Workplace Safety

Your Health and the Laws Concerning Radiation Safety

Employers are required by law to provide a safe workplace for their employees,and to monitor all hazards.The invisible danger from cumulative radiation exposure is a potential hazard in any workplace where x-ray equipment is used. Radiation monitoring badges should be worn by all personnel who work with or near x-ray equipment to determine if those personnel are being exposed to radiation in the workplace. Radiation monitoring can help determine if an employee is using safe practices and procedures while working with or near x-ray equipment. It can also indicate whether equipment is operating properly and not causing excess radiation exposure to patients and  those who are nearby, and using it.

IC Care radiation monitoring badges Occupational Radiation Exposure Reports, are Accredited by the National Institute of Standards and Technology through NVLAP for this specific scope of accreditation under lab code 100555-0. An employer who provides these badges to their employees demonstrates that they care about the health and safety of their employees and their unborn children. Use of radiation monitoring badges also increases employee awareness that radiation equipment can be hazardous if used in an un-safe manner, and can signify poor operation of x-ray equipment. Routine radiation monitoring can also act as inexpensive “insurance” in the event that an employee claims that cancer, miscarriage or other radiation-induced injury occurred from over exposure in the workplace.

We encourage each employee who works with or near the x-ray unit to wear a monitoring badge. If IT IS SOMEHOW NOT FEASIBLE to purchasing a badge for every employee, the use of an Area Monitor WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. The Area Monitor can be adhered to the wall close to the x-ray activation switch. The Area Monitor will measure all radiation that all employee are exposed to while in that particular area. As such, an Area Monitor is not ideal BECAUSE IF THERE ARE HIGH READINGS, IT WILL NOT BE CLEAR WHICH EMPLOYEE(S) WAS/WERE EXPOSED, HOWEVER it is better than no monitoring at all. Annual occupational radiation exposure limits are set by the Federal Government in USNRC Regulations, Title 10, Part 20, Code of Federal Regulations. Those limits are as follows:

Adults 5,000 mrem/yr
Fetus 500 mrem/gestation period

The fetal dose is set at 1/10 of the adult dose because the fetus is more vulnerable to radiation during its rapid growth.