[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 10, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 10CFR36.23]

[Page 589-590]
 
                            TITLE 10--ENERGY
 
                CHAPTER I--NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
 
PART 36--LICENSES AND RADIATION SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR IRRADIATORS--Table of Contents
 
     Subpart C--Design and Performance Requirements for Irradiators
 
Sec. 36.23  Access control.

    (a) Each entrance to a radiation room at a panoramic irradiator must 
have a door or other physical barrier to prevent inadvertent entry of 
personnel if the sources are not in the shielded position. Product 
conveyor systems may serve as barriers as long as they reliably and 
consistently function as a barrier. It must not be possible to move the 
sources out of their shielded position if the door or barrier is open. 
Opening the door or barrier while the sources are exposed must cause the 
sources to return promptly to their shielded position. The personnel 
entrance door or barrier must have a lock that is operated by the same 
key used to move the sources. The doors and barriers must not prevent 
any individual in the radiation room from leaving.
    (b) In addition, each entrance to a radiation room at a panoramic 
irradiator must have an independent backup access control to detect 
personnel entry while the sources are exposed. Detection of entry while 
the sources are exposed must cause the sources to return to their fully 
shielded position and must also activate a visible and audible alarm to 
make the individual entering the room aware of the hazard. The alarm 
must also alert at least one other individual who is onsite of the 
entry. That individual shall be trained on how to respond to the alarm 
and prepared to promptly render or summon assistance.
    (c) A radiation monitor must be provided to detect the presence of 
high radiation levels in the radiation room of a panoramic irradiator 
before personnel entry. The monitor must be integrated with personnel 
access door locks to prevent room access when radiation levels are high. 
Attempted personnel entry while the monitor measures high radiation 
levels, must activate the alarm described in paragraph (b) of this 
section. The monitor may be located in the entrance (normally referred 
to as the maze) but not in the direct radiation beam.

[[Page 590]]

    (d) Before the sources move from their shielded position in a 
panoramic irradiator, the source control must automatically activate 
conspicuous visible and audible alarms to alert people in the radiation 
room that the sources will be moved from their shielded position. The 
alarms must give individuals enough time to leave the room before the 
sources leave the shielded position.
    (e) Each radiation room at a panoramic irradiator must have a 
clearly visible and readily accessible control that would allow an 
individual in the room to make the sources return to their fully 
shielded position.
    (f) Each radiation room of a panoramic irradiator must contain a 
control that prevents the sources from moving from the shielded position 
unless the control has been activated and the door or barrier to the 
radiation room has been closed within a preset time after activation of 
the control.
    (g) Each entrance to the radiation room of a panoramic irradiator 
and each entrance to the area within the personnel access barrier of an 
underwater irradiator must be posted as required by 10 CFR 20.1902. 
Radiation postings for panoramic irradiators must comply with the 
posting requirements of 10 CFR 20.1902, except that signs may be 
removed, covered, or otherwise made inoperative when the sources are 
fully shielded.
    (h) If the radiation room of a panoramic irradiator has roof plugs 
or other movable shielding, it must not be possible to operate the 
irradiator unless the shielding is in its proper location. This 
requirement may be met by interlocks that prevent operation if shielding 
is not placed properly or by an operating procedure requiring inspection 
of shielding before operating.
    (i) Underwater irradiators must have a personnel access barrier 
around the pool which must be locked to prevent access when the 
irradiator is not attended. Only operators and facility management may 
have access to keys to the personnel access barrier. There must be an 
intrusion alarm to detect unauthorized entry when the personnel access 
barrier is locked. Activation of the intrusion alarm must alert an 
individual (not necessarily onsite) who is prepared to respond or summon 
assistance.

[58 FR 7728, Feb. 9, 1993, as amended at 63 FR 39483, July 23, 1998]