Radiation Protection Flashcards
All exposures are potentially harmful and must be: (3)
- Justified
- Optimised (ALARP)
- Below legal dose limits (not in IRMER)
Who has most responsibility for providing protection?
Employer
Who does IRR17 protect?
Staff and general public (not patients)
Who is IRR17 enforced by?
HSE
Who advises the employer?
Radiation protection advisor
Who oversees practice in clinical areas?
Radiation protection supervisor
What is needed for new procedures?
Radiation risk assessments
What do local rules do?
Tell staff how to work in controlled areas
At what exposure dose do staff need to be classified?
If they receive >3/10 of any dose limit (>6mSv whole body, >150mSv skin)
or >15mSv eye dose
Employee annual dose limit: Whole body
20mSv
Employee annual dose limit: Skin and extremities
500mSv
Employee annual dose limit: Eye
20mSV
Trainee (<18yo) annual dose limits: Whole body
6mSv
Trainee (<18yo) annual dose limits: Skin and extremities
150mSV
Members of the Public annual dose limits: Whole body
1mSv
Members of the Public annual dose limits: Skin and extremities
50mSv
Members of the Public annual dose limits: Eye
15mSv
Specifications of controlled areas (4)
- precautions needed to avoid significant exposure
- dose likely to be >3/10 of any dose limit
-Local rules
-Need RPS to enforce local rules
Specifications of supervised areas (3)
- lower risk than controlled area
-when work reviewed periodically/if annual dose likely >1mSV
-DO NOT require local rules or RPS
When do staff become classified?
If they are likely to receive 3/10th of any dose limit
-e.g. 6mSV for whole body, 150mSV for skin/extremities
What is the dose level for foetus of worker during pregnancy?
<1mSv
Women must declare in writing to employer if pregnant (T/F)
True
IRR 2017 requires that radiation doses must not exceed legal limits (T/F)
True
IR(ME)R 2017 requires that radiation doses to patients must not exceed legal limits (T/F)
False
No legal limit, just have to optimise and justify exposures
Who does IRMER protect?
Patients/persons having a medical exposure
According to IRMER what is the employer responsible for?
responsible for providing a radiation protection framework
Define the referrer
provides clinical information to support the request for medical exposure
Define the practitioner
registered health care professional who is entitled to justify and take responsibility for an individual exposure
Define the operator
any person entitled to carry out practical aspects of a medical exposure
Define the medical physics expert
State registered professional who can advise on regulatory compliance and provides radiation dose measurements/calculations
IRMER -
1)Who is justification carried out by?
2) How do they demonstrate this has been done?
1) practitioner
2) Authorisation
IRMER - Optimisation
What is a DRL?
DRL indicate achievable patient exposure factors, guidelines for average sized patients, established by the employer
IRMER Licences-
nuc med and/or PET exposures can only take place when the employer and practitioner have BOTH been issued licenses (T/F)
True
IRMER Licences-
Practitioner licenses can be issued to consultants and trainees with sufficient training and experience in nuc med
False - only consultants with sufficient training and experience in nuc med can hold a practitioner licence
Define accidental exposure
exposure when none was intended