Personnel responsible for radiation protection activities who are faced with numerous administrative and technical issues such as:

These issues are often complex and require individuals who are well trained and responsive to existing and evolving regulations.

Why are there Radiation Safety Officers?

Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations PART 20 -- STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION  Subpart B -- Radiation Protection Programs

Source: 56 FR 23396, May 21, 1991, unless otherwise noted.
§20.1101 Radiation protection programs.

(a) Each licensee shall develop, document, and implement a radiation protection program commensurate with the scope and extent of licensed activities and sufficient to ensure compliance with the provisions of this part. (See §20.2102 for Record keeping requirements relating to these programs.)

(b) The licensee shall use, to the extent practical, procedures and engineering controls based upon sound radiation protection principles to achieve occupational doses and doses to members of the public that are as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA).

(c) The licensee shall periodically (at least annually) review the radiation protection program content and implementation.

(d) To implement the ALARA requirements of §20.1101 (b), and notwithstanding the requirements in §20.1301 of this part, a constraint on air emissions of radioactive material to the environment, excluding Radon-222 and its daughters, shall be established by licensees other than those subject to §50.34a, such that the individual member of the public likely to receive the highest dose will not be expected to receive a total effective dose equivalent in excess of 10 mrem (0.1 mSv) per year from these emissions. If a licensee subject to this requirement exceeds this dose constraint, the licensee shall report the exceedance as provided in §20.2203 and promptly take appropriate corrective action to ensure against recurrence.

[56 FR 23396, May 21, 1991, as amended at 61 FR 65127, Dec. 10, 1996] 

Courtesy of: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part020/part020-1101.html

Each state has a set of regulations as well.

The Pennsylvania Code is an official publication of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

TITLE 25 deals with Environmental Protection - Article V is dedicated to Radiological Health

Chapter  215 lists the General  Provisions.

For details visit: http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/chapter215/s215.1.html

In addition to the licensees mentioned above, businesses possessing generally licensed devices shall have a properly trained person in charge as well to ensure proper usage and control.

         Last modified: August 21, 2007