Government Regulation & University Policies for Radiation Use

Radiation Safety at Princeton University

  • Princeton University established the Radiation Safety Committee to manage and oversee the use of sources of radiation by its researchers. In addition to providing oversight of the radiation safety program, the Committee also authorizes the use of radioactive materials, reviews incidents involving radioactive materials, and sets policies for the use of sources of radiation. 
  • The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) is a staff member in the Environmental Health & Safety Office who manages the University’s radiation safety programs to ensure the safe use of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.  

Radioactive Materials

New Jersey has established an agreement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to regulate and license the use of most radioactive materials. This means that radioactive material use at Princeton University is regulated and licensed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). To see a copy of the Princeton University radioactive materials license, contact the Radiation Safety Officer. You can see the regulations pertaining to radioactive material use at the NJDEP site (see the Resources sidebar).

NJDEP conducts unannounced inspections of our radiation safety program for radioactive materials every three years. The inspectors typically pick several labs to visit at the time of the inspection. EHS will work with you to ensure that your lab is prepared for an inspection.

Radiation-Producing Equipment

NJDEP also regulates the use of radiation-producing equipment. These regulations require that certain equipment must be registered with NJDEP. EHS is responsible for conducting surveys of your equipment and for registering each device with NJDEP.

The regulations specify the warning postings and types of safety systems that must be incorporated into the equipment and specify that operators of certain types of equipment must wear radiation monitoring badges. You can see the regulations pertaining to radiation-producing equipment at the NJDEP site (see the Resources sidebar).

NJDEP conducts scheduled inspections of all of our radiation-producing equipment typically every three to four years. EHS will work with you to ensure that your lab is prepared for an inspection.

Notice to Employees

NJDEP requires us to post copies of the Notice to Employees. The Notice to Employees summarizes the responsibilities of licensees and provides addresses and phone numbers for NJDEP’s Radiation Protection Program Offices. You will see copies of the Notice at locations in your department or you can find it online (see the Resources sidebar).

Concerns about Radiation Safety Issues

If you are concerned about any issue relating to radiation safety, be sure to talk to the RSO about your concerns.

University Policies about Radiation Use

The Radiation Safety Committee has established some specific policies regarding the use of radiation on campus, listed on the Radioactive Materials - Policies page.

Staff

Colt Greer
Assistant Director and RSO
609-258-1919