What should you do if you find uncontrolled radioactive material?

What should you do if you find uncontrolled radioactive material?

• A. Move it to a safe location and continue work.
• B. Report it to Radiation Protection (RP) personnel.
• C. Ignore it unless you have visuals that it is dangerous.
• D. Notify a coworker to handle it.

Answer: (B)

When you encounter uncontrolled radioactive material, you must treat it as a potential hazard you’re not equipped to evaluate. The safest course is to report it to Radiation Protection personnel so they can secure the area, assess the risk, and arrange for containment or decontamination as needed. Do not touch, move, or try to examine it yourself—handling could spread contamination or increase exposure. Stop work, keep others away from the area, and notify RP or your supervisor per site procedures. Radiation Protection staff have the proper training and tools to manage the situation safely; other options—moving the material, ignoring it, or asking a coworker to deal with it—risk exposure and contamination.

When you encounter uncontrolled radioactive material, you must treat it as a potential hazard you’re not equipped to evaluate. The safest course is to report it to Radiation Protection personnel so they can secure the area, assess the risk, and arrange for containment or decontamination as needed. Do not touch, move, or try to examine it yourself—handling could spread contamination or increase exposure. Stop work, keep others away from the area, and notify RP or your supervisor per site procedures. Radiation Protection staff have the proper training and tools to manage the situation safely; other options—moving the material, ignoring it, or asking a coworker to deal with it—risk exposure and contamination.