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THE ORCBS > Radiation Safety > Radiation Safety Manual >
Due to the number
of NRC violations cited at numerous institutions, including MSU in
past violations, the MSU Radiation Safety Committee and the Office
of the Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies have developed
a policy regarding food and drink. The following policy must be adhered
to by radioisotope principal investigators and users.
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Food
and Drink Policy| There shall be no food, drink, smoking or applying cosmetics in the laboratories which have licensable radioactive materials, biohazardous materials or hazardous chemicals present. There shall be no storage, use or disposal of any "consumable" items in laboratories (including refrigerators within laboratories). Rooms which are adjacent, but are separated by floor to ceiling walls, and do not have any chemical, radioactive or biohazardous agents present, may be used for food consumption or preparation at the discretion of the principal investigator responsible for the areas. |
It is important to be aware that even the presence of empty food
and drink containers in the normal trash may cause a violation,
since it is construed as "evidence of consumption" by
regulators, and the burden of proof to the contrary then lies with
the licensee. Please also note that gum and tobacco chewing are
prohibited in laboratories.
Floor to ceiling enclosures must separate food areas from hazardous materials areas, due to the potential for release of a hazardous material into the air, and then into a food area when only partial barriers are present.
If empty food or drink containers are used for storage or disposal of laboratory waste, pipette tips, or other laboratory equipment, reagents or materials, they must be clearly labeled. If used for disposal of items contaminated with radioactive materials, the containers must be clearly labeled with the radioactive materials warning symbol, and the nuclide, quantity of activity and date.
