Radiation Legislation Flashcards
Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2018
Governs all medical and non-medical exposures of Ionising Radiation to patients.
Recently updated in 2018
Introduces the concept of as low as reasonably achievable or practical
Set up guidelines of doses per modality
The roles of responsibilities when it comes to medical imaging
- Referrer - requests and refers individual imaging
- Practitioner - Vetted - Radiologist or Radiographer
- Operator - Optimises imaging, captures area of interest and views
- Employer - Decides who can be 1-3. Provided written procedures and protocols
- Medical Physics experts - nationally certified - optimised, manages equipment and advisory support or IRMER regulations
The Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017
Recently updated in 2017
Focuses on the protection and health of the staff working with ionising radiation
Port and a health and safety work act 1974
Enforced by the health and safety executive (HSE)
Set out those limits for staff that cannot be exceeded per calendar year
[there’s limits for the eyes for interventional radiologist]
Set up roles responsibilities to ensure staff are protected:
- Radiation protection advisor
- Radiation protection supervisor
Radiation protection advisor
- who is usually a medical physicist who calibrate and monitors equipment
- design and certification of controlled areas such as the CT and the MRI control room
Radiation protection supervisor
- appointed to ensure staff compliance with local radiation policies
- ensure staff have dose badges
ICRP
International Convention of Radiology Protection
Made under the “Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974”
Apply to work with ionising radiations
Includes:
- radioactive materials
- Generators over 5kV
- Includes training
Naturally occurring radionuclides
Radon >400Bq.m^-3
Graded approach (Healthcare)
Notification
Working with very small quantities of radioactive material
Working in an area where Radon >300Bq.m^-3
Graded approach (Healthcare)
Registration
Working with radiation generators
Working with radioactive materials
Graded approach (Healthcare)
Consent
Administering radioactive materials to persons
Addition of radio activity to products (e.g. radiopharmacy)
Operating an accelerator.
Use of high activity sealed source
Radiation risk assessment
Who?
- the employer
Why?
- identify all radiation hazards
- assassination a magnitude of risks
When?
- before any new activity involving ionising radiation that hasn’t had a risk assessment
Dose Limits:
EFFECTIVE DOSE
20mSv a year if you work with it
1mSv for anyone else
If you exceed this, your employer has to notify the HSE
Special circumstances: employing effective dose can be averaged over five years so 5 mSv in 5 years
Dose Limits:
EQUIVALENT DOSE
20mSv to eyes
500mSv to skin and extremities
Exposure as a result of medical exposure of another person
Must be a member of public and not staff
Designated CONTROLLED areas
- Restricting significant exposure
- Significant risk of spreading contamination
Likely to receive
- E >6mSV
- Lens dose >15mSv
- Skin or extremity dose >150mSv
- restricted entry to classified workers
- local rules to restrict exposure
- dose monitoring
- washing facilities, contamination monitoring and no eating
Designated SUPERVISED areas
- Kept under review
- E > 1mSV or lens >5mv
Classified Workers
Likely:
- Radiopharmacists
- Cardio
- IR
Employees likely to receive
- E >6mSV
- Lens dose >15mSv
- Skin or extremity dose >150mSv
Certified by Doctor or EMA (annually)
Doses assessed and recorded by HSE dosimetry services
- keep records until age of 75 or for 30 years
