RADCAL Operations Manual Radiation Calibration Laboratory Protocol

The Life Sciences Division (LSD) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has a long record of radiation dosimetry research, primarily using the Health Physics Research Reactor (HPRR) and the Radiation Calibration Laboratory (RADCAL) in its Dosimetry Applications Research (DOSAR) Program. These facilities have been used by a broad segment of the research community to perform a variety of experiments in areas including, but not limited to, radiobiology, radiation dosimeter and instrumentation development and calibration, and the testing of materials in a variety of radiation environments. Operations of the HPRR were terminated in 1987 and the reactor was moved to storage at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant; however, RADCAL will continue to be operated in accordance with the guidelines of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Secondary Calibration Laboratory program and will meet all requirements for testing dosimeters under the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP). This manual is to serve as the primary instruction and operation manual for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's RADCAL facility. Its purpose is to (1) provide operating protocols for the RADCAL facility, (2) outline the organizational structure, (3) define the Quality Assurance Action Plan, and (4) describe all the procedures, operations, and responsibilities for the safe and proper operation of all routine aspects of the calibration facility