Answer to Question #13176 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"
Category: Medical and Dental Equipment/Shielding — Lead Aprons
The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:
I read your report on examining lead aprons every six months. My question is that a lot of medical people x ray lead aprons, however, you mention that it is not necessary. In that case, why are people x raying lead aprons if they can't feel cracks, while some cracks can be small (millimeters)? What is the legal requirement? Thank you for your help. Also is there a form to document visual inspection?
If you are referring to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) posted on the Health Physics Society website, that response was written to another question that was asked. In that case, our response did not state that x raying lead aprons wasn't necessary, but it did say that The Joint Commission does not specify inspection type or frequency, and that facilities typically will inspect lead aprons annually. If you are referring to another reference, it is something that I have not seen, so I apologize for that.
The typical annual inspection of lead aprons consists of x raying the apron (either with a fluoroscopy or radiographic x-ray unit). Inspection of a lead garment by x ray is the only way to know if there are small defects in the apron because they usually cannot be found by hand. In addition, many facilities will do a visual inspection to make sure that the apron is acceptable for items such as the covering (e.g., no tears, holes, lead layers exposed, etc.). This is typically done with the annual x-ray test, but some facilities choose to do this semi-annually.
As far as what the legal requirements are, as stated in the FAQ, "The Joint Commission standard does not dictate inspection frequency, method, or rejection criteria, although state regulations might." You should review the regulations regarding the state you are in and follow them, while also being able to show records of testing on a regular basis. If there are no requirements regarding lead apron inspection in your state, testing them visually and with x ray every 12 months would be your best approach.
For documentation of testing of the apron with x ray and visually, you can set up a simple spreadsheet with a row for each lead garment and include columns such as ID, color, description, pass/fail, and comments. You can also note on the form things such as facility info, date, type of inspection (visual, x ray or both), who did the inspection and any notes. Another option is that there are commercially available software products that allow you to track lead aprons and their testing. These seem to be preferred by The Joint Commission, however, they do carry some extra expense.
Kennith "Duke" Lovins CHP