Jul. 08, 2024
A radiation safety officer is an individual responsible for radiation safety in a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or Agreement State licensed program. They ensure that any activity involving radiation and radioactive materials is conducted safely to prohibit unnecessary exposure and that all licensed activities are conducted in compliance with both license and regulation requirements. Their responsibilities are varied and extensive, however, an RSO can generally expect to conduct reviews of occupational exposures, surveys and program audits, and lead radiation safety training sessions for authorized users, workers, and ancillary personnel. They are also in charge of spill response and contamination protocols, radioactive material transportation, storage, and disposal, and enforcing the ALARA (As Low as Reasonably Achievable) principle.
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RSOs are frequently found in medical facilities that intentionally administer radioactive materials to patients in the form of X-ray and fluoroscopy procedures, radiopharmaceuticals (bone scan, stress test, PET/CT, etc), and radiation therapy. To perform these procedures, medical facilities are required to obtain a permit or license, either issued by the NRC or Agreement State, which an RSO must be listed on.
But is an RSO needed for non-medical facilities as well?
In short, yes. Having an RSO on your team is not only beneficial for the overall safety of your clients and staff but is also a requirement of any licensed radiation safety program. We have outlined five reasons that will help you determine if your facility needs an RSO.
Specific regulations vary from state to state, however, if your facility utilizes any kind of ionizing or non-ionizing radiation source, you need a radiation safety program, and someone specifically trained to manage it.
In addition to overseeing the radiation safety program and all that entails, the RSO will keep an inventory of all material and machines located in your organization, ensure proper labeling, maintain current machine registrations, and ensure appropriate calibration and testing are performed regularly.
An RSO is properly trained on principles and practices of radiation protection, radiation measurement and monitoring, the biological effects of radiation, and more.
As part of their training, they are also familiar with the extensive regulations laid out by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or Agreement States. It is their duty to navigate these regulations for your organization to ensure compliance, and to keep on top of any updates that may impact your organization or its employees.
An RSO is granted the authority by management to enforce policies and procedures regarding radiation safety and regulatory compliance established in an organization&#;s radiation protection program or license. With all that is required of a safe, successful radiation protection program, you can rely on the RSO to make sure everything is in order and the rules are being followed by all participants.
Of course, accidents happen. Whether due to human error or technical malfunction, they are unavoidable. While we are all familiar with the devastating effects of radiation-related accidents, including those which occurred in the wake of nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island and Fukushima, these types of accidents are not likely to occur in your organization&#;s day-to-day activities. However, issues such as missing signs, incorrect labels, faulty shielding, or improperly calibrated instruments can not only cost your organization big fines but can pose direct health risks to you and your staff if left unchecked.
A designated RSO not only takes charge and initiates corrective actions during an emergency, but they are also responsible for investigating incidents and finding solutions to ensure such issues do not occur again. They are often the link between management and operations, alerting them to any problems that exist, and continually update and revise the policies laid out in their radiation safety program. They also perform regular safety training and program audits which are excellent ways to identify problem areas and terminate unsafe operations before they become a problem.
Medical personnel are not the only ones at risk of occupational radiation exposure. Anyone who regularly uses or operates radiation-producing machinery, including researchers, manufacturers, and salespeople, can be exposed. If not properly controlled and monitored, these exposures can cause damage to the cells and genetic material and lead to serious health problems such as cataracts, temporary or permanent sterility, and cancer.
Medical personnel are not the only ones at risk of occupational radiation exposure.Although direct supervision of individuals using ionizing radiation is not typically a role of the RSO, the RSO is responsible for ensuring all authorized users and ancillary workers are properly trained in basic radiation safety and enforce control measures, such as shielding and personal protective equipment (PPE).
An RSO will also likely suggest a personnel monitoring program that assigns dosimeters to your staff and monitors their received radiation dose as well. In addition to advising on who and when individuals should be monitored, they will regularly monitor doses, manage declared pregnancies, and provide compliance reports.
See our post about using Odyssey to manage your personnel dosimetry program.
A properly trained individual, whether they are a licensed medical professional or not, can be added to a license as the RSO if they have successfully completed all the education and experience requirements of the current regulations and agree to be responsible for implementing the radiation safety program. Depending on their other professional responsibilities, they can serve as full or part-time. An RSO should also have excellent management and record-keeping skills and be comfortable with interacting with regulatory agencies.
