Planning of radiological department, Lecture notes of Life Sciences

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Planning Of

Radiological

Facility

By: Tanish khandelwal

Introduction

• In planning a radiology department from radiation safety view point , the safety of all the concerned including radiation workers, public at large, and patient ha to be considered
• (^) The aim of planning is to bring down the levels of radiation exposure to as low as possible but well within the permissible limits and to reduce exposures to patients as well.
• The various sectors which contribute to the reduction of doses are following:

Planning of Diagnostic Radiation Department

1.Installation Design

• The installation planning includes the selection of layout of various facilities , proper size of room, structural shielding and location of control panel.

A. Location

• The site or room should be located as far as possible from areas of high occupancy and general traffic such as maternity and pediatric wards and other department of hospital that are not directly related to radiation and it use.

C. Room Size

• The room size should be such as to permit installation, use and servicing of equipment with safety and convenience for operating personnel, servicing personnel and patient and to keep control panel at reasonable safe distance which is minimum 2 metres from the machine

D. Shielding

• Appropriate shielding should be provided for the walls, the ceiling and the floor of the room so that the doses received by the occupationally exposed are kept well below 20 msv and to the population well below 1 msv.

F. Waiting area

• In order to avoid the crowding of patients and relatives near the entrance door , waiting area must be provided outside and adjacent the equipment room.

G. Warning light and

placard

• A suitable warning signal such as the red light must be provided at a conspicuous place outside the room and kept ON when the unit is in use, to prevent entry of persons not connected with the examination or treatment.
• An appropriate warning placard must also be posted outside the room entrance or door.

3. PARTICIPATION OF QUALIFIED AND TRAINED STAFF

• The participation of qualified staff is very important in reducing the exposures. An unqualified person may take more time for screening or may wrongly present the radiograph compared to a qualified doctor.
• The radiologist and the technician both should be trained in radiation safety aspects also so that they may adopt all the steps to reduce the exposure to the minimum level.

ESTABLISHING A DIAGNOSTIC X-RAY FACILITY

2. Wall Thickness

• If the X-ray installation is located in a residential complex, if shall be ensured that

1. Walls of the X-ray rooms on which primary X-ray beams falls is not less than 35 cm or 14 inch thick brick or equivalent.
2. Walls of the X-ray rooms on which scattered X-ray falls is not less than 23 cm or 9 inch thick brick or equivalent, and
3. There is a shielding equivalent to at least 23 cm or 9 inch thick brick or 1.7 mm lead in front of the doors and windows of the X-ray room to protect the adjacent areas, either by general public or not under possession of the owner of the X-ray room.
4. The ceiling must have a thickness of concrete not less than 6 inch or 13.5 cm.

3. CONTROL ROOM

• For equipment operating at 125 kV or above, the control panel must be installed in a separate control room located outside but contiguous to the machine room and provide with appropriate shielding, direct viewing and oral communication facility between the operator and the patient.

5.Dark Room

• The dark room should be located in such a way that the primary beam is not directed on it.
• Appropriate shielding must be provided for the dark room.

6.Approval

• Two copies of the x-ray room layout drawn are sent for approval to head, Radiological Safety Division, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
• AERB payable in Mumbai, towards charges for the approval of layout.