McMaster health physicist Dave Niven becomes certified radiation safety officer

Nuclear Operations & Facilities and McMaster’s Health Physics department are pleased to announce that health physicist Dave Niven has been certified by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) as a Class II Radiation Safety Officer (RSO).

As a RSO at McMaster, Niven is responsible for ensuring the safe use of radiation and radioactive materials at McMaster’s nuclear research facilities, including the McMaster University Cyclotron Facility.

“McMaster is one of the most varied and interesting places for health physics work in Canada, and I really enjoy working here in the Health Physics Department,” says Niven, who joined McMaster in 2022.

“I’m very pleased to have achieved the CNSC Class II RSO certification, and I look forward to working more closely with McMaster staff and the CNSC to support and facilitate the important research taking place at these facilities.”

Since joining McMaster, Niven has played a key role in advancing the University’s radiation safety program, acting as an expert resource for those who work with radiation at McMaster, and training staff and students in radiation safety. He previously worked at University Health Network in Toronto, where he served as the organization’s Class II Radiation Safety Officer.

Niven has been instrumental in the operation and optimization of McMaster’s Class II nuclear research facilities, making him well-suited to the role of RSO, says Director of Health Physics, Chris Malcolmson.

“Dave’s leadership in this operational area and intimate knowledge of McMaster’s facilities, along with his many years of Health Physics experience, makes him well-positioned to take on this important responsibility,” says Malcolmson.

As part of the certification process, Niven completed an exam held by the CNSC confirming his in-depth knowledge of McMaster’s licensed activities, facilities and equipment, as well as potential radiological hazards and their corresponding mitigation measures.

Josip Zic, McMaster’s Chief Nuclear Officer, congratulates Niven on his certification and his new role at McMaster.

“As Radiation Safety Officer, Dave will play a critical role at our Class II Facilities, ensuring our researchers, students, industry and academic partners can continue to safely advance discoveries in medical isotope production, clean energy and materials research,” says Zic.