64E-5.1414. Design Requirements

Irradiators whose construction begins after 8-14-96 must meet the design requirements of this section. The requirements must be met before the start of the construction of the specific component, but do not have to be met before submitting a license application. After construction of the irradiator is completed, the licensee must submit to the department copies of as-built construction drawings signed by the architect and the licensee.

(1) Panoramic irradiators shall meet the following design requirements:

(a) Shielding. The licensee shall design shielding walls to meet generally accepted building code requirements for reinforced concrete and shall design the walls, wall penetrations, and entrance ways to meet the radiation shielding requirements of Rule 64E-5.1407, F.A.C. If the irradiator will use more than 2 × 1017 becquerels (5 million curies) of activity, the licensee shall evaluate the effects of heating of the shielding walls by the irradiator sources.

(b) Foundations. The licensee shall design the foundation with consideration given to soil characteristics to ensure it is adequate to support the weight of the facility.

(c) Source Rack. The licensee shall determine that source rack drops due to loss of power will not damage the source rack and that source rack drops due to failure of cables or alternate means of support will not cause loss of integrity of sealed sources. The licensee shall review the design of the mechanism which moves the sources to assure that the likelihood of a stuck source is low and that if the rack sticks it can be freed without causing radiation overexposure of personnel.

(d) Access Control. The licensee shall verify from the design and logic diagram that the access control system will meet the requirements of Rule 64E-5.1406, F.A.C.

(e) Fire Protection. The licensee shall verify that the number, design, locations and spacing of the smoke and heat detectors and extinguishing system are appropriate to detect fires and that the detectors are protected from mechanical and radiation damage. The licensee shall verify that the design of the fire extinguishing system provides the necessary discharge patterns, densities, and flow characteristics for complete coverage of the radiation room and that the system is protected from mechanical and radiation damage.

(f) Source Return. The licensee shall verify that the source rack will be returned automatically to the fully shielded position if off-site power is lost for more than 10 seconds. If a component of the return mechanism fails, the design must allow for accomplishing the return without causing radiation overexposures of personnel.

(g) Seismicity. For panoramic irradiators to be built in seismic areas, the licensee shall design the reinforced concrete radiation shields to retain their integrity in the event of an earthquake by designing to seismic requirements of an appropriate source such as American Concrete Institute Standard 318-89, “Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete,” Chapter 21, “Special Provisions for Seismic Design,” or local building codes.

(h) Wiring. The licensee shall verify that electrical wiring and electrical equipment in the radiation room are selected to minimize failures due to prolonged exposure to radiation.

(2) Pool irradiators shall meet the following design requirements:

(a) Pool Integrity. The licensee shall design the pool to assure that it is leak-resistant, that it is strong enough to bear the weight of the pool water and shipping casks, that a dropped cask would not fall on sealed sources, that all penetrations meet the requirements of subsection 64E-5.1411(2), F.A.C., and that metal components are metallurgically compatible with other components in the pool.

(b) Water Handling System. The licensee shall design the water purification system to meet the requirements of subsection 64E-5.1411(5), F.A.C. The system must be designed so that water leaking from the system does not drain to unrestricted areas without being monitored. The licensee shall design the water chiller system so that it shall compensate adequately for the amount of heat generated by the sealed sources. The water handling system must have remote controls capable of safely operating a contaminated system.

(c) Source rack. The licensee shall verify that there are no crevices on the source or between the source and source holder that would promote corrosion on a critical area of the source. The lift mechanisms for the source rack and source transport cask must be of designed working and breaking strength to lift safely a source transport cask and sources into and out of the irradiator pool.

(3) All irradiators shall meet the following design requirements:

(a) Radiation Monitors. The licensee shall evaluate the location and sensitivity of the monitor to detect sources carried by the product conveyor system as required by subsection 64E-5.1409(1), F.A.C. The licensee shall verify that the product conveyor will stop before a source on the product conveyor causes a radiation overexposure. For pool irradiators, the licensee shall verify that the radiation monitor on the water purification system is located near the area in which elevated radiation levels will be expected.

(b) Product carriers. For irradiators using product carriers, the design of the carrier shall prevent the carrier from opening or coming into contact with the source rack or protective barrier. The design shall be submitted to the department for approval.

(c) Floor penetrations. No floor penetrations, including expansion joints, floor joints and drains, shall allow the uncontrolled release of water from the radiation room that has not been analyzed for its radioactive content.

Rulemaking Authority 404.051(4) FS. Law Implemented 404.051(1), (5), (6), 404.061, 404.081, 404.141 FS. History–New 8-14-96, Formerly 10D-91.1514.