Qal-Tek Associates was founded in 1998 to provide radioactive material licensees with the assistance needed to comply with regulatory requirements for the safe use and control of radioactive materials. Our clients include some of the largest international and global corporations in the world as well as the small individual materials licensees and governmental groups of all sizes.

Qal-Tek’s diversified portfolio of services and products covers many markets with solutions that have been focused on meeting varied but specific needs. Qal-Tek staff of SME’s in radiological response, instrumentation, calibration, testing, and training, and offer a full-service solution unlike anyone else in the industry. Our deep-rooted culture is embodied by our staff’s relentless desire to continually innovate and improve our capabilities and better assist the great men and women who work hard to make our world better and more secure. We guarantee that your experience with Qal-Tek will change the way you evaluate true customer service. Our clients deserve the very best so they can be the best; our passion and mission is to provide them with nothing less.

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Radioactive Material (RAM) licenses are issued by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or its Agreement States for possession and use of RAM that requires regulation under Federal and/or State laws and regulations.

Any person or company that wishes to possess or use non-exempt RAM is required to apply for and receive a RAM license by the US NRC or an Agreement State.

Federal regulation of RAM for personal or commercial use has been delegated to the US NRC.  The NRC allows States who have been approved for delegated responsibility within their borders to regulate RAM as “Agreement States”.  More information about the US NRC’s Agreement State Program can be found at https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/state-tribal/agreement-states.html.

The process of obtaining an NRC or Agreement State radioactive materials license can seem complicated, but is actually straightforward once the application, management and quality processes are understood.  If you approach the use of radioactive materials with the intention to utilize them safely, you’ll find the requirements are very manageable.

Federal regulations overseeing RAM can be found in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10CFR), Chapter 1, Parts 1-171.  Radiation Safety Regulations are published in Part 20 (10CFR20), while licensing regulations are published in Parts 30 through 72.  Agreement State regulations are typically published in each State’s code of regulations and/or in the responsible State agency’s rules.

Protection from ionizing radiation can be achieved through good housekeeping, appropriate safety procedures and proper administrative and engineering controls.  Examples include the use of time (lower is better), distance (more is better) and shielding (more is better) when working with RAM.  These concepts form the basis of ALARA, which stands for keeping radiation dose “as low as reasonably achievable.”  

RAM gives off energy as part of their natural decay processes.  This energy, in the form of particles and/or electromagnetic waves, can be detected in real-time with health physics instrumentation.  Common types of instruments include Geiger-Mueller counters (GM), scintillation detectors and ion chambers.  All of these types of detectors can reliably detect RAM when they are in good working order and in proper calibration.  

All health physics instruments must be properly calibrated to reliably detect RAM.  Calibrations are typically performed on an annual or bi-annual (every 6 months) basis, depending on type and regulatory regime.  Laboratories that are certified and accredited to national standards like the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) can perform these types of calibrations.  Qal-Tek operates a fully capable instrumentation calibration and repair laboratory accredited through the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA).  We would be happy to provide a quote for whatever calibration services you may need.

Yes we do!  Qal-Tek provides comprehensive radiation safety program support and management services designed to assist our clients with their licensing, technical and compliance needs.  The Qal-Tek team offers a unique mix of technical and operational experts who can help develop operational, safety, security, and management procedures and processes for your specific needs. E-mail us at goqta@qaltek.com for more information.

Yes, we can!  Qal-Tek has a complete set of services to meet your requirements as well as an entire team which helps define, track and implement your requirements to ensure your program is compliant.  At Qal-Tek, we have developed standard logistics and equipment management software to provide all instrumentation, training, and program management clients with a layered level of support that matches each client’s needs. This software, mEyeCal,  tracks every customer’s service records, service cycles, service due dates, and provides different levels of service support orchestrated by our dedicated Customer Service and Logistics team. Learn more about mEyeCal here:  https://qaltek.com/meyecal.

Qal-Tek has been issued a broad-scope radioactive materials license by the US NRC that is used nationwide via reciprocity agreements with multiple Agreement States.  We also separate Agreement State licenses in Arizona, Texas and Georgia that support our instrumentation and training businesses in those states.  QalTek is also accredited to ISO 17025 for instrument calibration services through the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA).  A copy of Qal-Tek’s accreditation can be found here.

QalTek provides training courses over a wide range of radiation safety, emergency preparedness, radioactive material authorized user, and Department of Transportation (DOT) RAM shipping curriculum.  Our training courses are meticulously designed with well-structured curriculum that includes theoretical concepts, practical applications, and hands-on exercises.  QalTek believes that hands-on experience is crucial in understanding radiation safety and emergency preparedness protocols. During the training, you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge equipment, enabling you to apply your knowledge in real-world scenarios.

There are different types of licenses for generally licensed devices and specifically licensed requirements.  These requirements determine if you must register your gauges with the NRC or state or get a specific license for them.  If your gauges require an NRC or State license, your specific requirements can be found in NUREG-1556, Vol 4.  Specific requirements such as leak test frequency, shutter check frequency and specific location uses are described.  The first step is to implement a radiation safety program that ensures all requirements from NUREG-1556, Vol 4 and your license are properly addressed.

Qualifications and training requirements for Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) positions vary by the type and scope of the radioactive materials license possessed.  It is not unusual for RSO candidates to complete 40 hours of classroom-based training and specific on-the-job training (OJT) before being qualified as an RSO by their companies and in some cases, their regulators.  Specific industry-based qualifications for RSOs can be found in the various volumes of NUREG-1556 and US NRC regulations (10CFR30, 10CFR33 and 10CFR35).

In order to ship radioactive materials or waste, you must be trained in the appropriate DOT or IATA (shipment by air) regulations.  If you are properly trained, you will need to make sure that you coordinate with a service provider, waste broker or disposal site you are shipping to and make sure that you have completed the appropriate review and acceptance before shipping the materials.  

The need and frequency of shutter checks on your radiometric process gauges is typically defined in your radioactive materials license conditions.  If your license does not specifically address this, refer to the sealed source and device registry (SSDR) information provided by the manufacturer of your specific gauge.

Leak test frequency is typically defined in your radioactive materials license conditions.  If your license does not specifically address this, refer to the sealed source and device registry (SSDR) information provided by the manufacturer of your specific gauge.

Dosimetry plays a crucial role in safeguarding individuals and ensuring their safety in environments where radiation exposure is a concern, such as the medical, industrial, emergency response, security, construction, and engineering industries. Dosimetry involves the measurement and reporting of radiation doses received by individuals. By employing dosimetry, external radiation levels can be accurately measured, potential hazards identified, and properly precautions taken. All at a very reasonable cost. Monitoring your workforce with dosimetry can also reduce your risk exposure. Regulations concerning exposure monitoring of personnel can be found in 10CFR 20 Subparts C & F.

Yes we do!  QalTek offers accurate and reliable dosimetry services to meet the unique needs of various industries. Our state-of-the-art radiation badges, coupled with our expertise in data analysis, ensure precise measurement and monitoring of radiation exposure. Our service comes with a free client online portal called ‘MyRadCare’ which operates on a secure server and uses SSL encryption, the same security that banks use to ensure all of your sensitive online information is protected.

No.  Qal-Tek offers comprehensive personnel external dosimetry solutions for companies of all sizes at very affordable rates.  You can monitor your employees for external exposure for as little as $60/year per employee.