AW: Portable x-ray units in NY

["Franz Schoenhofer" <franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT>]

All I can say is: Why do those greens and antis and whatsoever do not put

their efforts into decreasing the doses to the population from unnecessary

everyday exposure of unnecessary x-rays, bad habits like not shielding other

people etc. as it was described in this message? Gratulations to your RP

technician for being alert. If I were you, I would promote him or her!!!



Best regards,



Franz







-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

Von: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu]Im Auftrag von Tony Hedges

Gesendet: Dienstag, 08. Juni 2004 03:02

An: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Betreff: Portable x-ray units in NY





Folks,

One of the RP technicians I train asked about the asbestos chest x-ray he

received today. The x-ray was taken in one of our classrooms using a

portable x-ray machine. In the room with the tech and the x-ray technician

were some folks filling out paperwork. The RP technician had a number of

concerns based on some of the training we have done on the medical aspects

of radiation and the numerous over exposure events in the medical industry.



He contacted the safety department, who was running the asbestos physicals.

The nurse gave the following responses to his questions. I did a little

digging in the NYS code and on the FDA web site. I would like to educate

the folks and need to know if this was done correctly. Were the answers

correct? Based on my research, I think some of the answers are incorrect

and others have been over simplified. Your thoughts?



1. The x-ray technician was not wearing dosimetry, should he have been

badged?

      Nurse response: "In regards to the technician not wearing dosimetry,

according to NYS guidelines, you are only required to wear for one year to

monitor your exposure level for that period.  After that time, if the

amount of exams conducted remaine the same and the machine is inspected by

a licensed physicist each year then you do not need to continue to monitor

yourself, the dose will never change."



BTW I believe that NYS Code requires you monitor workers if they can

receive more than 10% of the limit (in line with 10 CFR 20). If the

technician is not receiving over 10% then he doesn't have to wear a

dosimeter.



2. There wasn't a physical barrier between the machine, the operator and

the other people in the room. Also, the operator was not aware of the

number of people or their location in the room on the other side of the

wall from the primary beam.

	Nurse response: "Why were other people allowed in the immediate area when

an x-ray was conducted, the response is that people were greater than 6

feet from the area when an x-ray was being conducted.  The x-ray technician

stated there was only one instance when 2 - 3 people were in the room

completing paperwork.  Also, in NYS people only need to be shielded if the

beam in closer than 10 cm from  the reproductive organs."



Tony





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