Personal Radiation Monitoring

RADIATION MONITORING

· Personal Radiation Monitoring
· Radiation Survey Instruments




PERSONAL RADIATION MONITORING

The following services are, at present, recognised by the Radiological Council for the purpose of registrants satisfying regulation 25A(1) of the Radiation Safety (General) Regulations:

Approved Personal Radiation Monitoring Service Providers

	Australian Radiation Protection & Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) (formerly Australian Radiation Laboratory) Lower Plenty Road YALLAMBIE VIC 3085

	Tel: (03) 9433 2211 Fax: (03) 9432 1835

	Landauer Inc (USA) Agent: Radiation-Wise 16 Beryl Avenue SHELLEY WA 6148

	Tel: (08) 9457 1698 Fax: (08) 9354 2711

	National Radiation Laboratory (NZ) Agent: Australian Radiation Services Pty Ltd PO Box 103 Nunawading Business Centre VIC 3110

	Tel: (03) 9873 0088 Fax: (03) 9872 5800

	Australian Radiation Services Pty Ltd PO Box 103 Nunawading Business Centre VIC 3110

	Tel: (03) 9873 0088 Fax: (03) 9872 5800

Radiation Safety (General) Regulations Summary of Monitoring Requirements for Radiation Users
NB: The wearing period given for each category of radiation practice is the maximum permissible

Category of radiation practice		Guidelines for the use of personal dosimeters*

Use - Diagnostic X-ray
General medical		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)
Interventional fluoroscopy		One (or two**) personal dosimeter (worn for a period of one month)
Bone densitometry - fan beam		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)
Bone densitometry - pencil beam		Exempt provided user is normally 2 m from patient
Chiropractic		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)
Veterinary		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)
Dental		Exempt when practice complies with the NHMRC Code of practice for radiation protection in dentistry (1987)***

Use - Therapeutic X-ray
Radiation therapy - teletherapy		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)
Radiation therapy - intra-operative		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of one month)
Veterinary		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)

Use - Industrial and Research X-ray
X-ray analysis - fully enclosed		Exempt when practice complies with the NHMRC Code of practice for protection against ionizing radiation emitted from x-ray analysis equipment (1984)***
X-ray analysis - partly enclosed		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)
Cabinet or special application X-ray equipment		Exempt when practice complies with the NHMRC 1987 Statements applying to cabinet X-ray equipment and enclosed X-ray equipment for special applications***.
Industrial radiography		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of one month)
General X-ray		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)

Use - Educational
Tertiary		Same radiation monitoring requirement as radiation practice category
Secondary		Exempt when practice complies with the NHMRC Code of practice for the safe use of ionizing radiation in secondary schools (1986)***

Use - Mining and Milling
Uranium mill workers		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)
Mineral sands plant operators		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)
Miners and other mine workers		Exempt if non-designated radiation worker

Use - Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radioactive Substances
Brachytherapy - manual		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of one month)
Brachytherapy - remotely controlled		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)****
Nuclear medicine - diagnostic		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of one month)
Nuclear medicine – therapeutic		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of one month)
Veterinary nuclear medicine		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of one month)
Radiopharmaceutical production		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of one month)****
Pathology, medical research and clinical laboratory		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months), unless exempted by regulation 25(7)

Use - Cyclotron
Cyclotron use or servicing		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of one month)****

Use - Industrial and Research Radioactive Substances
Static elimination		Exempt
Analytical		Exempt
Radiation gauges		Exempt when devices are fixed to a structure, and comply with the NHMRC Code of practice for the safe use of radiation gauges (1982)***
Industrial radiography		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of one month)
Borehole logging		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)
Soil moisture and/or density		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)
Calibration/testing		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months)
Sealed and unsealed - laboratory or field		One personal dosimeter (worn for a period of three months), unless exempted by regulation 25(7)
Gamma Irradiator (IAEA Category I Irradiator)		Exempt

Use - Installation, Maintenance, Repair and Quality Assurance of Radiation Devices and Sources
All		Same radiation monitoring requirement as radiation practice category, unless special requirements have been applied. Note however that where an exemption from personal radiation monitoring exists for use, persons installing, maintaining or repairing radiation devices and sources would not normally be exempt

Use - Radiation Safety Officers
All		Same radiation monitoring requirement as radiation practice category, if actively involved

*	The dosimeter is to be worn at waist level and beneath any protective clothing, unless the circumstances of exposure are such that the dosimeter should be worn elsewhere on the body, and any change of wearing position is approved by the organisation's radiation safety officer. Where the maximum representative dose to the body is uncertain or the radiation field exposure is not relatively uniform or special conditions pertain to the use of radiation sources, the user should consult with their Radiation Safety Officer and/or the Radiological Council and their radiation monitoring service provider to confirm that a satisfactory radiation monitoring outcome will be achieved.
**	Two dosimeters are required when clinical staff, who are constantly near patients undergoing x-ray fluoroscopic procedures and cannot make use of protective screens, are required to wear a 0.25 mm (minimum) lead equivalent apron. One dosimeter is worn under the apron at waist height and the second dosimeter is worn outside the apron usually on the collar. Both dosimeters are used to estimate the effective dose.
***	Exemption from the requirement to use personal dosimeters is based on practices that comply with the relevant Code of Practice where it is clear that the doses received by persons exposed in such workplaces are below the public dose limit. However, where special conditions pertain the use of radiation sources, or where there are changes in workload, the practice conditions, or the level of staff training, etc., then the use of personal dosimeters may be warranted to confirm that a satisfactory level of radiation protection is achieved in the workplace.
****	Additional requirements of immediate availability of personal electronic dosimeters for emergency use may apply.

RADIATION SURVEY INSTRUMENTS

Radiation survey meter requirements are stipulated in Regulation 16 of the Radiation Safety (General) Regulations in Western Australia. Further specific requirements may be outlined in the conditions of registration or relevant Code of Practice. Some areas of variation in the requirements for instruments include acceptable tolerances for survey instruments, suitability of the device for different situations, and the energy-calibration response of instruments.