In order to work with radioactive material at the University of Florida, an authorization from the Radiation Control Committee is required. To request authorization, a project proposal must be submitted through the Radiation Safety Office which details:

• The location where the radioactive material will be used and stored
• The radionuclides which will be used
• Procedures for the handling of the material
• The type of waste and waste minimization practices, particularly regarding mixed waste

Additionally, the following forms must be submitted along with the proposal:

• Proposal Summary Sheet
• Statement of Training for anyone that will be using the radioactive material under the proposal

Further guidance may be found in the UF Radiation Control Guide.

Anyone that would like to work with radioactive material at the University of Florida must do so under an authorized PI. If you are a new member of an authorized PI’s group, you must first take the Radiation Safety Short Course (RSSC) and submit a Statement of Training and Authorization before beginning work. Training must be renewed every two-years.

If your project requires the short-term use of a radioactive material, you may be able to temporarily work under another PI’s authorization. Please contact the Radiation Safety Office to learn more.

When the details of an existing authorized PI’s project changes, it is sometime necessary to amend the authorization. Changes that require amendment include:

• New Isotopes
• New radioactive material use locations (buildings/rooms)

Please notify the Radiation Safety Office to amend an existing authorization.

If an authorized PI no longer needs to use radioactive material, they may request to become inactive. Doing so eliminates the need for contamination surveys, inspection visits, inventory management, etc. When inactivated, all remaining radioactive material and radioactive waste will need to be removed from the lab. The Radiation Safety Office may store some long half-life sources on request. Inactive projects may be re-activated without a new proposal submission.

Alternatively, if the PI believes they will not need to use radioactive material in the future, the authorization may be cancelled. Doing so will allow the removal of all radioactive posters, radiation measuring devices and the requirement for radiation training. In this case, a re-activation would require a new proposal submission.