RADIATION

PROTECTION
PROGRAM
AUGUST 2006

CONTE NT S
1

OVERVIEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 REGULATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 REGISTRATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 INSPECTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5 PERSONNEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5
5
5
6
6

5.1 Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.2 Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.3 Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5.4 Training and Supervision. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6 RECORDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.1 Self-Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.2 Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.3 Receipt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.4 Utilization Logs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.5 Audits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7
7
7
7
7
8

7 NOTIFICATION OF INCIDENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 OPERATION REQUIREMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9
8.1 Performance Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
8.2 Modification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
8.3 Equipment Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
8.4 Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
8.5 Operating and Emergency Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

9 CONTRABAND DETECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
10 SUPPLEMENT AND APPENDIXES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
11 PROGRAM CHECKLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

August 2006

Dear Friend of the Courts:

The Emergency Response and Security Unit of the Administrative Office of the
Courts is pleased to provide you with this radiation protection program to comply
with California regulations pertaining to X-ray screening devices.
These regulations are a requirement for any entity, including courts, that are in possession of a radiation-emitting device. This report has consolidated the regulations
applicable to the courts and includes the necessary reporting forms in an effort to
make this process as simple as possible.
If you have any questions, I encourage you to contact the Emergency Response and
Security Unit at 415-865-8048.

Sincerely,

Malcolm Franklin
Senior Manager, Emergency Response and Security

RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

OVERVIEW

Concealed weapons screening is a vital part of any court systems security program,
helping to ensure the safety of judges, court staff, jurors, and the public. X-ray
screening devices used by the courts contain a reportable source of radiation, which
must be registered with the California Department of Health Services, Radiologic
Health Branch. The California Code of Regulations, title 17, governs the registration, use, and inspection of radiation-emitting devices and the requirements for an
effective radiation protection program.
While the radiation emitted by Priority 2 X-ray screening devices is minimal,
ranging from approximately 0.08 to 0.16 milliroentgen (mR) radiation dose per
exam, courts are still required to implement and maintain a radiation protection
program.
The following program outlines the applicable requirements of these regulations
and the necessary reporting maintenance for any inspection by the Department of
Health Services (hereafter the department).

REGULATIONS

California court facilities possessing X-ray equipment as a part of their security program must comply with the California Code of Regulations (Cal. Code Regs.), title
17, division 1, chapter 5, subchapters 4, 4.5, and 4.6. These regulations, which incorporate the standards from title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, part 20, govern the
use, inspection, and registration of radiation machines. The department requires
all users possessing a reportable source of radiation to maintain a hard copy of the
applicable regulations on site (see section 10). Internet access to such regulations
does not satisfy this requirement.

RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

REGISTRATION

All X-ray screening devices must be registered with the department within 30 days
of acquisition (Appendix A). Registration renewal occurs every two years and must
be completed on or before the registration renewal date. A late fee of 25 percent of
the registration fee will be charged for any fee 30 days past due. Registration fees are
approximately $172 per year, per device, and are nonrefundable. If an X-ray device
is replaced, all registration fees paid will be transferred to any replacement radiation
machine for the remainder of the registration period.
Changes in name, address of the registrant, location of the installation, receipt, sale,
transfer, disposal, or discontinuance of use must be reported in writing (Appendix
B) to the department within 30 days (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 17, 3011030145).1

INSPECTION

Court facilities possessing X-ray screening devices are subject to inspection by the
department approximately every five years. These inspections are automatic, and no
action is required on the part of the court to initiate the inspection. Inspectors will
be looking for the following:
Proof of registration of the reportable source or sources of radiation with the
Department of Health Services (DHS), Radiologic Health Branch (RHB).
See section 3 above.
Verification that the registration information is current (i.e., registrants
name, address, phone number, number of machines, and serial numbers). See
section 3.
Possession of a current copy of the California Code of Regulations, title 17.
See section 10.
Posting of a current copy of the form Notice to Employees. See section 5.2.
Posting of operator instructions and safety procedures. See section 5.2.
Evidence that all operators have been trained in the safe use and operation
of the machine or machines. See section 5.4.

Citations are to Cal. Code Regs., tit. 17.

RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

During an inspection, the court must allow the department reasonable access to
inspect materials, machines, activities, facilities, premises, and records. Inspectors
may choose to consult privately with staff regarding applicable provisions and regulations, during which time staff can alert inspectors to any past or present condition
that they have reason to believe violated the California Code of Regulations.
Any individual concerned about a possible violation of, or noncompliance with, the
radiation control regulations can request an inspection by submitting a Radiation
Safety Complaint, form RH-1027 (Appendix C) directly to the department. The
department will then forward a copy to the court, alerting it of the concern; the
complainants name and personal information will, however, not be provided. If
there are reasonable grounds to believe a violation has occurred, an inspection by
the department will be made ( 30254).

