Medical Safety Officer

Michael A.Varela/*

Name: Michael A. Varela, MS

Address: **** *********** **** ****., ***. 5105

Pearland, TX 77584-4676

Phone: 203-***-**** (Cell)

Email: ********@*********.***

Education: BS Physics, Manhattan College, May 1975.

MS Physics, Old Dominion University, May 1979.

Associate Member American Board of Health Physics

References: James Korp, Ph.D (UH Faculty, Chem.)713-***-****

Thor Oberg (USNRC, Retired) 610-***-****

Michael J. Bohan (RSO YNHH) 203-***-****

David Cheng, M.D. (YNHH) 203-***-****

Other Training Skills:

• 02/83 Applied Health Physics (80 hrs), BNL.

• 03/84 Materials Licensing Group, Phase II (80 hrs), USNRC,

Washington, DC.

• 03/84 Medical Uses of Radioisotopes H-304 (40 hrs), University of

Texas.

• 02/85 Applied Supervision Parts I & II – Group Orientation

(40hrs), USNRC, NISC.

• 04/85 Fundamentals of Inspection G-101 (40 hrs), USNRC, Region I.

• 06/85 Transportation of RAM H-308 (24 hrs), USNRC, Region I.

• 06/86 HP Training Refresher Course (60 hrs), HP Society, Delaware

Valley Society for Radiation Safety.

• 02/87 MORT Course (80 hrs), DOE-NASA.

• Authorized Medical Physicist under YNHH's license for HDR

brachytherapy; qualified under the older rule and consequently

should be covered by the grandfather clause according to Michael

J. Bohan, RSO, YNHH; also have >500 hours of training and

experience in the areas listed under section 3. Structured

Educational Program for Proposed Radiation Safety Officer of NRC

Form 313A.

Professional/Honor Societies:

Sigma-Pi-Sigma (National Physics Honor Society, 1978).

Health Physics Society Member.

Associate Member ABHP

Employment History:

From 11/22/2010 to 03/31/2011

Assistant RSO for University of Houston (UH), Environmental Health & Safety

(EHS) Full Time (40 hrs/week). Duties include inspecting x-ray and Type IIIb

and IV laser labs, including managing and inspecting radwaste and hazardous

waste facility. Assisting in collection of chemical, biological, radioactive

and other hazardous waste with other members of the EHS team. Writing

protocols for opening incoming RAM packages. Auditing and surveying laser,

Michael A. Varela/2

x-ray, RAM, chemical and biological research labs, including animal care

facilities. Exchanging badges with all PIs, Authorized Users (AUs) and

environmental monitors in the X-ray and RAM labs. Posting RAM, X-ray and

laser caution signs where applicable. Inventory of all x-ray and laser

devices in the 100+ labs in UH. Training all PIs and AUs in the safe use of

lasers and x-ray devices, including administering and grading annual

refresher quizzes in the safe use of such devices. Proficient in Outlook,

Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Familiar with university-style of computerized

record keeping.

From 01/25/05 to 11/21/10, free-lance writer.

From 01/01/93 to 01/25/05, Full time (44 hrs/week): Performed as Assistant

Radiation Safety Officer (ARSO) at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH). Duties

included assisting physicians in administering iodine-131 therapies of 30 mCi

or more for thyroid oblations and hyperthyroidism, including assisting in the

IV placements of In-111 doses plus surveys of the in-house patients, and in

insertion and removal of brachytherapy sources into patients, including

double-checking the inventory after applicators were prepared to ensure the

proper sources were signed out plus the usual surveys after placement and

removals. Ensuring that inventory and safe storage of sealed radioactive

sources were maintained, including leak testing of all brachytherapy sources

in use was also part of my assigned tasks, including calibrations of all

radiation survey instruments (Geiger counters). Writing radiation accident

reports and instructions to patients and nursing staff, in a limited fashion,

were also tasks I was assigned to, including maintaining computer inventory

of all radioactive seeds currently in use and storage. Assisted in providing

oral instructions to OBGYN and Neurological Intensive Care medical staff, and

Nuclear Medicine staff in proper handling of patients loaded with temporary

and permanent sealed radioactive sources. Saw to it that the I-125 and Pd-

103 eye plaques were sterilized and delivered them to the OR for insertion

into patients and retrieval after removal, including all surveys on said

patients, along with providing written and oral instruction to said patients

and their families on proper radiation safety procedures while under

treatment at home. Also tasked with maintaining current knowledge on all

State and Federal regulations as pertaining to the safe operation of the

licensed radiation safety program at YNHH. Performed basic radiation surveys

of patients containing radioactive drugs and sources inside them and for

release of these patients to the public, and of the surrounding areas where

radioactive sources were in [temporary] use and in [permanent] storage.

