Radiation Safety 2

Module details

Title

Radiation Safety 2

Type

Specialist

Module code

SPE156

Credits

30

Requirement

Compulsory

Aim of this module

This module provides the trainee with the knowledge that underpins the specialist rotation in Radiation Safety in the third year of the MSc.

Non-Ionising Sources: Radiation Risks, Safety and Bioeffects

To advise safety requirements Healthcare Scientists.

Assess, Audit and Interpret Radiation Dose Monitoring

The trainee can assess environmental radiation monitoring results, staff doses and workplace monitoring, including doses to members of the public and the radiological impact in the environment.

Risk Assessment and New Facilities

To be able to risk assess a new radiation facility and advise on selection of equipment and room design.

Information and Communication Technology

Understand the radiation safety and diagnostic imaging implications of information and communication technology (ICT) processes.

Submodules

Learning outcomes

1. Discuss the role of the radiation safety expert and the importance of safety culture.
2. Explain the physical principles and safe use of non-ionising radiations used in healthcare.
3. Design radiation facilities.
4. Undertake optimisation of radiographic techniques.
5. Discuss and evaluate the IT environment in radiation departments, including issues around interconnectivity of systems.
6. Explain image display systems and their optimisation.

Indicative content

Organisation of Radiation Protection

• Role of qualified experts (e.g. medical physics expert, radiation protection advisor)
• Safety culture (importance of human behaviour)
• Communication skills (skills and ability to instil safety culture into others)
• Record keeping (sources, doses, unusual occurrences, )
• Permits to work and other authorisations
• Designation of areas and classification of workers
• Quality control/auditing
• Dealing with contractors
• Cooperation between employers
• Patient-related issues; release of radioactive patients
• ALARP re patient safety
• Justification, optimisation, limits
• Overexposure of patients and staff
• Working safely within the range of radiation environments encountered in healthcare
• Practitioner, operator and referrer training and duties

Radioactive Materials

• Registration and authorisation of sealed and unsealed sources
• Releases to the environment
• Environmental impact assessment
• Best practical means
• Waste management:
  • principles of management
  • principles of disposal
• Transport

Non-Ionising Radiation

• Sources – physical properties, interactions with matter, biological effects, measurement, clinical applications and safety of:
  • UV
  • intense light sources
  • lasers
  • infrared
  • microwaves
  • RF
  • electric and magnetic fields
  • US
  • MRI
• Relevant guidelines, documents and standard operating procedures for safe practice with regard to the use of non-ionising radiation in the clinical environment
• Safety issues and exposure limitations relevant to different patient groups
• Rationale behind safety standards

Image Display

• Hard copy and soft copy display systems
• External factors affecting image displays
• Quality assurance of image display systems
• Image perception

Optimisation

• Measurement and calculation of patient doses
• Population exposures
• ALARP

Design of Facilities

• Design of facilities for radiotherapy, diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine
• Shielding calculations, design features and engineering controls
• Cyclotrons and radionuclide production facilities

Technical

• The requirements of equipment for calibration/QA, both generally and specific to each application
• Appropriate methods for data reconstruction, pre-processing (e.g. registration, smoothing) and analysis (e.g. region of interest, curve generation)
• Gated and time sequence imaging
• The commissioning process for new equipment with reference to:
  • diagnostic radiology equipment
  • CT, including cone beam CT
  • mammography
  • radiotherapy/brachytherapy equipment
  • the critical examination
• IT and networking
  • image analysis software
  • PACS
  • specialist patient management systems, e.g. cardiology systems, radiology information systems
  • networking and the network environment
  • system management, configuration control and software release
  • interoperability, DICOM RT, HL7 and messaging standards
  • links to hospital administration systems
  • legislative framework for IT, data protection
  • regulatory standards including IEC601 and the Medical Devices Directive as applied to software

Activities

Non-Ionising Sources: Radiation Risks, Safety and Bioeffects

• Participate in clinical audit of non-ionising radiation. Discuss your experience with your supervisor, including the importance of audit to clinical practice.
• Participate in at least one of the optional clinical experiential learning episodes.
• Observe the clinical use of surgical lasers in a range of different specialities. The trainee should be able to reflect on the type of laser used for the clinical procedure and the safety considerations that can be applied for staff and patients.
• Observe the clinical use of Ultraviolet. The trainee should be able to reflect on the type of Ultraviolet cabinet used for the clinical procedure and the safety considerations that can be applied. Typical exposure times should also be noted. The trainee should reflect and discuss the implications for patient care.

Assess, Audit and Interpret Radiation Dose Monitoring

• The trainee should participate in environmental and personnel monitoring programmes.
• The trainee should participate in an investigation of an accidental patient exposure. They should be involved in the investigation of how the accident occurred, what dose the patient received, and any procedures with respect to reporting the dose, either internally or externally. It may also be applicable to determine the risk caused by the accidental radiation exposure. The trainee should reflect on the lessons learned to prevent the accident happening again, and the patient experience in this occurrence.
• The trainee should participate in an audit of radioactive substances activities in relation to Environmental Permitting Regulations compliance and other relevant legislation, or be involved with variation of a permit.

Risk Assessment and New Facilities

• Participate in the procurement and evaluation processes of a new installation. This should include attendance at procurement/project team meetings, involvement in the purchasing of the new equipment, and specifying the shielding required for the facility. The trainee should be able to reflect on the balance between desirable and essential features, and the cost/benefit of equipment choice to the clinical service provided, including the impact on patient care.
• Perform a comparative review of current methods of shielding calculations and room design, including mathematical and computer models. The trainee should be able to reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of the differing approaches used, and assumptions made in the calculations including the impact on clinical service and on patient care.
• Participate in the procurement and evaluation processes of a new installation in more than one modality

Information and Communication Technology

• The trainee should use relevant software and/or spreadsheets to carry out radiation safety assessments (e.g. room shielding, patient radiation dose estimation). The trainee should be able to reflect on the ICT options available to facilitate a particular task. The trainee should include some analysis of the magnitude of errors introduced by using the different options.
• The trainee should develop or critically appraise a spreadsheet or piece of software that is used. The trainee should be able to demonstrate an understanding of how the spreadsheet or software works. The trainee should be able to discuss an appropriate commissioning/QA programme for the software.