Answer to Question #15103 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Medical and Dental Equipment and Shielding — Shielding

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Q

I am currently working at a general hospital, and we take approximately 1,000 x rays on an average day. Most of them are chest, abdomen, and musculoskeletal x rays. However, because the radiology room is often busy, we take x rays with the door open. Many employees, including myself, pass through this pathway daily, and the radiology technicians take x rays with the door open all day without a lead shield. I understand that the radiation exposure from this is very minimal. However, can we still consider the impact on our employees and radiology technicians, who pass through this pathway every day?

A

All doors to an x-ray room should be closed during all x-ray exposures. The doors are an integral part of the shielding design for the walls they are a part of, therefore, they must be closed for the shielding to work as designed. Leaving a door open during x rays would be the equivalent to leaving a 1-meter-wide opening in one of the barrier walls. Although radiation dose to any individual in this area may be minimal for one exposure, the incremental dose would add up over time and there would also be the possibility of persons receiving doses in excess of various limits. In addition, allowing individuals to receive even small amounts of radiation dose in an effort to increase the workflow, goes against the as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) philosophy and is not good practice.

Kennith Lovins, CHP

Answer posted on 29 September 2023. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, materials, and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.