RSO / Physicist's Notes · Source Return Service
Two columns of paperwork betweendeclaration and inventory closure.
End-of-life source return runs on a documented ownership split — the RSO signs site-side paperwork, Saxsons supplies the transport-and-disposal-side paperwork. This post draws the split, walks the five-step sequencing from declaration to inventory closure, and lists the five case types the service covers.
Ownership split
Who signs what across the return cycle
RSO / facility signs
- Decommissioning notification to AERB regional office (intent to remove source from in-service inventory)
- Source decay-store entry log — date, source ID, decay-corrected activity at storage entry
- Source release-from-decay-store record — date, decay-corrected activity at release
- Acceptance of pickup at the facility, with signed chain-of-custody handover
- Update to the facility AERB licence inventory after receipt of disposal certificate
Saxsons supplies
- Decommissioning paperwork template aligned to AERB Rules 2004 expectations
- AERB transport documentation — shipping manifest, source identification, activity-on-collection
- Chain-of-custody log for the transport leg, signed at each handover
- AERB-licensed transport partner coordination across the India logistics network
- Final disposal certificate from the licensed disposal route — copy to the facility for licence-inventory update
Source: AERB Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules 2004; AERB Safety Code for Nuclear Medicine Facility.
Five-step sequencing
From declaration to inventory closure
- 1
Trigger event: source declared end-of-useful-life by the physicist / RSO (typical: Co-57 flood ~12 months from calibration; Ge-68 line ~24–36 months; QA reference set on schedule).
- 2
Notify Saxsons. Saxsons opens the return ticket against the original supply record and supplies the decommissioning paperwork template.
- 3
Source enters in-house decay store under standard AERB-compliant storage. Decay-store duration is per-isotope (Co-57 ~12 months further decay below transport threshold; Cs-137 / Co-60 returned at end-of-useful-life, not after full decay).
- 4
Saxsons confirms pickup window. The facility signs the chain-of-custody at handover; the transport partner takes responsibility from there.
- 5
Disposal certificate arrives at the facility within the agreed turn-around window. The RSO updates the AERB facility-licence inventory; the line on the inventory closes.
Five case types
What the service covers and what escalates
| Case | Condition | Action | Escalation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine end-of-life | Source has decayed below useful activity | Standard schedule — decay-store + pickup | None |
| Annual replacement | Co-57 flood source replaced at annual cadence | Old source enters decay store on day of new-source arrival | None |
| Equipment retirement | PET scanner replaced; Ge-68 line source not compatible with new system | Schedule return ahead of new-scanner commissioning | Coordinate with equipment vendor on timeline |
| Department closure | NM department restructured or relocated | Full inventory clear-out; Saxsons handles multiple sources in one return cycle | Project-managed; longer-than-normal documentation lead time |
| Clinical incident | Wipe-test failure, suspected damage, regulatory action | Controlled collection; immediate AERB notification chain | Saxsons supplies incident-grade chain-of-custody documentation |
Source: AERB Atomic Energy (Radiation Protection) Rules 2004 — sealed-source inventory, transport and incident-reporting expectations.