Radioactive Waste Stores

Radioactive Waste Stores |Radioactive Waste Stores Operation Procedures |

Management of radioactive wastes is controlled by Radiation Ordinance (Cap. 303). Radioactive waste means waste radioactive substances and waste material contaminated by radioactive substances or which, having regard to its use, may have become so contaminated.

Under the legislation, all radioactive waste must not be disposed of as municipal waste or through the drainage system. They must be segregated, properly packed, labeled, stored and disposed of as radioactive waste. Radioactive waste stores are therefore used for storage of the radioactive waste produced on campus.

To facilitate collection, radioactive waste is categorized into:

• Solid waste - Solid waste include contaminated plastic labwares, gloves, and paper, etc, which do not contain pourable liquids. Sharp objects such as needles and broken glass should be placed inside a sharp box before disposing as solid waste. It should be placed in double layers of polyethylene bags in a perspex box.
• Liquid waste – Liquid waste can be divided into aqueous waste and organic waste. Aqueous waste should have a pH between 6 and 9. Each isotope should be segregated in different container. It should be placed in a plastic container inside a perspex box. Organic waste should be segregated according to isotope and chemical name and placed in glass container inside a perspex box.

User department should record the estimated activity of each disposal on the radioactive waste log sheet (FMO TS15 access via downloadable forms) for each waste container. FMO may refuse to collect the radioactive waste if it does not carry the appropriate log sheet (FMO TS15 access via downloadable forms). To avoid any mishap, upon request, FMO will arrange to collect the radioactive wastes direct from the laboratory and convey the radioactive wastes to radioactive waste stores.

Radioactive Waste Stores Operation Procedures

Go to top

1. User department should contact FMO (ext. 7089) 24 hours in advance to make an appointment. They should give as much information as possible to FMO about the radioactive wastes.
2. FMO will liaise with user department and inform HSEO on the collection date and time.
3. With the presence of HSEO staff, FMO will collect radioactive wastes from the user department with a radioactive waste log sheet (FMO TS15 access via downloadable forms) at the mutually agreed date and time.
4. User department should fill in column A of the record of radioactive waste collection and disposal (FMO TS16 access via downloadable forms).
5. FMO staff will fill in column B of the record (FMO TS16 access via downloadable forms) and a radioactive waste tag.
6. FMO staff will place the radioactive waste tag on each of the waste package.
7. With the presence of HSEO staff, FMO will convey the radioactive waste to radioactive waste store.
8. FMO will fill in the appropriate radioactive waste store log book with appropriate information.
9. FMO and HSEO will fill in column C and D of the record (FMO TS16 access via downloadable forms) respectively.
10. With the consent of HSEO staff, FMO will arrange disposal of the radioactive waste as municipal waste when the remaining activity is safe enough to satisfy Condition 10 of the radioactive substance licence.