La. Admin. Code tit. 33 § XV-575

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section XV-575 - Training and Testing

A. No licensee or registrant shall permit any individual to act as a radiographer, as defined in this Chapter, until such individual completes the following requirements.

1. The individual shall receive training in the subjects outlined in LAC 33:XV.599.Appendix A, in addition to a minimum of two months of on-the-job training, and shall be certified through a radiographer certification program by a certifying entity in accordance with the criteria specified in LAC 33:XV.599.Appendices A, B, and C.

2. The individual shall demonstrate understanding of the licensees license, and operating and emergency procedures by successful completion of a written or oral examination covering this material.

a. The hours of on-the-job training do not include safety meetings or classroom training or the use of a cabinet X-ray unit.

b. The current Form DRC-20, available from the department or the department's website, must be submitted to the Office of Environmental Compliance documenting the on-the-job training.

3. The individual shall receive copies of and instruction in the regulations contained in this Chapter and the applicable sections of LAC 33:XV.Chapters 4, 10, 15, and 16, the license(s) under which the radiographer will perform industrial radiography, and the licensee's or registrant's operating and emergency procedures.

4. The individual shall receive training in the use of the licensees radiographic exposure devices, sealed sources, and radiation survey instruments, and in the daily inspection of devices and associated equipment that may be employed in his assignment.

5. The individual shall demonstrate understanding of the use of radiographic exposure devices, sources, survey instruments, and associated equipment described in Paragraphs A.3 and 4 of this Section by successful completion of a practical examination covering this material.

6. The individual shall successfully complete, within the last five years, a radiation safety examination administered by the department, another agreement state, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or the American Society of Non-Destructive Testing (ASNT). The examination must be successfully completed at least once every five years.

7. The individual shall have in his or her possession a valid radiographer certification card issued by the department, another agreement state, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or the American Society of NonDestructive Testing (ASNT).

B. No licensee or registrant shall permit any individual to act as a radiographer trainee, as defined in this Chapter, until such individual completes the following requirements.

1. The individual shall receive:

a. copies of and instruction in the regulations contained in this Chapter and the applicable sections of LAC 33:XV.Chapters 4, 10, 15, and 16;

b. the license(s) under which the radiographer trainee will perform industrial radiography; and

c. the licensee's or registrant's operating and emergency procedures.

2. The individual shall develop competence to use, under the personal supervision of the radiographer instructor:

a. the radiographic exposure devices;

b. sealed sources, associated equipment; and

c. radiation survey instruments that may be employed in his assignment.

3. The individual shall demonstrate understanding of the instructions provided under Paragraph B.1 of this Section by successfully completing a company-specific written examination on the subjects, and shall demonstrate competence in the use of hardware described in Paragraph B.2 of this Section by successful completion of a practical examination on the use of such hardware.

4. The current Form DRC-20, available from the department or the department's website, must be submitted to the Office of Environmental Compliance documenting the on-the-job training, instruction in the subjects outlined in Appendix A in this Chapter, and successful completion of a company-specific written examination.

5. The individual shall have in his or her possession, a valid radiographer trainee certification card issued by the department or equivalent certification recognized by another agreement state or the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

6. Each radiographer trainee certification card does not expire, unless revoked or suspended in accordance with LAC 33:XV.579.

C. Each licensee or registrant shall maintain, for inspection by the department, the following records for three years for each radiographer and radiographer trainee.

1. Records of Training and Certification. The records must include radiographer certification documents and verification of certification status, copies of written tests, dates and results of oral tests and field examinations, and the names of individuals conducting and receiving the oral and field examinations.

2. Records of Annual Refresher Safety Training and Semiannual Inspections of Job Performance. The records must list the topics discussed during the refresher safety training, the dates the annual refresher safety training was conducted, and the names of the instructors and attendees. For inspections of job performance, the records must also include a list showing the items checked and any noncompliance observed by the radiation safety officer or designee.

D. Each licensee or registrant shall conduct a program of internal audits, not to exceed every six months, to ensure that the Radiation Protection Regulations (LAC 33:XV), Louisiana radioactive material license conditions, and the licensee's or registrant's operating and emergency procedures are followed by each radiographer and radiographer trainee. Records of internal audits shall be maintained for review by the department for two consecutive years from the date of the audit. The internal audit program shall include observation of the performance of each radiographer and radiographer trainee during actual industrial radiographic operations at intervals not to exceed six months and provide that, if a radiographer or a radiographer trainee has not participated in an industrial radiographic operation for more than six months since the last inspection, the radiographer shall demonstrate knowledge of the training requirements of LAC 33:XV.575.A.4 and the radiographer trainee shall redemonstrate knowledge of the training requirements of LAC 33:XV.575.B.2 by a practical examination before these individuals can next participate in a radiographic operation. The department may consider alternatives in those situations where the individual serves as both radiographer and RSO. (e.g., in those operations where a single individual serves as both radiographer and RSO, and performs all radiography operations, an internal audit program is not required.)

E. The licensee or registrant shall provide annual refresher safety training to all radiographers and radiographer trainees at intervals not to exceed 12 months.

La. Admin. Code tit. 33, § XV-575

Promulgated by the Department of Environmental Quality, Nuclear Energy Division, LR 13:569 (October 1987), amended by the Office of Air Quality and Radiation Protection, Radiation Protection Division, LR 20:653 (June 1994), LR 20:999 (September 1994), LR 23:1138 (September 1997), amended by the Office of Environmental Assessment, Environmental Planning Division, LR 26:2583 (November 2000), LR 27:1235 (August 2001), LR 28:1951 (September 2002), LR 29:34 (January 2003), LR 29:1470 (August 2003), amended by the Office of Environmental Assessment, LR 30:2029 (September 2004), LR 31:54 (January 2005), amended by the Office of the Secretary, Legal Affairs Division, LR 31:2531 (October 2005), LR 33:2183 (October 2007), Amended by the Office of the Secretary, Legal Affairs and Criminal Investigations Division, LR 451755 (12/1/2019).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:2001 et seq. and 2104.B.