Christie Medical Physics and Engineering Newsletter 70 May 2022

• Arrangements for prevention of accidents and incidents • Investigation and analysis of accidents and incidents and appropriate remedial actions • Training and retraining programmes for exposed workers (information, instruction and training) • Investigation and analysis of accidents and incidents and appropriate remedial actions • Employment conditions for pregnant and breastfeeding workers • Preparation of written procedures • Suitability of RPS appointments • Selecting investigation levels • The working lifetime of sealed sources, as required (Regulation 28)

IRR17 and IRMER17

Physics in project timelines – Issues with shielding Recently several issues have been discovered by CMPE with regards to the protective sheilding in various facilities. This represents a risk to staff, patients and the public. Potentially leading to over exposures i.e. exceeding the IRR17 dose limts. Employers need to ensure physicists are involved in the specification, design, critical exam and commissioning of equipment and facilities to ensure protection is adequate. Ongoing survaliance of protection should fall within quality assurance programmes and estates (or others) should not be allowed to replace or alter the structure of an x-ray room without physics involement. Lead glass was found cracked during the critical exam of an x-ray room.

There are two key pieces of legislation that underpin radiation protection in hospitals, the Ionising Radiations Regulations (IRR17) and the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposures) Regulations (IRMER17). It is important to understand the differences between them, and the different aspects which apply to work with radiation in healthcare. The following diagrams illustrate the key differences and important aspects.

14

Copyright © 2022 by The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. All rights reserved.