EH&S Specialist I - Radiation Safety

Overview

POSITION SUMMARY: 

For this position, the incumbent’s primary assignment will be with the EH&S Radiation Safety Team. This Team is responsible for compliance with radiation survey and audit programs, radiation waste programs, radiation training and dosimetry programs and laser safety.

The incumbent must have a basic knowledge or experience of health physics and radiation protection/safety including physics, mathematics or chemistry, and obtain FBI clearance for unescorted irradiator access. Programs under the Radiation Safety Team include responding to and monitoring patient doses and contamination during certain patient procedures, performing radiation lab surveys and audits, monitoring radiation package orders and deliveries, performing radiation waste pick-ups, responding to radiation spill response, participating in radiation waste shipments, participating in lab decommissioning, assisting with annual lab safety training compliance, assisting with dosimetry badging program, assisting with laser safety program, and performing respiratory fit testing.

The EH&S Specialist will work independently and as part of a team to prioritize multiple projects. These tasks will require the employee to work at multiple locations serviced by the UMass Chan Medical School (UMass Chan) EH&S Department, including UMass Chan and UMass Memorial Medical Center (UMMMC).  

Responsibilities

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:Assist with inspections, evaluations, surveillance surveys and audits of labs, patient care areas and construction areas

• Assist with risk assessments, incident, and injury investigations
• Collect and handle ionizing and radioactive materials and wastes from designated collection areas, assist with proper segregation and labeling of waste, transport waste to main storage rooms, and assist with preparing waste for disposal
• Assist with monitoring procedure rooms during cases during select patient dose procedures
• Deliver radiation package orders to labs
• Assist with conducting drills and exercises
• Support the creation and preparation of checklists for compliance inspections
• Conduct inventory of safety supplies and par levels
• Assist with response to urgent/emergent calls, questions or requests of lower acuity incidents
• Assist with triaging issues & concerns, report back to supervisor, provide suggested response/follow-up to supervisor, and apply appropriate follow-up
• Assist with data collection, research, and investigation of regulatory concern
• File and maintain records and documentation (i.e. training records, waste manifests, SDS, safety, equipment, certifications, inspection reports)
• Enter data or information into EH&S software applications, databases or filings
• Conduct respiratory fit testing
• Assist with conducting EH&S training
• Assist with drafting or revising programmatic standard operating procedures
• May participate on the EH&S Emergency Response Team (will require wearing full face respirator)
• Participate in the EH&S nights, weekends, holiday and off-hours on-call program
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education

• Bachelor’s Level Degree, or equivalent, in: radiation safety, health physics, physics, environmental science, safety, or related field

Experience

• Zero to two years of working experience in radiation safety, health physics, physics, environmental science, safety, or related field

Certifications

• Ability to become certified as OSHA 40-hour Hazwoper Emergency Responder and wear a full-face respirator
• Ability to become certified by DOT for manifest signing

Driver’s License

• Must have a valid driver’s license and a vehicle or the ability to travel to off-site locations and respond to matters of urgency

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Internship in safety radiation safety, health physics, physics, environmental science, safety, or related field