Sr. Safety Officer-Health Physics

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

50d•Onsite

About The Position

The primary functions of this position are to provide health physics support for the radiation patient therapy program, lead decontamination of radioactive patient rooms, perform audits of clinical areas for compliance with the VUMC Broadscope License and applicable regulations, deliver radiation safety training, and perform radiation shielding evaluations. This position is critical to maintaining health physics support for radiation-producing equipment and the use of radioactive materials across the institution.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in physics, health physics, nuclear engineering, or equivalent, plus five years of experience in radiation safety, or a master’s degree in physics, health physics, nuclear engineering, or equivalent, plus two years of experience in radiation safety.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills for effective report writing, training, and consulting.

Nice To Haves

Certification by the American Board of Health Physics is strongly preferred. Candidates eligible for this certification (in process or near completion) will be considered.

Responsibilities

Manage complex and novel applications of Health Physics to support clinical and research operations, including technical problem-solving and application.
Serve as an instructor in the radiation safety training program for radioactive material users.
Provide initial Radiation Safety training, Radiation Safety Orientation, and annual refresher training.
Manage, including reviewing and updating, online training modules related to Radiation Safety.
Provide Health Physics support for Radiotherapy patients
Respond to Incidents as part of the response team
Provide oversight and guidance for the Radioactive Material Users Permit Audits
Bioassay Program – Calculate radiation doses to workers resulting from intakes of radioactive material.
Compile an annual summary of the employee radiation doses resulting from intakes of radioactive material.
Investigate intakes of radioactive material exceeding investigation levels and implement corrective actions.
Perform a Hazard Index Calculation (NUREG 1400) for the isotopes used to show that routine bioassays are not required.
Instrument Program Technical Oversight – Provide technical oversight as needed to manage the development and implementation of the instrument program, including standard operating procedures for calibrating the various types of radiation detection equipment at VUMC.
Ensure that all equipment is calibrated at the frequency specified in Vanderbilt’s broadscope licenses and certified registrations.
Apply technical acumen to determine future support needs and stay abreast of emerging instrument technology and offerings.
Radioactive Effluent Evaluation Program – Manage the program to monitor the release of radioactive material to the sanitary sewer system.
Produce Annual Dose to Public Report
Research Protocol Review – Participate as a Health Physics subject matter expert team member to review proposed research and clinical trials and protocols.
Interface with Clinical Health Physics Senior staff to perform initial review of these protocols.
Ensure that applications are complete and the appropriate data is entered into the radiation safety database.
Perform process hazard review of the application.
Manage the Radiation Safety Shielding Program, providing consultation and performing technical calculations to determine appropriate shielding needed and verify installation.
Assist in the instruction of the radiation safety course for the nuclear medicine technologist program.
Other duties as assigned.