AutoQ content pack
Nuclear Materials Safety Review
This review assesses whether the controls that protect workers, the public and the environment from radioactive and nuclear materials, from licensing and accountability through handling, transport and disposal to emergencies, are designed well and operating as intended.
The pack is a complete control questionnaire, ready to run on AutoQ Standalone or Enterprise Version 3.1 alongside your other reviews, with its own installer. Your team answers each control and records the evidence it inspected, and AutoQ writes the statement of fact, risk, effect and recommendation for every answer, rates each domain and produces the reports.
High-risk controls are those where a failure could most directly cause a significant radiation exposure, a loss of control of a source or a release of radioactive material.
Who it's for
- Radiation safety officers and committees
- Hospitals, laboratories and universities licensed for radioactive materials
- Industrial radiography and gauge users
- Internal audit and compliance teams
When to use it
- The annual radiation protection program review
- An internal audit before a regulatory inspection
- A review of source security and accountability
What it covers
Radiation Safety Program
20 controls, 8 of them high risk
High-risk focus: a current licence covering every material and use, a qualified radiation safety officer, a documented radiation protection program with ALARA goals, use limited to authorized users, safety assessments, approval of every purchase, and correction of regulatory findings.
Examples of the controls:
- The organization holds a current licence for every radioactive material, quantity, form and use on site, and activities stay within its conditions.
- A qualified radiation safety officer is appointed in writing with the authority, time and resources to run the radiation safety program, including the authority to stop unsafe work.
- Licence amendments are obtained before changes in radiation safety officer, materials, quantities, locations or uses, and required notifications are made on time.
Source Accountability and Security
20 controls, 14 of them high risk
High-risk focus: a complete source inventory with six-monthly physical checks, leak testing, secure storage and control in use, limited access, the enhanced security program for category 1 and 2 quantities, receipt surveys, licence checks before transfers, reporting of lost sources, nuclear material accounting and securing portable devices.
Examples of the controls:
- An inventory records every radioactive source and material with its radionuclide, activity, form, serial number, location and custodian.
- A physical inventory of sealed sources is taken at least every six months and reconciled with the records.
- Local law enforcement has been informed of high-activity holdings and response arrangements are agreed.
Worker Protection and Dosimetry
20 controls, 7 of them high risk
High-risk focus: instruction before radiation work, accredited dosimetry, review of doses, dose limits, classified areas, controlled entry to high radiation areas and contamination control.
Examples of the controls:
- Workers likely to receive a dose are instructed on radiation risks, protective practices, procedures and their rights before starting radiation work.
- Workers likely to exceed the monitoring thresholds wear individual dosimeters that are processed by an accredited service.
- Radiation safety training is refreshed at least annually and after significant changes or incidents.
Handling, Storage, Transport and Waste
20 controls, 6 of them high risk
High-risk focus: suitable stores, correctly prepared and surveyed shipments, vehicle transport controls, planned and tracked high-activity shipments, waste characterization and authorized maintenance of source devices.
Examples of the controls:
- Radioactive material is stored in designated, shielded, ventilated and labelled stores appropriate to its form and activity.
- Shipments of radioactive material are classified, packaged in the correct package type, and surveyed for dose rate and contamination before release.
- Radioactive material is stored away from flammable, corrosive and explosive materials and protected from fire and flood.
Monitoring, Emergencies and Incidents
20 controls, 9 of them high risk
High-risk focus: routine surveys with calibrated instruments, a radiological emergency plan, spill response, notification and investigation of incidents, medical events and written directives in medical uses, and response to security events.
Examples of the controls:
- Radiation and contamination surveys are performed at the required frequencies in every area where radioactive material is used or stored.
- Survey meters and monitoring instruments are calibrated at least annually and checked for response before use.
- Survey results above action levels lead to decontamination, investigation and re-survey.
Frameworks
Every control carries references to NRC 10 CFR, IAEA Safety Standards and DOT 49 CFR, so findings can be tied to the criteria your audit uses.
Criteria references mapped from NRC regulations in 10 CFR (Parts 19, 20, 21, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 71 and 74), IAEA Safety Standards (GSR Part 3 requirement numbers, GSR Parts 5, 6 and 7, SSR-6) and Nuclear Security Series guidance, and DOT 49 CFR for transport of Class 7 material. Blank where no standard applies directly. In Agreement States or outside the United States, map to the regulations that apply; licence conditions always prevail. Verify against the editions your audit uses.
What's in the workbook
| Control Library | Every control with its domain and subdomain, the control assertion, type, nature, frequency and risk weight, the framework references, the suggested test procedure, the evidence to request, the statements of fact if true and if false, the effect if false and the recommendation. |
|---|---|
| Questionnaire | The working sheet the review team answers, control by control, with the evidence they inspected; AutoQ fills in the findings from the answers. |
| Domain Summary | The rating of each domain, weighted by risk, ready for the report. |
| Column Guide | What every column means and how it is used. |
| Sources | The framework editions the references were mapped from, with a column for the reviewer to record the date each reference was checked. |
Delivered with its own installer, which adds it to AutoQ as a new review (or as a .zip to add on the Admin tab). The questionnaire is an Excel workbook, so it can be adapted with your own controls and ratings.
The framework references were mapped from the published texts and should be checked by a qualified safety professional against the editions your audit uses. Outside the United States, map them to the regulations that apply locally. The pack supports a review; it does not replace professional judgement or the requirements of your regulator.