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Do you manage a diagnostic, medical, or research facility that utilizes X-ray machines? Then you need to provide X-ray shielding equipment and implement an effective radiation safety protocol.
At Barrier Technologies, we help countless medical and research facilities maintain excellent security levels when utilizing X-ray equipment. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to keep your team and patients safe around this type of radiation.
Is X-Ray Shielding Necessary?
Wearing protective shielding when exposed to X-rays is essential to prevent long-term health issues.
Lead shielding X-ray aprons, leaded eyewear, and other safety accessories can help patients as well as practitioners and other radiation experts avoid long-term health issues associated with ionizing energy.
Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why X-ray shielding in your facility is a must.
Patients and Practitioner Safety
Protecting both patients and medical staff from unnecessary radiation exposure is a top priority in any diagnostic or treatment facility. X-ray shielding materials, such as lead aprons and thyroid collars, significantly reduce radiation absorption and minimize long-term health risks.
Regulation and Industry Standards
Organizations like the FDA and OSHA establish guidelines to ensure X-ray shielding meets safety requirements. Adhering to these regulations not only protects patients and staff but also helps facilities avoid costly violations and potential legal consequences.
Risks of Cumulative Radiation
Even low-dose radiation exposure can accumulate over time, increasing the risk of long-term health issues like cancer, cataracts, and organ damage. This is why consistent monitoring, proper shielding, and limiting exposure are crucial in medical and research environments.
Protection for Vulnerable Individuals
Individuals, such as pregnant women, young children, and immunocompromised patients, are more sensitive to radiation. Special radiation X-ray shielding precautions, including additional shielding and exposure minimization techniques, should be taken to protect these vulnerable groups.
Scatter Radiation Protection
Unlike direct radiation, scatter radiation spreads unpredictably, making it a hidden yet serious risk. Following X-ray shielding guidelines like using protective barriers, mobile shields, and leaded eyewear helps mitigate exposure from scattered X-ray beams.
Avoiding Legal Woes
Failure to follow proper X-ray shielding guidelines can lead to legal repercussions, including fines, lawsuits, and liability claims. Regulatory compliance, thorough documentation, and regular equipment inspections are necessary to prevent potential legal challenges.
How to Protect Patients and Practitioners
Now that we’ve covered the reasons why you need to provide protection against radiation, let’s go over the steps you can take to protect patients, practitioners, and technical staff.
The first step to protecting your team is appointing a radiation officer who is responsible for creating and implementing a safety protocol. This individual will help ensure that all radiation equipment and treatment areas are properly equipped and sanitized after every use.
Here are some additional steps you can follow.
Lead Aprons and Other Safety Accessories
Lead aprons, protective eyewear, and moveable shields are just some of the safety accessories you can use to protect your team from direct and scatter radiation.
The exact thickness and attenuation rating depends on your application – for instance, dental practices have different requirements than research labs. Because of this, it’s important to rely on your radiation officer and any other resources you have available.
The ALARA Principle
The As Low As Reasonably Achievable or ALARA principle is the idea that radiation doses should be kept to a bare minimum at all times.
This means keeping exposure time as long as possible, using shielding equipment whenever there’s radiation involved, and implementing additional technology like image digitalization in order to keep doses low.
Precise Beam Management
Some radiation procedures utilize targeted energy beams to destroy tumors. Modern machinery allows for those beams to be ultra-targeted, which reduces collateral exposure as well as scatter radiation at the same time. Upgrading your equipment can give your professionals more assurance while also giving them better tools to perform their duties.
A Monitoring Protocol
Cumulative radiation exposure may not cause immediate side effects, but it can be extremely detrimental to your staff. Because of this, it’s important to observe a monitoring protocol and assign dosimeters to every radiation professional. This will help prevent overexposure and take the correct steps along the way.
Effects of Direct X-Ray Exposure
So far, we’ve covered the steps you have to take to protect your patients and practitioners from ionizing radiation. However, it’s also important to understand the effects of this type of radiation as it can help frame the importance of adhering to high security standards.
As with other forms of ionizing radiation, direct X-ray exposure can result in the production of free radicals, damage organic tissue, and cause cell mutation. While this may not produce immediate side effects, it can lead to bigger health risks, especially if there’s prolonged exposure.
In addition to this direct X-ray exposure can cause:
- Higher Risk of Cancer: Direct X-ray exposure can lead to a higher risk of skin cancer, leukemia, and thyroid cancer.
- Reproductive and Fertility Issues: Radiation exposure can also lead to reproductive health and fetal development issues, increasing the risks of birth defects or delayed development in unborn children.
- Irritation in the Eyes and Skin: Radiation burns and increased risk of skin cancer can both occur in extreme circumstances, as well as irritation of the eyes and development of cataracts.
- Acute Radiation Syndrome: Direct high-dose X-ray exposure can lead to acute radiation syndrome, which causes symptoms like vomiting, skin irritation, and nausea.
Not Sure Where to Start? Get Help from a Radiation Protection Expert
X-rays are a type of ionizing radiation that can harm DNA cells in living tissue. Protecting patients, practitioners, and all technical staff is essential because it will help ensure you adhere to industry regulations and keep your team safe.
In addition to lead aprons and other safety accessories, it’s also important to implement protocols like the ALARA principle, precise beam management, and cumulative radiation monitoring system that can help you maintain excellent safety levels throughout your facility.
Barrier Technologies has been manufacturing high-quality lead and tungsten aprons as well as other safety accessories for the last two decades. If you need help selecting the best equipment for your facility contact us today, our team of radiation safety experts will be glad to help.
