The management of hospital radioactive wastes

Enquiries performed by nuclear medicine services together with ANDRA in order to characterize the radioactive wastes from hospital origin have led to suggest some improvements in the management of these products: improved screening on the production site by rationalized collection, planning of a local storage installation for decay of 125I-containing products, systematic education of concerned hospital staff, in particular to prevent infectious risks, obtaining legislatively a change of class for tritiated and carbonated hospital radioactive wastes, which will be then considered as common wastes. The practical application of these arrangements in hospital by the 'radiation protection competent person' would liberate hospital departments from systematic appeal to ANDRA and thus result in money saving