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Diagnostics > Radiation Legislation and Safety > Flashcards

Radiation Legislation and Safety Flashcards

1
Q

What is the name of the main piece of radiation legislation?

A

The Ionisation Radiation Regulations 2017 (IRR17)

- covers all uses of radiation and radioactive materials

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2
Q

When did IRR17 come into force?

A

January 2018

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3
Q

What is the biggest change in the new IRR17 from the 99 version?

A

How you inform the Health and Safety Executive of your work with ionisation radiations
- You must now apply to notify, register and receive consent.

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4
Q

What is meant by notify, register and consent?

A

Notify

  • lowest risk
  • not cost to practise and no expiry date
  • notification is needed for each practise

Register

  • medium risk
  • register as a radiation practise with HSE
  • initial cost of £25 and renewal required every 5 years

Consent

  • highest risk
  • licensing or approval
  • requires additional information
  • £25 with annual renewal
  • needed for each practise
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5
Q

What is the change been made about the exposure to the lens of the eye?

A

Employees 18+ exposure has been reduced 150mSv to 20 mSv

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6
Q

What other changes have been made in the new IRR17?

A
  1. The term ‘radiation employer’ has been replaced with ‘ an employer who carries out a practise that involves ionisation radiation’
  2. Need to complete an estimate of how much radiation dose will affect the public.
  3. Dose records now only need to be retained for 30 years instead of 50
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7
Q

What is the date that notify, register and consent applications had to be submitted by?

A

6 Feb 2018

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8
Q

What must be done before working ith ionising radiation?

A

Identification of all hazards that have potential to cause radiation accident.
Evaluation of the magnitude of these risks to the employee
Risk assessment and implementation of measures to restrict radiation exposure
Employers must train employees - provide info and equipment etc to reduce radiation exposure risk

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9
Q

What is another piece of legislation that applies more to veterinary radiography?

A

BVA’s

Guidance notes for the safe use of ionising radiations in veterinary practise

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10
Q

What are the 3 principles of radiation protection?

A

TIME (hold down the button)
DISTANCE (from the tube head)
SHIELDING

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11
Q

What three things should you consider when radiographing as well as time, distance and shielding?

A
  1. Clinical justification
  2. Minimum Exposure (stand back, protection etc)
  3. No dose limit should be exceeded (don’t exceed maximum permissible dose)
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12
Q

What is an RPS?

A

Radiation Protection Supervisor

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13
Q

Who can be an RPS?

A

Practise Principle

Head Nurse

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14
Q

What is the RPS responsible for?

A

Responsible for ensuring that radiography is carried out safely and in accordance with regulations and the local rules (Day to Day)

  • they dont need to be present for every xray
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15
Q

What is an RPA?

A

Radiation Protection Adviser

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16
Q

What do you require to be an RPA?

A

Either a diploma in veterinary radiology or have another qualification like medical physics and an interest in veterinary radiography

and from January 2005, they must hold a certificate of competence from an appropriate issuing body.

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17
Q

What are the 3 main responsibilities of an RPA?

A

Advising the practise on radiation protection
Demarcation of the controlled area
Draw up local rules and written systems of work

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18
Q

What must the written systems of work include?

A
  1. Must gove a copy to everyone that is working with Xrays
  2. Should indicate estimated personal dose estimated
  3. Xray should be unplugged after each session
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19
Q

When would an RPA not be required?

A

If all 5 are met:

  1. Only 1 vertical beam Xray machine
  2. A LBD to ensure that the primary beam does not come within 10cm of the edge of the table
  3. Table covered in 1mm of lead over an are >10cm in each direction from the largest area of the primary beam
  4. The equipment operates at <100kV power
  5. Workload does not exceed 4mA minutes
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20
Q

What should the controlled area room materials be like?

A

Thick walls
Reinforced with lead if required
Lead screens
Consider the flooring also

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21
Q

What rules should the controlled room meet?

A
  1. Allow for standing at least 2m from primary beam
  2. Defined by RPA
  3. Its demarcated with warning areas (the whole area if possible)
  4. Warning signs and symbols at entrance
  5. Red light to warn radiography in process and prevent accidental injury
  6. Xray machine should have light or sound to indicate when machine is on
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22
Q

When can a controlled area be used as a normal room?

A

When the Xray machine is unplugged from the power source, it ceases to become a controlled area

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23
Q

What can we do to measure tube head leakage?

A

Can put a dosemeter on top of the beam for a few radiographs and then send away

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24
Q

What must the thickness of beam filtration be?

A

At least 2.5mm of aluminium equivalent

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25
Q

What must all Xray machines be fitted with?

A

A collumation device (ideally an LBD)

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26
Q

What are the requirements of an Xray table?

A

Must be lead lined
or have >1mm thick lead sheet larger than the max beam size on or beneath the cassette
(absorbs residual primary beam and reduces scatter)

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27
Q

How often do Xray machines need to be serviced?

A

At least once per year

28
Q

What must be recorded when taking a radiograph?

A
  1. Date
  2. Patient identity and description
  3. Exposure factors
  4. View
  5. Quality of image
  6. Means of restraint (if the animal is being held, then the names of those holding must be recorded)
29
Q

What is protective clothing?

A

Aprons, gloves etc made of rubber impregnated with lead

30
Q

Does protective clothing protect against the primary beam?

A

No just scatter

31
Q

What extra precautions are in place for equine radiography and why?