PERSONNEL

5.1. Instructions
The courts are responsible for informing all individuals working near a source of
radiation of the following:
Health problems associated with exposure to radiation;
Precautions or procedures to minimize exposure;
The need to observe, to the extent within their control, the applicable provisions of department regulations;
Their responsibility to promptly report to the court any condition that may
lead to or cause a violation of department regulations;
The provisions for personnel during inspections; and
The appropriate response to warnings made in the event of any unusual
occurrence or malfunction that may involve exposure to radiation ( 30255).
5.2. Notices
The courts are required to post the following information. If posting these documents is not practicable, the user may post a notice that describes the documents
and where they may be found.

RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

 A current copy of section 30255 (Appendix D);

Operating and emergency procedures applicable to working with sources of
radiation;
Notice to Employees, form COMP-RHB-2364 (Appendix E); and
Any notices of violation involving radiological working conditions and any
required response from the court. These documents and the courts response,
if any, must be posted within two working days after receipt from the department and will remain posted for a minimum of five working days or until
action correcting the violation has been completed, whichever occurs later
( 30255).
5.3. Reports
The court is not obligated to provide reports of an operators annual radiation exposure resulting from the minimal amount of radiation emitted by the machines in the
courts. Title 17 requires that monitoring and exposure reports be provided to operators or employees at their request if their annual exposure exceeds 10 percent of the
reportable occupational exposure of 5 rem per year. The X-ray machines operating
in the courts never approach these levels ( 30255).
5.4. Training and Supervision
The court must not permit any individual to operate an X-ray screening device until
such individual:
Has knowledge of the safe use and proper operation of that X-ray equipment;
Has received copies of and instruction in, and has demonstrated understanding of, these regulations and the courts operating and emergency procedures; and
Has demonstrated competence in using the X-ray screening device.
The court should also conduct an annual evaluation of each person assigned screening duties to ensure that he or she has a satisfactory record of performance and
attention to duty and demonstrates the current knowledge and skills necessary to
effectively perform screening functions ( 30333).

RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

RECORDS

All records associated with the radiation protection program should be maintained
in a centralized place and include who is responsible for maintaining all required
records, where the records will be stored, and what procedures should be followed
for recordkeeping at additional authorized sites. The necessary logs for tracking of
inspections, maintenance, and utilization are provided in Appendix F ( 30332.6).
6.1. Self-Inspection
The courts must implement a program for self-inspection of X-ray screening devices
to ensure the proper functioning of components important to safety. The operator
should note the types of checks performed, the interval at which they are conducted, actions taken if problems are noted, and who is responsible for those checks. All
self-inspections should be documented and maintained ( 30332.7).
6.2. Maintenance
The manufacturers required maintenance should be documented and performed
according to its specifications. All other types of maintenance should also be documented and records maintained ( 30332.6).
6.3. Receipt
The court must retain each record of receipt of an X-ray screening device in its
possession for three years after the sale, transfer, or replacement of the device. All
records such as letters, drawings, and specifications must include all pertinent information such as stamps, initials, and signatures ( 30293).
6.4. Utilization Logs
Each court must maintain current logs, which will be kept available for inspection
at the address specified in the registration, containing the following information for
each device:
The make, model, and serial number of the device;
The identity of the individual to whom assigned; and
The location where used and dates of use ( 30332.6).

RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

6.5. Audits
The radiation protection program must be audited annually. The Emergency
Response and Security Unit of the Administrative Office of the Courts can assist
with these audits and provide necessary changes or updates to the program. Audits
should address:
Identification of inspection types or program audits conducted, including
radiation machines, personnel, and procedures;
Identification of who is responsible for performing self-inspections or
audits;
Identification of where and at what intervals the inspections or audits are
conducted;
Procedures for conducting the inspections or audits; and
Instructions on identification of proper use of instrumentation if staff performs machine maintenance or calibrations ( 30333.1).

NOTIFICATION OF INCIDENTS

The courts must notify the department of an incident as soon as possible after it
occurs, but not later than four hours after the discovery of an event that prevents
immediate protective actions necessary to avoid exposure to radiation or radioactive materials that could exceed regulatory limits. Reports to the department can be
made by telephone to 916-440-7888 and, to the extent that information is available
at the time, should include:
The callers name and call-back number;
A description of the event, including date and time;
The exact location of the event; and
Any personnel radiation exposure data available.
A written follow-up report must be submitted to the department within 30 days of
the initial report and must include:
A description of the event, including the probable cause and the manufacturer and model number of the equipment that failed or malfunctioned;
The exact location of the event;

RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

 Date and time of the event;

Corrective actions taken or planned and the results of any evaluation or
assessment; and
The extent of exposure of individuals to radiation or to radioactive materials, without identification of individuals by name ( 30295).
In addition to the requirements above, the court must provide a written report to
the department within 30 days of the occurrence of any of the following incidents
involving X-ray screening devices:
Unintentional disconnection of the source assembly from the control cable;
Inability to retract the source assembly to its fully shielded position and to
secure it in this position; or
Failure of any component critical to safe operation of the device in such a
way that it properly performs its intended function.
Each report submitted that relates to any of the above occurrences must include:
A description of the equipment problem;
Cause of each incident, if known;
Manufacturer and model number of equipment involved in the incident;
Place, time, and date of the incident;
Actions taken to establish normal operations;
Corrective actions taken or planned to prevent recurrence; and
Qualifications of personnel involved in the incident ( 30332.8).

