Introduction to the Radiation Safety Program

The University of Missouri (MU) Campus possesses a broad scope license issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).  The license allows MU to receive, possess, use, and transfer byproduct, source, special nuclear material, accelerator-produced radioactive materials and some naturally occurring radioactive materials (RAM).  The license covers much of the radioactive material work conducted at the MU. The State of Missouri regulates x-rays and administers their program in a similar manner to the NRC.

MU has established an overall Radiation Safety Program (RSP) with Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) by defining the organization and management, procedures, record keeping, radioactive material control, accounting and management review necessary to assure safe use of radioactive material at MU. 

The use of byproduct materials authorized by the MU license is controlled by the Radiation Safety Committee (RSC), and is administered by the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO), and the Radiation Safety Staff (RSS).  The RSC may authorize individuals to use byproduct material in accordance with established review and approval procedures and criteria established by the RSC. 

Certain activities are not permitted under a broad scope license.  MU is not authorized to:

• Conduct tracer studies in the environment involving the direct release of radioactive material;
• Receive, acquire, own, possess, use, transfer or import sealed devices containing 100,000 curies or more of byproduct material;
• Conduct activities to manufacture or transfer certain items containing byproduct material, or perform industrial radiography operations;
• Add or cause the addition of byproduct material to any food or other product designated for ingestion or inhalation by, or application to, a human being, except as approved under medical use portion of the license.