker and the Radioisotope Laboratory Manager.
• The Employer fills out, through the Radioisotope Laboratory Manager, the S-A form and sends it, duly signed, to the Competent Doctor, the Radiation Protection Expert and the Safety Office.

     Should the work destination of the classified personnel change, however:

• the Employer (Department Director or Manager in charge), through the Radioisotope Laboratory Manager, completes the MDL form and sends it to the Radiation Protection Expert for the new classification.
• The Head of the Radioisotope Laboratory shall forward the new classification (MDL form filled in and signed by the Radiation Protection Expert) together with the M-P forms (in the case of personnel moving from cat. B to cat. A) and/or M-C forms (in the case of personnel moving from cat. A/B to cat. NON EXPOSED), to the Safety Office.
• Subsequent steps will follow what is indicated in the cases of classification and/or suspension/termination of radio-exposed personnel.

In case of closure:

• the exposed worker (possibly through his Laboratory Manager) promptly notifies the Employer (Department Director or manager in charge) and the Radioisotope Laboratory Manager of the date and manner of cessation of exposure to the risk (in accordance with the law, it is important to distinguish between the mere cessation of exposure with continuation of employment and the complete cessation of employment. In the latter case, he also completes the Notification of Termination of Activities Form N-C. Said Form N-C, in original, duly signed by the Facility Director, shall be promptly transmitted by the Radioisotope Laboratory Manager to the Safety Office.
• The Employer (Department Director or manager in charge) shall inform the Radiation Protection Expert, the Authorised Physician and the Safety Office of the name of the person in question and the cause of the interruption of the activity. He completes and sends to the Safety Office the M-C form requesting the closure visit.
• The Radioisotope Laboratory Manager sends the worker's dosimetry sheet to the Radiation Protection Expert, together with the dosimetry data of the person in question, up to the last exposure.
• The Radiation Protection Expert collects and processes the dosimetry data and promptly communicates them to the Safety Office and the Authorised Physician. In cases of termination of employment, he hands over the duly closed dosimetry sheet to the latter, also through the Radioisotope Laboratory Manager.
• The Authorised Physician performs the closing medical examination and transmits the relative report to the Safety Office and to the worker. The Authorised Physician, only in the event of termination of employment, sends the relative documentation to INAIL headquarters in Rome within six months from the date of termination of employment. He also sends a copy of the relevant documentation to the Employer