OPERATION REQUIREMENTS

8.1. Performance Requirements

Every X-ray screening device must have attached to it a durable, legible, clearly visible label bearing the following:
Chemical symbol and mass number of the radionucleide in the device;
Activity and date on which this activity was last measured;

RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

 Model number and serial number of the sealed source;

Manufacturer of the sealed source; and
Licensees name, address, and telephone number ( 30332).
8.2. Modification
Modification of any screening device is prohibited ( 30332).
8.3. Equipment Security
Each X-ray screening device must be provided with a lock to prevent unauthorized
access or exposure and must be kept locked at all times, except during authorized
use or when under the direct surveillance of a trained individual ( 30332.1).
8.4. Storage
Any device in storage is not subject to inspection and maintenance, provided that
inspection and maintenance are completed before the first use ( 30332.7).
8.5. Operating and Emergency Procedures
The courts will maintain and keep current written operating and emergency procedures. These may consist of the operating manual that comes with a radiation unit
and that often includes safety procedures. If safety procedures are not included in the
manual, however, they must be developed. The procedures must be posted on the
machine or where the operator can observe them while using the machine. The operating and emergency procedures must include the following detailed instructions:
The handling and use of X-ray screening devices and the manner in which
they are used to control and limit radiation exposure to individuals;
Methods and occasions for conducting radiation surveys;
Methods and occasions for controlling access to radiography areas;
Methods and occasions for locking and securing X-ray screening devices;
Personnel monitoring;
Procedures in the event of an accident, including sealed source handling, minimizing radiation exposure to individuals, and notifying the proper persons;
Maintenance of records; and
The inspection and maintenance of X-ray screening devices ( 30333.1).

10

RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

CONTRABAND DETECTION

All X-ray screening devices used exclusively to detect contraband must have all of
the following:
A physical barrier, photoelectric safety interlock, or other means that will
make it impossible to insert any part of the human body into the primary
X-ray beam;
A lock-and-key control that will ensure that X-ray generation is not possible
with the key removed;
An illuminated indicator that will show when X-rays are being generated;
this indicator must be prominently visible to operating personnel in their
normal working positions; and
An operators X-ray control switch that is of the dead-mans type (a deadmans switch is a safety feature that causes the machine to stop moving or
shut down if the switch is released) ( 30337).

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Supplement and Appendixes

The supplement and appendix forms can be found in the following locations:
For additional resources
or to obtain updated
forms, please contact:
California Department of Health,
Radiologic Health Branch
Telephone: 916-440-7888
Web site: http://www.dhs.ca
.gov/rhb/

For all other inquiries,

please contact:

Supplement: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/reference/emergency/
Appendix A: www.dhs.ca.gov/publications/forms/pdf/rh2261.pdf
Appendix B: www.dhs.ca.gov/rhb/PDF/Name and Address Change Request Form.pdf
Appendix C: www.dhs.ca.gov/publications/forms/pdf/rh1027.pdf
Appendix D: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/reference/emergency/
Appendix E: www.dhs.ca.gov/publications/forms/pdf/rh2364.pdf
Appendix F: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/reference/emergency/

Emergency Response and

Security, Administrative
Office of the Courts
Telephone: 415-865-8048
E-mail address: ers@jud.ca.gov

RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

11

11

PROGRAM CHECKLIST

Radiation Protection Program records must include the following:

Does the court have a current hard copy of the federal and
California regulations?
Is the court registered with the California Department of Health
Services, Radiologic Health Branch?
Have all registration fees been paid, and is the registration current?
Have all personnel operating the X-ray screening device been notified of the exposure risk, importance of observing department regulations, ways to report potential problems, inspection provisions,
and responses to malfunctions or alarms?
Is a current copy of California Code of Regulations section 30255
posted?
Are operating and emergency procedures posted?
Is a current copy of the form Notice to Employees posted?
Are any recent notices of violation posted?
Is the initial record of receipt of the screening device included in the
records?
Does the X-ray screening device have a label with the required
information attached to it?
Does the machine have a lock to prevent unauthorized access?
Are the utilization logs current and being maintained?
Are the operators routinely self-inspecting the machines?
Are the written operating and emergency procedures current and
being properly maintained?

12

RADIATION PROTECTION PROGRAM

Judicial Council of California

455 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, California 941023688
www.courtinfo.ca.gov

ERS0001.06.1