Notification of Incidents

Each employer must immediately notify the Assistant Secretary of Labor (of the U.S. Department of Labor) or his or her duly authorized representative by telephone of any incident involving radiation that may have caused or threatens to cause any of the following:

• Exposure of the whole body of any individual to 25 rem or more of radiation; exposure of the skin of the whole body of any individual to 150 rems or more of radiation; or exposure of the feet, ankles, hands, or forearms of any individual to 375 rems or more of radiation
• Release of radioactive material in concentrations which, if averaged over a period of 24 hours, would exceed 5,000 times the authorized limits specified for such materials in Table II of Appendix B to 10 CFR, Part 20

Each employer must notify the Assistant Secretary of Labor or his or her duly authorized representative by telephone within 24 hours following an incident involving radiation that may have caused or threatens to cause any of the following:

• Exposure of the whole body of any individual to 5 rem or more of radiation; exposure of the skin of the whole body of any individual to 30 rem or more of radiation; or exposure of the feet, ankles, hands, or forearms to 75 rem or more of radiation

In addition to the telephone notification, the employer must write a report within 30 days to the Assistant Secretary of Labor or his or her duly authorized representative of each exposure of an individual to radiation or concentrations of radioactive material in excess of applicable limits.

Each report must describe the following:

• The extent of exposure of individuals to radiation or to radioactive material
• The levels of radiation and concentration of the radioactive material involved
• The cause of the exposure
• The corrective steps taken or planned to ensure that the exposure does not recur

In any case where an employer is required to report to the U.S. Department of Labor any exposure of an individual to radiation or to concentrations of radioactive material, the employer must also notify the individual of the nature and extent of exposure. This notice must be in writing and must contain the following statement: "You should preserve this report for future reference."

To learn more about Ionizing Radiation visit our Ionizing Radiation Safety Online Training web page.