NSLS ESH Highlight #11

Price-Andersen Amendment Act (PAAA)

Date: March 27, 1998 (Rev. 5/1/98)
Editor: NSLS ESH Staff

The Goal

To protect the health and safety of the workers and the public.

What Is It?

DOE insures BNL against liability arising from nuclear or radiological activities within the scope of BNL’s contract with DOE.

Requirements

In return for such liability coverage, DOE has put into law nuclear and radiological safety requirements (Codes of Federal Regulation):

• Quality Assurance Requirements as applied to nuclear facilites only
• Occupational Radiation Protection
• Procedural Rules and Enforcement Policy

To Whom Does It Apply?

DOE contractors such as Brookhaven National Laboratory as well as sub-contractors and suppliers to BNL. This means all NSLS staff, users and sub-contractors.

Our Obligations

To identify, report and correct non-compliances to the requirements listed above for:

• any radiological work performed under our DOE contract;
• work performed within any DOE nuclear or radiological facility;
• work performed by BNL staff that impacts the safety of another BNL nuclear or radiological facility or activity.

Penalties & Fines

If requirements are not met, BNL may be liable to civil and/or criminal penalties and/or fines up to $110,000./day.

What Do We Do If We Find That A Requirement Has Not Been Met?

• timely identification of a problem;
• timely and thorough reporting;
• identification of the root cause of the problem;
• prompt and comprehensive corrective actions.

What Can You Do To Meet The Requirements?

• keep all your training current, especially radiological training;
• always obey posted areas, especially by wearing your radiation badge when called for or by not entering an area posted as such;
• do not defeat Red Tags;
• do not bypass interlocks;
• make full disclosure in your Experimental Safety Approval Form and adhere to any requirements stated by NSLS ES&H.

Who Can Provide You With Further Information on PAAA?

Any member of the NSLS ES&H team.