Chapter 481. Virginia Radiation Protection Regulations

Article 4 General Technical Requirements A. For direct measurements performed in accordance with 12VAC5-481-1820, licensees shall possess and use instrumentation to measure the activity of unsealed radioactive material before it is administered to each patient or human research s…

(Repealed.)

A. Licensees shall determine and record the activity of each dosage before medical use. B. For a unit dosage, this determination shall be made by: 1. Direct measurement of the radioactivity; or 2. A decay correction based on activity or activity concentration determined by: a. A …

Any person authorized by 12VAC5-481-1680 for medical use of radioactive material may receive, possess, and use any of the following radioactive material for check, calibration, transmission, and reference use: 1. Sealed sources, not exceeding 1.11 GBq (30 mCi) each, manufactured …

A. Licensees in possession of any sealed source or brachytherapy source shall follow the radiation safety and handling instructions supplied by the manufacturer. B. Licensees in possession of a sealed source shall: 1. Test the source for leakage before its first use unless the li…

Each syringe and vial that contains unsealed radioactive material shall be labeled to identify the radioactive drug. Each syringe shield and vial shield shall also be labeled unless the label on the syringe or vial is visible when shielded.Statutory Authority§ 32.1-229 of the Cod…

A. In addition to the surveys required by Part IV (12VAC5-481-600 et seq.) of this chapter, licensees shall survey with a radiation detection survey instrument at the end of each day of use. Licensees shall survey all areas where unsealed radioactive material requiring a written …

A. Licensees may authorize the release from its control of any individual who has been administered unsealed radioactive material or implants containing radioactive material if the total effective dose equivalent to any other individual from exposure to the released individual is…

A. The mobile medical service shall be licensed if the service receives, uses, or possesses radioactive material. The client of the mobile medical service shall be licensed if the client receives or possesses radioactive material to be used by a mobile medical service. B. License…

Licensees may hold radioactive material with a physical half-life of less than or equal to 120 days for decay-in-storage before disposal without regard to its radioactivity if it: 1. Monitors material at the surface before disposal and determines that its radioactivity cannot be …

The agency may, by rule, regulation, or order, impose upon any licensee or registrant such requirements in addition to those established in these regulations as it deems appropriate or necessary to minimize danger to public health and safety or property. Statutory Authority§ 32.1…

Article 5 Unsealed Byproduct Material – Written Directive Not Required Except for quantities that require a written directive under 12VAC5-481-1720, licensees may use any unsealed radioactive material prepared for medical use for uptake, dilution, or excretion studies that is: 1.…

Except as provided in 12VAC5-481-1780, licensees shall require an authorized user of unsealed radioactive material for the uses authorized under 12VAC5-481-1900 to be a physician: 1. Who is certified by a medical specialty board whose certification process has been recognized by …

Except for quantities that require a written directive under 12VAC5-481-1720, licensees may use any unsealed radioactive material prepared for medical use for imaging and localization studies that is: 1. Obtained from a manufacturer or preparer licensed under 12VAC5-481-480 I or …

A. Licensees may not administer to humans a radiopharmaceutical that contains: 1. More than 0.15 µCi of molybdenum-99 per mCi of technetium-99m (0.15 kBq of molybdenum-99 per MBq of technetium-99m); or 2. More than 0.02 µCi of strontium-82 per mCi of rubidium-82 chloride (0.02 kB…

Except as provided in 12VAC5-481-1780, licensees shall require an authorized user (AU) of unsealed radioactive material for the uses authorized under 12VAC5-481-1920 to be a physician: 1. Who is certified by a medical specialty board whose certification process has been recognize…

Licensees may use any unsealed radioactive material identified in subdivision 2 b (7) of 12VAC5-481-1980 prepared for medical use and for which a written directive is required that is: 1. Obtained from a manufacturer or preparer licensed under 12VAC5-481-480 I or equivalent NRC o…

In addition to the requirements of 12VAC5-481-2270, licensees shall provide radiation safety instruction initially and at least annually to personnel caring for patients or human research subjects who cannot be released under 12VAC5-481-1870. To satisfy this requirement, the inst…

A. For each patient or human research subject who cannot be released under 12VAC5-481-1870, licensees shall: 1. Quarter the patient or the human research subject either in: a. A private room with a private sanitary facility; or b. A room, with a private sanitary facility, with an…

Except as provided in 12VAC5-481-1780, licensees shall require an authorized user (AU) of unsealed radioactive material for the uses authorized under 12VAC5-481-1950 to be a physician: 1. Who is certified by a medical specialty board whose certification process has been recognize…

Except as provided in 12VAC5-481-1780, licensees shall require an authorized user (AU) for the oral administration of sodium iodide (I-131) requiring a written directive in quantities less than or equal to 33 mCi (1.22 GBq) to be a physician: 1. Who is certified by a medical spec…

Except as otherwise specifically provided, these regulations apply to all persons who receive, possess, use, transfer, own, or acquire any source of radiation; provided, however, that nothing in these regulations shall apply to any person to the extent such person is subject to r…

(Repealed.)

