Portable x-ray units in NY

[Tony Hedges <thedges1@TWCNY.RR.COM>]

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





************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To

unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the

text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,

with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/