Radiation safety aspects of production of commercial levels of medical radioisotopes

The first step toward efficient radiation safety in a facility that intends to produce commercial levels of radionuclides is to anticipate the scope of the facility during the design stages of the physical plant and during formulation of operating procedures. The design and operation must include flexibility to accommodate changing needs of production and research and development while providing radiation safety. A recently proposed licensing guide from the Bureau of Radiation Control, Texas Department of Health, while providing for safe operation, would severely limit flexibility and development. For example, engineering controls and procedures should be specified for generic systems as opposed to each specific radionuclide and by-products. Operator training is critical for reduced exposure and should be addressed, but requiring prior training for all operators is not reasonably achievable and would result in loss of proprietary information. Procedures to reduce exposure should include experimentally determined 'cooldown' times, 'problem indexes' for specific jobs related to particular cyclotrons, and proper management and administrative structures. (orig.)