Dose, Protection and Regulations

Radiation protection legislation:

In the U.K. there are two main legislations that anyone using radiation have to comply with. They are the Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017 (IRR 2017) and the Ionising Radiation Medical Exposure Regulations 2017 (IRMER 17). These legislations are based from the guiding principles of radiation protection legislation from the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP).

International Commission on radiological Protection (ICRP):

1. Justification:

   1. A patient should only be exposed to ionising radiation if the benefit outweighs the risk of harm

2. Optimisation

   1. Every reasonable attempt must be taken to reduce unnecessary dose to patients, staff and public

   2. ALARP principle → As Low As Reasonably Practicable

3. Dose limitation

   1. Ensure no individual is exposed to unacceptably high doses. This excludes patients for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, however these exposures must be justified.

Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017 (IRR 17):

• Concerned principally with the safety of workers and the general public, and are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) UK.

• The practice principal and/or CEO of a hospital/ corporate body take the legal responsibility for implementing the regulation.

• There are two main roles that the employer must appoint in order to comply:

  • Radiation protection advisor (RPA):

    • They act as an external advisor and are a radiation safety consultant.

  • Radiation protection supervisor (RPS):

    • They are appointed by the employer to ensure that local rules are being complied with.

    • They should be closely involved with radiography and receieve appropriate training in order to perform the role.