Due to the extensive training and knowledge required for this role, many organizations choose to outsource this work. Versant Physics offers RSO and Regulatory support for traditional medical facilities such as hospitals and clinics, universities, small businesses, medical equipment manufacturers, and more. Whether you are looking for a consultant to assist on minor aspects of your program, on-site personnel to perform a program audit or survey, or you need help managing your personnel dosimetry program, our experienced, knowledgeable medical and health physicists, qualified experts, and support specialists can help.
Visit our regulatory page for a complete list of regulatory service offerings or contact to speak to a physicist about your unique program needs.
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Many practice managers who are new to radiation find themselves wondering, &#;Why are x-ray badges required?&#;
Using radiation as part of medical diagnosis and treatment has become a deep and essential part of patient care. Thousands of times a day, radiation is used by multiple medical disciplines to provide doctors and staff with critical data to help treat their patients.
For those who work with radiation daily, there is standard PPE (e.g., lead vests, gloves) that helps protect them from too much radiation exposure. But there is an additional critical piece of equipment &#; the dosimeter (aka x-ray badge) - that measures a worker&#;s radiation exposure and provides reports as required by regulations.
Why are x-ray badges required for most practices? There are five key reasons:
The NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) and state agencies have regulations around most industries that use ionizing radiation. There is a wide variety of industries, from dental offices to cath labs, nuclear power plants to road construction. There is also a wide variety of equipment in use &#; the regulations do not only apply to x-ray devices, but also include nuclear devices, fluoroscopy units, and CT scanners. To comply with the NRC and state agencies, you must follow their exposure limits, the types of equipment covered by the regulations, the type(s) of dosimeters that must be used, who is required to wear a dosimeter and when, the need for an RPP, inspection requirements, and much more.
The regulations will vary from state to state, and many states, called &#;agreement states,&#; have regulations that go beyond those set down by the NRC. If you&#;re not sure about the requirements for your program, please review your state and federal guidelines, or contact LANDAUER Medical Physics for a consultation.
The vast majority of practices will be required to have a Radiation Protection Program in place. This program will outline the policies and procedures your team follows to maintain compliance in all areas of radiation safety. Some areas it should cover include:
In addition, national, state, and local agencies closely monitor radiation exposure to ensure that ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principles are practiced. Your organization&#;s ALARA program follows various processes to reduce the length of time a person is exposed, their distance from the source, and the shielding that is used.
Unlike many other hazards, radiation is one that cannot be detected by our senses. Special devices are required to reveal the presence of radiation, and it&#;s vital to know how much is being absorbed by your staff.
It is easy to forget to put on your x-ray badge, and some practices that are not required to use dosimeters elect to forgo their use. However, this is not advised, regardless of what your regulations say!
Without a dosimeter, the radiation dose technicians receive is completely unknown. Even if you&#;ve shown minimal exposure over the course of a year or more, in no way does that allow you to definitely answer the question of how much exposure did your staff actually receive. And that is a very important question you may need to answer someday!
Not only is radiation undetectable, but it also scatters around the room in unpredictable ways. Once it hits a surface like the patient or table, it bounces around and may penetrate many types of materials like drywall, brick, glass, skin, and even lead. That means, even if you&#;re behind a wall, equipment, or someone wearing shielding, it&#;s likely that you are still receiving some level of radiation dose. If a job requires working with radiation more frequently than anticipated, exposure could be higher than assumed or expected. Every time there a procedure is done, there is radiation. So the more procedures that are done, the higher the dose received. A dosimeter will measure that exposure dosage no matter where a person is standing or what procedure is taking place.
Organizations must be aware of the potential financial impact of failing to have technicians wear dosimeters and adhere to radiation program guidelines.
Firstly, if they are required by your regulatory body, not using them (or using them incorrectly) can be very costly in terms of monetary fines. In addition, receiving a citation for being out of compliance could result in negative PR that could affect your reputation and, more importantly, in the loss of patient trust.
Secondly, there is the potential for legal liability. A technician could claim that a health issue was caused by on-the-job exposure to radiation. If they weren't wearing a dosimeter when this exposure supposedly occurred, there is no way to access data that could defend against that claim. Even if you&#;ve complied in the past with a temporary requirement to badge your employees, changes to your equipment, procedure load, and employee scheduling can make that data inapplicable to the situation in question.
Whether your biggest concern is employee safety, compliance, or liability issues, dosimeters can help provide peace of mind.
Ensure your staff is wearing them properly, your exchanges are happening on time, and you&#;re prepared for your next inspection!
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