Georgia Institute of Technology

EHSA allows for the entry of source use and waste generation by the Authorized User or Radiation Worker. This mechanism is meant to capture the dispensing of radioactive material from the original source vial into samples and the recording of radioactive waste placement into solid, liquid, liquid scintillation vial, and sharps containers provide by ORS and located in the lab. Waste pickup requests are handled through the same interface. Form E has been revised and will be the hard copy form used to track use and waste in the lab.  The Radiation Worker will then enter into this information into EHSA. The lab will no longer fill out a separate Form G. 

When ORS provides empty radioactive waste containers, they will have a yellow radioactive waste tag already attached. The information already completed will be the Authorized User, physical form, isotope(s), and the Waste ID #. The Waste ID # takes the form of W4DigitYear-AU#-sequential number.  The remaining fields will be completed by ORS at the time of the waste pickup.

Entering Use and Waste Information

1. If you are finished using a sealed source and wish to dispose of it, simply send an e-mail to ors@ors.gatech.edu and indicate the isotope and source number you wish to dispose. For all other sources, follow the directions below.
2. Login to EHSA using your Georgia Tech login credentials at http://ehsa.gatech.edu/ehsa.
3. Click the red "Inventory" icon.
4. Under "RAM Inventory", click "Removal of Isotope from PI's Inventory".
5. Select the name of your radioactive material Authorized User from the "PI" drop-down menu.
6. Double-click the row for the source for which you'd like to record use or disposal information.
7. Under the "Usage for Inventory #:" section, click the "+Add" button.
8. In the "Waste Description" field type a brief description of the samples or waste, e.g., gloves, bench paper, pipette tips, buffer solution, etc. For any solutions, please list the names of chemicals in the solution.
9. In the "Disposal Date" field, enter the date the source was removed from the original vial/bottle or the date waste was placed in a waste container.  
10. In the "Activity Used"/"Volume Used" field, enter the appropriate activity in the indicated unit of measure.  For instance, many liquid sources have volumes expressed in micro liters (uL).  Many powder sources have masses expressed in grams (g).
    • You will be required to enter the usage "By Volume" for any liquid source or for any powder or other dispensable solid source for which the license line item activity is in a subunit of the Ci (Curie).  This will be set by ORS before delivery of the waste container.
      • For liquid scintillation vials that were used only for your routine survey and no contamination was detected, simply enter a "0" volume disposal under any of the currently active radioactive sources in your AU's inventory.  Otherwise, record activity as indicated above.
    • You will be required to enter the usage "By Activity" for any powder or other dispensable solid source for which the license line item activity is in the units, multiples, or divisions of the gram.  This will be set by ORS before delivery of the waste container.  
11. If the waste contains a RCRA hazardous waste component as well, check the box next to "Mixed Waste?" and indicate the chemical name in the "Mixed Waste Description" field that appears.
12. Under "Usage Category", select either "Samples" or the proper physical form of the waste.
    • Selecting "Samples" is a general indication that the activity has been removed from the original source vial, but has not been placed in a waste container.  It is not necessary to record the actual number of samples created.  You will edit this entry later when the samples are placed in waste.
    • It is imperative that the proper form is selected from the drop-down list.  For instance, if the waste is solid waste, select "Solid".  
    • When "Samples", "Solid", "Solid-Mixed Waste", "Liquid", "Liquid-Mixed Waste", "Liquid Scintillation Vials", or "Sharps-Radioactive" are selected, a "Container" field will appear to the right of the "Usage Activity" field.  Select the container with the "Waste ID #" that matches the number on the yellow waste tag attached to the container in which you placed the waste.  If you have selected "Samples", you will select the indicated "container" for samples, which is just an administrative container, not a physical container. DO NOT use the "Add Container" button.  Contact ORS at 404-894-3605.
13. Do NOT check the "Disposed?" box, UNLESS the source has been entirely used at this point and all of it is in waste.
14. Click "Save".

Changing "Samples" to Waste

1. Once samples have served their purpose and have been placed in the proper waste container, the "Samples" entry needs to be changed to a waste entry.
2. Repeat Steps 1-5 from the section above.  
3. Under the "Usage for Inventory #..." section double-click the applicable row showing "Samples" under the "Waste Type" column.
4. Change the "Disposal Date" to the date the samples were placed in waste.
5. Change "Samples" in the "Usage Category" drop-down menu to the proper waste physical form.  If multiple forms of waste are generated, click "Add" next to "Usage Category". This is useful, for example if the samples were liquid, the liquid was poured into the liquid waste container, and the now empty sample vials were discarded into the solid waste container.
6. In the "Waste Description" field type a brief description of the waste placed in the container, e.g., gloves, bench paper, pipette tips, buffer solution, etc.
7. Click "Save".

When a you are finished adding waste to a given waste container, please proceed to Seal In-Lab RAM Waste Container and Request Waste Pickup.