UNIT 21: MEDICAL PHYSICS APPLICATIONS
Assignment C: Health and Safety in the medical use of ionising and non-ionising radiation
technologies.
Explain the health and safety risks, side effects and limitations of non-ionising and ionising
radiation technologies. Explain how hospitals can employ health and safety measures, when
using instrumentation, for the protection of operators and patients. (P5 and P6)
HSE:
Occupational health, safety and welfare are regulated, encouraged and enforced by the
Health and Safety Executive, a government agency in Great Britain. It also conducts research
on occupational risk.
Keeping people safe in their work environment is the responsibility of the HSE. Providing
direction, knowledge, and advice in the workplace is achieved by influencing and
participating in licensing and permission operations for key hazard industries, conducting
targeted inspections and investigations, and taking enforcement measures to prevent harm
and hold employees accountable for their actions.
The goal of health and
safety is to safeguard
everyone who interacts
with your organization,
including employees,
subcontractors, clients,
and the general public.
Every employee, subcontractor, client, and member of the general public encounters health
and safety at work.
UK's medical devices law is administered and enforced by the MHRA. In order to ensure
their safety and quality, it has a variety of investigative and enforcement powers. The
Department of Health's Medical Devices Directorate (later known as the Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)) published Guidelines for magnetic
, resonance equipment in clinical use in 1993 that specifically addressed safety when dealing
with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment. In 1997, MR safety guidelines were
updated, and the third edition of DB2007(3) was published in 2007. These publications were
created with the assistance of HSE working groups. MR diagnostic imaging within the
healthcare sector has been used extensively in clinical settings, but the guidelines also apply
to MR labs and MR veterinary equipment users. As well as noise and cryogens, oxygen
depletion is also covered in the recommendations. Unlike static and time-varying magnetic
fields, they are not limited to concerns relating to electromagnetic fields. A licensed medical
professional should supervise people with cardiac pacemakers when entering the controlled
area since the magnetic field, B0, may exceed 0.5 mT, permanently on. The high magnetic
fields (or radiofrequency emissions produced during image acquisition) may affect other
implanted medical devices, both active and passive, before employees, patients, or
volunteers with implanted medical devices are permitted to enter the controlled area. In the
first trimester of pregnancy, a preventative strategy is encouraged for women in the
presence of electromagnetic fields generated during regular operation. This has not been
proven conclusively, but some research suggests that they could be harmful to a developing
fetus if ingested during regular operation. Before pregnant personnel are forced to work in
the regulated area (section 2.6.4), the employer should determine whether they are mobile
and positioned in relation to magnetic fields and how long they might be exposed. When an
MRI is performed on a pregnant patient, a medical professional must be appropriately skilled
and... The decision to perform an MRI on a pregnant patient must be made by a medical
professional with appropriate skills and experience. Inspections of clinical MRI facilities can
benefit from consulting this paper. It is important to find out if the MRI suite administration
is aware of it and if it adheres to its recommendations. Various types of medical facilities,
such as hospitals, dental offices, clinics, and medical research facilities, utilize medical
ionizing radiation for diagnosis and treatment. X-rays, nuclear scans, and radiation
treatments are examples. To prevent ionizing radiation exposure from harming patients, the
rules ensure its safe use. The document outlines the responsibilities of duty holders for
radiation protection, including employers, referrers, IR(ME)R practitioners, and operators.
Laws for Health and Safety:
You, your employees, and the public are protected from workplace hazards by health and
safety laws. All businesses are subject to them.
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: Great Britain adheres to this law when it comes to
health and safety at work. Generally, employers and some self-employed people are
required to ensure that their actions are in the interest of your health and safety, as well as
the health and safety of others. As a result, you must balance the level of risk with the costs,
time, or trouble involved in controlling it.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998: Make sure that work
equipment is fit for its intended purpose and is safe; Regardless of the age of the equipment,
it should be properly maintained; Instructions, training, and information about equipment
use; Machinery parts that may be dangerous to employees should be protected.
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 : Employers are required to
comply with the following provisions: When there are health and safety risks that can't be
adequately controlled in other ways, make sure that suitable personal protective equipment
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