Analysis of precautions taken for protection from X-rays in a hospital in Gaziantep in the context of workplace health and safety

• Published in: Journal of radiation research and applied sciences 2022-12, Vol.15 (4), p.100453, Article 100453
• Main Authors: Yıldız, Abdülazim, Köse, Ercan, Demirtaş, Ömer Can
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Health and safety; Ionizing radiation; X-rays
• ISSN: 1687-8507; 1687-8507
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jrras.2022.08.004

Healthcare personnel who work in units of hospitals where ionizing radiation is used are in an at risk group, and their health statuses should be periodically monitored. Although some health problems do not emerge right after exposure to low-dose radiation, various diseases can arise in the long term. The purpose of this study is to promote responsibility among radiology professionals and prevent diseases that may emerge in the future by drawing attention to context of workplace health and safety. In this study, measurements were made at locations where radiology personnel worked. Radiation measurements were obtained based on five repeated measurements at different points of the drafting chambers. It has been observed that the measurement values are close to each other. However, comparisons were made by taking the average values. In this study, X-ray measurements were made with three patients in four different hospital units. The Fluke 451 Ion Chamber Radiation Survey Meter device was used in the measurements, and the measurements were made based on the positions of the personnel in the radiation field in all units of the hospital where X-rays were used. The minimum measurement value was found behind the lead screen as 0.01 μSv, while the highest value was found in the room where the images were taken by wearing lead aprons and thyroid shields as 410 μSv. The findings of this paper include the minimum and maximum values of X rays during imaging at different hospital units which are mammography, computed tomography, fixed X-ray machine and bone densitometry machine. To prevent these personnel from exceeding the standard exposure limits in terms of workplace health and safety, ensuring that they constantly use protective equipment and limiting the number of imaging procedures they carry out will be beneficial in terms of health in the long term.