Description

This Code of Safe Practice covers the administration of unsealed radioactive materials to humans for the purpose of medical diagnosis, therapy or research. These uses are collectively referred to as nuclear medicine. The in vitro use of radioactive materials is covered in the Code NRL C1 and is not dealt with here.

For the purpose of this Code, any radioactive material is considered to be unsealed if it can be readily dispensed from its container in a dispersible form (liquid, soluble solid, powder, or gas) and it is intended to be used in this form.

For the purpose of this Code, the administration of unsealed radioactive material to a person is classified as Research on Humans if that person is not intended to receive any personal benefit directly from the procedure either therapeutically or in terms of the clinical management of any disease.

Whenever compliance with a requirement in this document is required as a condition to a licence under the Radiation Protection Act 1965, the word 'shall' is used in the clause. The word 'should' indicates a practice that is recommended but not mandatory. Whenever a requirement is not specified explicitly, but uses the terms 'suitable' or 'suitably qualified', the judgement as to whether these terms are satisfied rests with the National Radiation Laboratory.

The word 'practical' is used to mean 'taking economic and social factors into account' in the sense of ALARA.