A

Use thyroid protectors also as the beam may e horizontal

32
Q

What is the lead equivalent of a protective apron?

A

Minimum 0.25mm LE - most are 0.35mm,

Double sided offers best protection

33
Q

What is the lead equivalent of lead gloves?

A

0.35mm. (0.5mm for equine)

34
Q

What are the rules for a dosemeter badge?

A
  1. Wear at trunk waist level beneath the apron
  2. Worn only by person its issued to
  3. Must not be washed, tumble dried or left in the xray room
  4. Dont wear outside premises
  5. Must be changed at recommended times
35
Q

What are the 2 types of dose meters?

A

Film badges and Thermoluminescent dosemeters (TLDs)

36
Q

Describe film badges

A

Small piece of blue film within a plastic container.

Contains small metal fibres that allow the assessment of the type of radiation to which the badge has been exposed

37
Q

Describe how a TLD works

A
  • They contain radiosensitive lithium fluoride crystals and are usually orange
  • On exposure to radiation , the electrons in the crystals are rearranged, thus storing energy
  • During the reading process, the crystals are heated and give off light in proportion to the amount of energy which they have stored - this gives a quantitative reading.
38
Q

Where should dose meters be sent to?

A

The National Radiological Protection Board

39
Q

How often should film badges be sent to NRPB?

A

Every 1-3 months depending on work load

40
Q

What are does limits? The amount of radiation that…?

A

Aunt of radiation which are thought not to constitute a greater risk to health than encountered in everyday life

41
Q

What are the limits for the skin, extremities and lens of the eye for people in the practise?

A

For employees or trainees 18+:
Skin = 500mSv (1cm square)
Extremities = 500mSv
Lens of Eye = 20mSv

For trainees <18yrs:
Skin = 150mSv
Extremities = 150mSv
Lens of the Eye = 15mSv

For everyone else and employees under 18:
Skin = 50mSv
Extremities = 50mSv
Lens = 15mSv

42
Q

Who should not be present at radiography?

A

An owner
Anyone under 16yrs
Pregnant women

43
Q

Ideally who should be present at radiography?

A

Only the person making the exposure

minimum number of people!

44
Q

What do the local rules inform about?

A

Equipment, procedure and restriction of access to controlled area.
Restraint methods and precautions
Assessment of the maximum dose received

45
Q

Who should have the local rules?

A

Everyone involved in radiography (including nurses) and it should be displayed in the Xray room

46
Q

What direction should the beam be pointed?

47
Q

What size should the beam be?

A

It should be collimated to the smallest size possible and must be within the borders of the film.

48
Q

When should grids be used?

A

Grids only to be used if area is >10cm thick

49
Q

What must be done if a grid is used?

A

Multiply the exposure factor by the grid factor

50
Q

What is the quote from the IRR17 about restraint ?

A

Only in exceptional circumstances should be a patient or animal undergoing a diagnostic examination be supported or manipulated by hand

51
Q

What are ‘exceptional circumstances’?

A

Severely ill or injured animal:

  • congestive heart failure
  • ruptured diaphragm
  • any severe trauma

If sedation or GA would be detrimental to the animals health - there needs to be sound clinical justification

52
Q

What 4 things make Xrays so dangerous?

A

Invisible
Painless
Cumulative
Damage to living tissues

53
Q

What are the somatic effects of radiation?

A 
Skin redening and cracking
Blood disorders
Baldness
Cataracts
Digestive Upset, dehydration
54
Q

What are the carcinogenic and genetic effects of radiation?

A

Tumors can develop in exposed tissues

Genetic mutations can occur in germ cells in gonads leading to inherited abnormalities

55
Q

What are the 2 sources of radiation?

A

Tube head

Primary Beam

56
Q

What can be done to reduce exposure?

A

Use a LBD to collimate

Decrease kV where possible

57
Q

What causes scatter?

A

When the primary beam hits a solid object

58
Q

What can scatter cause in terms of the image?

A

Fogging and Blackening

59
Q

What does increasing the kV do?

A

It increases the energy of the X rays and it can reduce definition and increase scatter

60
Q

What can be done to reduce scatter?

A 
Tight collimation of the primary beam 
Compression of large areas of tissue
Reduce kV where possible
Lead-backed cassette
Lead top table
61
Q

What are the radiological rules that must be followed?

A

Only X ray if clinically indicated
Avoid unnecessary repetition of X rays
Direct the beam towards the ground if possible
Position the animal on top of a lead table
Immobilise animals (sedate/GA)
If required, share restraint duties to minimise exposure
Never do human radiology
If staff pregnant, cease radiography and report to RPS

62
Q

What is another piece of legislation used for veterinary radiography in addition to the IRR17?

A

BVA:

Guidance notes for the Protection of Persons Against Ionising Radiations Arising from Veterinary Use

63
Q

What is the radiation limits for the abdomen of a women of reproductive capacity and pregnant women?

A

13mSv for 3 month periods at a time

10mSv for entire pregnancy

64
Q

What is the national average radiation dose?

65
Q

How should waste chemicals be disposed?

A

Collected and disposed of by a licensed waste disposal company

66
Q

What are the legal requirements in terms of hazardous waste?

A

Environmental Agency must be notified when hazardous waste is produced or removed from any premises.
Records for types and quantities of waste must be kept for at least 3 years
Veterinary surgeries exempt - so none!

Diagnostics (11 decks)

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