[ RadSafe ] Luggage/package X-ray Screening Safety Standard (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Wes Van Pelt]

Walt and All Radsafers,

I just read the FDA rule on cabinet x-rays. (Sec. 1020.40 Cabinet x-ray systems.) One section puzzles me. Think of airport luggage scanning x-ray machines. It seems that a human body part can enter the chamber and be exposed to the beam. One could stick an arm or head thru the flaps and be exposed. In the extreme, a baby in a baby carrier could ride thru the machine and get exposed. Yet, the FDA regs clearly state:

	"(3) Ports and apertures. (i) The insertion of any part of the human body through any port into the primary beam shall not be possible."

Does anyone know how this is resolved? Perhaps I am missing something.

Best regards,  
Wes
Wesley R. Van Pelt, PhD, CIH, CHP 
Wesley R. Van Pelt Associates, Inc.  
 


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf Of Walt Cofer
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2008 12:58 PM
To: Michael Borisky (Civ, ARL/ADLO)
Cc: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Luggage/package X-ray Screening Safety Standard (UNCLASSIFIED)

Be sure to review 21 CFR, Part 1020 (Performance Standards for Ionizing Radiation Emitting Products); there are FDA standards applicable to those units.  You can access the regs from the web, and I'll email you a condensed Word version in a separate message; my version is easier to read.

Walt Cofer
Radiation Control, Inc.
Tallahassee, FL
Tel:    (850) 668-8559
Cell:   (850) 519-5351
Fax:   (850) 893-2566
Email: radcontrol at embarqmail.com
Web:  www.rad-control.net

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Borisky (Civ, ARL/ADLO) <mborisky at arl.army.mil>
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Sent: Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:25:24 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Luggage/package X-ray Screening Safety Standard (UNCLASSIFIED)

Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED 
Caveats: NONE
 
Dear Radsafers,

Can anyone direct me to the safety standard that best applies to the
X-ray machines that are used to screen luggage, packages, etc. I'm most
interested in seeing what survey requirements are recommended, and at
what frequency.  Thanks in advance.   

Mike Borisky
Army Research Lab