Except as provided in 12VAC5-481-1780, licensees shall require an authorized user (AU) for the oral administration of sodium iodide (I-131) requiring a written directive in quantities greater than 33 mCi (1.22 GBq) to be a physician: 1. Who is certified by a medical specialty boa…

Except as provided in 12VAC5-481-1780, licensees shall require an authorized user (AU) for the parenteral administration requiring a written directive to be a physician: 1. Who is an AU under 12VAC5-481-1980 for uses listed in subdivision 2 b (7) (c) of 12VAC5-481-1980 or equival…

Licensees shall use only brachytherapy sources: 1. As approved in the Sealed Source and Device Registry for manual brachytherapy medical use. The manual brachytherapy sources may be used for manual brachytherapy uses that are not explicitly listed in the Sealed Source and Device …

A. Immediately after implanting sources in a patient or a human research subject, the licensee shall make a survey to locate and account for all sources that have not been implanted. B. Immediately after removing the last temporary implant source from a patient or a human researc…

A. Licensees shall maintain accountability at all times for all brachytherapy sources in storage or use. B. As soon as possible after removing sources from a patient or a human research subject, licensees shall return brachytherapy sources to a secure storage area.Statutory Autho…

A. In addition to the requirements of 12VAC5-481-2270, licensees shall provide radiation safety instruction initially and at least annually, to personnel caring for patients or human research subjects who are receiving brachytherapy and cannot be released under 12VAC5-481-1870. B…

A. For each patient or human research subject who is receiving brachytherapy and cannot be released under 12VAC5-481-1870, licensees shall: 1. Not quarter the patient or human research subject in the same room as an individual who is not receiving brachytherapy; 2. Visibly post t…

A. Before the first medical use of a brachytherapy source, licensees shall have: 1. Determined the source output or activity using a dosimetry system that meets the requirements of 12VAC5-481-2044; 2. Determined source positioning accuracy with applicators; and 3. Used published …

A. Licensees who use strontium-90 for ophthalmic treatments must ensure that certain activities as specified in subsection B of this section are performed by either: 1. An authorized medical physicist; or 2. An individual who: a. Is identified as on ophthalmic physicist on a spec…

Licensees shall perform acceptance testing on the treatment planning system of therapy-related computer systems in accordance with published protocols accepted by nationally recognized bodies. At a minimum, the acceptance testing shall include, as applicable, verification of: 1. …

Except as provided in 12VAC5-481-1780, licensees shall require an authorized user of a manual brachytherapy source for uses authorized under 12VAC5-481-2010 to be a physician: 1. Who is certified by a medical specialty board whose certification process has been recognized by the …

Except as provided in 12VAC5-481-1780, licensees shall require the AU of strontium-90 for ophthalmic radiotherapy to be a physician: 1. Who is an authorized user (AU) under 12VAC5-481-2018 or equivalent NRC or other Agreement state requirements; or 2. Who has: a. Completed 24 hou…

A. Licensees shall use only sealed sources that are not in medical devices for diagnostic medical uses if the sealed sources are approved in the Sealed Source and Device Registry but must be used in accordance with the radiation safety conditions and limitations described in the …

Except as provided by 12VAC5-481-1780, licensees shall require the authorized user of a diagnostic sealed source for use in a device authorized under 12VAC5-481-2020 to be a physician, dentist, or podiatrist who: 1. Is certified by a specialty board whose certification process in…

A. Except as provided in 12VAC5-481-1780, licensees shall require an authorized user (AU) of a sealed source in remote afterloader units, teletherapy units, and gamma stereotactic radiosurgery units to be a physician: 1. Who is certified by a medical specialty board whose certifi…

A. Radiation surveys. 1. In addition to the survey requirements in 12VAC5-481-750, licensees shall make surveys to ensure that the maximum radiation levels and average radiation levels from the surface of the main source safe with the source in the shielded position do not exceed…

A. Only a person specifically licensed by the agency, the NRC, or another agreement state shall install, maintain, adjust, or repair a remote afterloader unit, teletherapy unit, or gamma stereotactic radiosurgery unit that involves work on the source shielding, the source driving…

A. Safety procedures and instructions. 1. Licensees shall: a. Secure the unit, the console, the console keys, and the treatment room when not in use or unattended; b. Permit only individuals approved by the authorized user (AU), the authorized medical physicist (AMP), or the RSO …

A. Except for low dose-rate remote afterloader sources where the source output or activity is determined by the manufacturer, licensees shall have a calibrated dosimetry system available for use. To satisfy this requirement, one of the following two conditions shall be met. 1. Th…

A. Teletherapy units. 1. Licensees authorized to use a teletherapy unit for medical use shall perform full calibration measurements on each teletherapy unit: a. Before the first medical use of the unit; b. Before medical use under the following conditions: (1) Whenever spot-check…

A. Periodic spot-checks for teletherapy units. 1. Licensees authorized to use teletherapy units for medical use shall perform output spot-checks on each teletherapy unit once in each calendar month that include determination of: a. Timer accuracy and timer linearity over the rang…

A. Licensees providing mobile remote afterloader service shall: 1. Check survey instruments before medical use at each address of use or on each day of use, whichever is more frequent; and 2. Account for all sources before departure from a client's address of use. B. In addition …

A. Licensees shall have each teletherapy unit and gamma stereotactic radiosurgery unit fully inspected and serviced during each source replacement to assure proper functioning of the source exposure mechanism and other safety components. The interval between each full-inspection …

Licensees shall perform acceptance testing on the treatment planning system of therapy-related computer systems in accordance with published protocols accepted by nationally recognized bodies. At a minimum, the acceptance testing shall include, as applicable, verification of: 1. …