Managed and maintained the low level rad waste storage facility and ensuing

inventory and survey and proper disposal of all rad waste material that had

decayed down to background, including medical rad waste. Performed the

mandatory quarterly audits of six in-vitro and one in-vivo (experimental

subjects) labs/treatment centers that used P-32, I-125 and tritium in amounts

under 3 mCi, including providing rad-safety instructions as needed on the

safe handling, survey and disposal protocols required. Instructed medical

personnel in the proper rad-safety procedures while using fluoroscopic

equipment -- basically employing the times, distance and shielding format

within the informal lessons.

Computer skills include a high proficiency in Word and Excel, including a

basic proficiency with PowerPoint.

Michael A.Varela/3

From 07/14/92 to 12/31/92, free-lance writer.

From 02/02/92 to 07/13/92, employed by NES, Inc., 44 Shelter Rock Road,

Danbury, CT 06810. Performed cost estimate proposals; decontamination

surveys; characterization surveys; and tear-down, decontamination and

decommissioning of experimental reactors for Argonne National Laboratories.

Performed a site characterization analysis for LaCrosse Boiling Water Reactor

in preparation for their option to place their reactor fuel into the

safestore mode. Rewrote NES’ generic safety and operations procedures

contained in their NRC licensing backup as their Radiation Safety Officer

(RSO). Performed a licensing program audit for Smiths Industries’ depleted

uranium milling operations.

From 07/30/91 to 02/01/92, free-lance writer.

From 05/04/90 to 07/29/91, was the RSO at The NDL Organization, Inc., which

was a LLRW waste broker, but has since been shut down permanently. Duties

included revamping company’s existing radiation safety rules and procedures

for their low level radioactive waste (LLRW) compaction operations, the

training of personnel in the safe handling of radioactive waste, the proper

suiting up and decontamination techniques needed to work in the trash

compaction room, including supervision of all bioassays and other forms of

dosimetry that needed to be performed at the required frequencies.

Also drafted a new emergency plan for NDL to handle radiation accidents

while on the road, including correct procedures to be followed during other

emergencies and hazards that might occur in-plant: this plan, called the

Contingency Plan ©-Plan) for NY State’s interim nuclear waste storage

facility, was tailored specifically for NDL.

Completed air sampling program for NDL’s radioactive waste compaction

program –- which includes impingers, glass fiber particle and activated

charcoal particle sampling filters –- with intercomparison studies having

been performed between the impinger sampling data and the dry filters

sampling data. Calibrated air sampling pumps via a soap bubble calibrator,

including practical experience with using the various radiation counting

equipment, such as a single channel gamma spectroanalyzer, a liquid

scintillation counter, a gas flow proportional counter, and a Ludlum Model

2200 NaI gamma counter for performing thyroid bioassays.

Interacted with all Federal, State and local agencies regarding all

licensing and inspection activities associated with NDL’s facility, including

giving professional advice to any customers NDL serviced – or to others who

called on questions or concerns related to regulatory, health and safety

issues.

From 02/16/90 to 05/03/90, free-lance writer.

From 01/15/90 to 02/15/90, performed licensing consultant work for Applied

Health Physics, Inc. and DECON International, Inc. by rewriting their

radiation safety program and license renewal application to the USNRC. Also

rewrote letters and notices of a technical nature, and revised and rebuilt

additional health physics safety procedures in their overall radiation safety

program.

Michael A. Varela/4

From 07/01/89 to 01/14/90, free-lance writer.

From 11/17/80 to 06/30/89, worked for the USNRC, Region I. Major duties were

reviewing and inspecting byproduct material licensed programs. These were

the following: Medical, Broad Scope R&D and Medical, University Labs,

Radiography, Portable and Nonportable Gauges, Starter-Up Sources for

Reactors, Gas Chromatographs, Decontamination Programs, Waste Disposal

Programs, Programs that make non-standard calibration sources, Calibration

Programs, self-contained and walk-in irradiators, and in-vitro labs.

Contact this candidate