Legislation

Question 1

What does IRR stand for?

Answer 1

Ionising
Radiation
Regulations

Question 2

What does IRMER stand for?

Answer 2

Ionising
Radiations
Medical
Exposure
Regulations

Question 3

What are the general principles for radiation safety?
(3)

Answer 3

Justification

Optimisation

Limitation

Question 4

What are the duties of the employer under the Health and Safety At Work Act?
(2)

Answer 4

Provide a safe workplace

Provide training and information

Question 5

What are the duties of the employees under the Health and Safety At Work Act?
(3)

Answer 5

Take care of themselves

Report any hazards or risks to their employer

Co operate with the employer on health and safety

Question 6

What is the international stance on radiation?
(3)

Answer 6

Justification

Optimisation

Limitation

Question 7

Why are patients exempt from following IRR?

Answer 7

Because they follow IRMER

Question 8

What are the 3 stages of radiation exposure?

Answer 8

Notification

Registration

Consent

Question 9

What are the features of the notification stage of radiation exposure?

Answer 9

It’s low risk, so notify the HSC

Question 10

What are the features of the registration stage of radiation exposure?
(3)

Answer 10

Medium risk

It’s x-ray sources

It’s what most uses of radiation fall under

Question 11

What are the features of the consent stage of radiation exposure?
(4)

Answer 11

High risk

It’s where the most things can go wrong

Nuclear medicine and radiotherapy

E.g. injecting radioactive material into people

Question 12

When are radiation risk assessments done?
(2)

Answer 12

Before new work

Before significant changes to current procedures, e.g. new procedures or techniques

Question 13

When are radiation risk assessments done?
(2)

Answer 13

Before new work

Before significant changes to current procedures, e.g. new procedures or techniques

Question 14

What should radiation risk assessments include?
(7)

Answer 14

Identification of the hazards

Sources of contamination

Estimation of the doses involved

Engineering control features

Planned systems of work (how staff will be working in the area)

Accident situations

Methods of risk reduction

Question 15

What are the steps of a risk assessment?
(5)

Answer 15

Identify the hazard

Decide who might be harmed and how

Evaluate the risk and decide the precautions

Record your findings and implement them

Review and update if necessary

Question 16

When does an employer not have to write down their risk assessments?

Answer 16

If they have less than 4 employees

Question 17

What is the hierarchy of control?
(5)

Answer 17

Elimination- don’t work with radiation if you don’t need to

Substitution- substitute x-rays to something else, e.g. MRI, ultrasound

Engineering controls- physical, mechanical things to reduce risk, e.g. lead screen. Put as many as needed for that specific procedure

Administrative controls- instructions and procedures that people are expected to follow but might forget

PPE- e.g. lead aprons

Question 18

What are the 2 types of area designation?

Answer 18

Controlled area

Supervised area

Question 19

What are controlled areas?

Answer 19

Areas where special procedures have to be followed, otherwise the dose is likely to exceed

Question 20

What are supervised areas?

Answer 20

The dose received is likely to be more than 1mSv in a year, or the area is kept under review to make sure that it doesn’t become controlled

Question 21

“Designated areas need to be … so people know”

Answer 21

Signed

Question 22

When do the DO NOT ENTER and X-RAYS ON signs tend to be on?

Answer 22

When the x-rays are currently on and exposing

Question 23

When do controlled area x-rays have radiation?

Answer 23

Always- so we have to be careful when entering the room

Question 24

What are outside workers?

Answer 24

Any individual entering into a controlled area to work with radiation on behalf of another employer

Question 25

What are examples of outside workers?
(3)

Answer 25

Prison workers

Carers

Guards

Question 26

Why do we have personal dosimetry?

Answer 26

To ensure that dose limits aren’t exceeded. It protects the individual and the employer

Question 27

Why do we need dose alerts and investigations?

Answer 27

To ensure that no one is exceeding a dose or constraint

Question 28

Who initiates dose investigations?

Answer 28

RPS

Question 29

What must pregnant staff working with radiation do?
(3)

Answer 29

Inform their employer in writing

There’s a dose limit of 1 mSv to the foetus

They may require a review of local risk assessment and adjustment of working practices

Question 30

What must classified staff be?
(3)

Answer 30

Over 18

Fit to work before they’re classified, then annually after that

Monitored by an approved dosimetry service

Question 31

What are the duties of employees working with radiation?
(7)

Answer 31

Not knowingly overexpose themselves or others

Report incidents

Make full use of PPE

Care for and return PPE

Wear and return PPE

Wear and return personal dosimeters

If they become pregnant, inform their employer(s) in writing

Question 32

What are the duties of the employers?
(3)

Answer 32

Provide adequate resources

Co operate when working with ionising radiation

When necessary, transfer responsibility of a controlled area to another employer

Question 33

What does RPA stand for?

Answer 33

Radiation
Protection
Adviser

Question 34

What does the RPA do?
(4)

Answer 34

Provide advice on compliance with legislation

Do checks of engineering controls

Plan installations

Calibration of equipment

Question 35

What do radiation protection supervisors do?

Answer 35

They make sure that local rules are adhered to and they govern the controlled area, e.g. that staff training is up to date

Question 36

What do equipment installers do?

Answer 36

They perform a critical exam on the safety features of new equipment by checking all engineering controls