1.0 Introduction 

Safety Systems at the NSLS include Radiation Safety Systems and LASER Safety Systems. Radiation Safety Systems at the NSLS depend on shielding and interlock systems, LASER safety systems rely on interlock systems.  A configuration control program is utilized to ensure that these safety systems are in place and functioning to protect personnel. Any work which will move or modify any shielding or safety system must be reviewed and approved.  The NSLS Safety System Work Permit form is the basis for authorizing work on these systems and is available in the Control Room; this form is intended to be used for any work affecting the accelerators, beam lines and/or LASERs.  The Safety System Work Permit consists of three copies, white, yellow and pink. Details regarding distribution of these copies are provided in Section 3.4.

Everyone who does work on the experimental floors or in the machine areas must obey the restrictions on work affecting shielding or safety interlock systems.  Anyone who initiates work that impacts a radiation security system or removes shielding must obtain and post a Safety System Work Permit at the work site and must ensure that any required safeguards have been put in place before starting the work.  Anyone who joins a job in progress that involves moving shielding, modifying beam lines, or working on safety systems must verify the status of the Safety System Work Permit.  If there is any question, usually an Operations Coordinator can provide an answer or determine whom to ask.  The Operations Group at the SDL is responsible for the status of Safety System Work Permits at that facility.

Most shielding is obvious: concrete, lead bricks, and hutch walls.  Sheets of borated polyethylene are also used.  Other structures may provide shielding as well: beam pipes and other components such as monochromator tanks.  There are parts of the interlock systems that may not be obvious, for example the overhead lights in hutches and tunnels are connected to the interlock as part of the warning system.  Because of the nature of the interlock system, the interlocks associated with beam lines and hutches that are not in service are usually still connected to the rest of the safety system.  All of these components are maintained under the configuration control program, and a Safety System Work Permit must be approved before initiating work related to or affecting a safety system including all interlock work. If there is a doubt regarding this issue, personnel are required to get the necessary information before beginning the work.

The Safety System Work Permit (Attachment 1) covers accelerator, beam line and LASER safety systems. Accelerator Safety Systems are controlled by the NSLS Machine Operators; Safety System Work Permits for the accelerator are issued and tracked by the Control Room Operators.  Work on beam lines or LASER systems is also covered by the same Safety System Work Permit; however these permits are issued and tracked by the NSLS Operations Coordinators.  The SDL Operations Group controls Safety System Work Permits at the SDL Facility.

2.0 Responsibilities

2.1   The NSLS Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring that this procedure is current and accurate. 

2.2   NSLS Safety System Work Permits must be reviewed and approved by the NSLS ESH Manager, the NSLS Safety Officer, the NSLS Deputy Safety Officer, the NSLS Safety Engineer, the NSLS ES&H Coordinator or the NSLS QA Representative (interlocks only for QA Rep.).

2.3  Safeguards required by a NSLS Safety System Work Permit may be placed only by Operations Coordinators, Machine Operators, the reviewers listed in Section 2.2, or when the work is on an interlock system, by a member of the NSLS Interlock Group.   When the Permit is for work at the SDL, safeguards may be placed by Operators at the SDL, reviewers listed in Section 2.2, or when the work is on an interlock system, by a member of the NSLS Interlock Group.  If shielding removal is captured by a configuration control checklist at SDL, the responsible SDL operator is permitted to issue and approve the Safety System Work Permit.

2.4  The NSLS Safety System Work Permit may be released for posting at the work site only by a person authorized in Section 2.3 to place a safeguard for the work.  The "Safeguard Placed By" blank must be filled in before the NSLS Safety System Work Permit may be released.

2.5  Approval for Return to Service or other Close Out of the NSLS Safety System Work Permit must be done by a member of the NSLS ESH staff listed in Section 2.2 unless this authority has been delegated by the reviewer during the review process and designated under "Return to Service Requirements" in the field "other" on the Permit.  All "Return to Service Requirements" must be satisfied before the "Return to Service" line is signed.

2.6  The ESH/Q Facility Representative shall arrange for post-work radiation surveys when required, and may provide assistance in resolving health physics and other issues that arise during the determination of Required Safeguards or Restrictions on Work. Certain beam lines have the capability to run in either white beam or monochromatic modes. These beam lines may require a radiological survey when the mode of operation changes from monochromatic to white beam.

3.0 Procedure 

3.1  The top portion of the NSLS Safety System Work Permit is filled out by the person requesting the NSLS Safety System Work Permit or the person who will be doing the work, and includes a description of the work, dates, and personnel involved. 

3.2  The NSLS Safety System Work Permit is reviewed by a person designated in Section 2.2.  Required controls on work must be designated and any restrictions, inspections, tests, or other close out requirements must be listed. If Approval for "Return to Service" is delegated, this must be designated on the Safety System Work Permit.   Any required safety committee review must be listed in “Return to Service Requirements,” and beam conditions and other requirements for radiation survey noted.

3.3  The approved NSLS Safety System Work Permit is then delivered to the Operations Coordinator (beam line/LASER safety systems), the Machine Operator (injector/storage ring safety systems), or the Operator at the SDL (for work at those facilities) where it will be held until the time for the work to begin.

3.4  When the time comes for the work to commence, the Operations Coordinator or Operator arranges for the Required Safeguard to be placed by a person authorized in Section 2.3.  After this has been done and the "Safeguard Placed" blank is filled in on the form, the NSLS Safety System Work Permit may be released for posting at the work site.  For Beam Line work it is permissible to post the Safety System Work Permit at the Shutter Control Panel. The "Released By" blank is filled in and the yellow copy of the form is retained in the Control Room by the Operations Coordinator or the Machine Operator. The original (white) copy of the Authorization must be posted at the job location prior to the start of work and while the work is in progress.  For work requiring radiation surveys the pink copy of the Safety System Work Permit must be submitted to RCD personnel. The person posting the form must ensure that the people doing the work are aware of the location and significance of the posted Authorization. If copies of the Permit are required for posting purposes, they must be stamped "COPY."

3.5  When the work is completed and the required inspections and tests are done, the approval for "Return to Service" is signed by one of the approvers listed in Section 2.2 or a designee if so indicated on the NSLS Safety System Work Permit.

3.6  The Required Safeguard may not be removed until the NSLS Safety System Work Permit has been signed for "Return to Service."  If the work is not complete or the job has changed, it may be appropriate to issue a new NSLS Safety System Work Permit with a different Safeguard and Required Conditions to allow close out of the original form and removal of that Safeguard. 

3.7  Once a Safety System Work Permit has been authorized for "Return to Service," the Safety System Work Permit is removed from the work site and delivered to the respective Control Room.  If no radiation survey is required, an approver listed in Section 2.2 will sign the "permit closed by" line and then proceed to Section 3.8.  For work requiring radiation surveys the permit should be posted on the white boards in the Control Room.  This designates the job is completed to the point where a radiation survey may be performed.  For Beam line permits, the Operations Coordinator notes any radiation survey requirements on a tag attached to the beam line lockout key.  For Accelerator permits, the Operator makes an entry for radiation survey requirements in the Operations Log.  When the surveys are complete, this is signed off on the NSLS Safety System Work Permit forms.  At this time an approver listed in Section 2.2 will sign the "permit closed by line."

3.8  After close out, the white copy of the NSLS Safety System Work Permit is placed in the designated binder in the Control Room to provide a record of the activity, and the yellow copy of the form is discarded. 

Attachment 1 - NSLS Safety System Work Permit

The only official copy of this file is the one on-line in the NSLS ESH website. Before using a printed copy, verify that it is the most current version by checking the document issue date on the NSLS ESH website.

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