Employees and safety professionals at hospitals face a one-of-a-kind problem due to the presence of radiologically active places for a number of different causes. To begin, keeping tabs on your level of radiation exposure is very impossible if you don’t have a dosimeter, and even these relatively popular measuring devices have the potential to provide inaccurate results.
Second, many of the exposure mitigation procedures and radiation safety protocols that are now being used in hospitals and laboratories around the nation are inadequate, putting employees in danger each and every day.
Keeping these things in mind, let’s have a look at some simple and fast methods by that healthcare facilities may enhance their radiation safety by employing personal protective equipment (PPE).
Don’t Just Rely on Lead Aprons Alone.
The reality is that a lead apron is merely a beginning point for a full personal protective equipment (PPE) program, despite the fact that many hospitals still hold the misconception that a lead apron would be sufficient to shield staff from the detrimental consequences of radiation exposure. Even while wearing radiation protective clothing, personnel may still be at risk of radiation exposure, particularly in an environment that is constantly changing, such as an x-ray room or a PET scanning area.
- Lead-plated glass panels are one additional alternative that may be used in order to provide an even higher level of protection against radiation that is based on lead.
- Lead-lined refrigerators or storage containers are used for radioactive substances and materials.
- Lead collars were used to protect the thyroid.
- Lead strips are provided for those who are doing fluoroscopic operations.
Double Glove.
The practice of routinely washing one’s hands has been credited with saving more lives than possibly any other improvement in public health. In a similar vein, taking simple precautions against radiation exposure, such as wearing two pairs of nitrile or latex gloves, may save a great deal. When it comes to protecting your staff from the short-term radiation dangers associated with, for example, swiftly handling a radioactive tablet or fluorescent tracer, this additional layer of material may be all that is needed to provide adequate coverage.
It’s never a bad idea to have an extra badge.
Having employees wear an additional film badge is going to be an effective way to make sure that all routes of exposure are covered in all different kinds of scenarios, especially when radiation can come from multiple sources or in multiple different kinds of situations. This is going to be the case especially when there are multiple different kinds of scenarios. When your workers are working behind a safety cabinet or fume hood, a film ring might be a helpful additional step to take to ensure that they are protected in all 360 degrees of their working environment.
Figure Out When You Should Wear a Respirator.
Radiation-proof respirators are one kind of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is seldom used but may be very beneficial and effective if used in the right circumstances. If radioactive aerosols are often employed in laboratories or if you have seen consistently high dosimeter readings at the chest or neck level, these are both indications that it might be helpful for members of your team to wear respirators. The respirator canisters that are designed to filter radiation may be easily identified by their signature purple hue, which is specified by OSHA. This makes it very simple to choose a respirator that is designed to protect against radiation.
Goggles.
Encourage the usage of goggles as a form of personal protective equipment (PPE) among your workforce by putting them to use in potentially radioactive environments. Full-sealed versions with lead-glass lenses are often regarded to be the gold standard in the industry; however, when exposure is small and intermittent, a conventional face shield may perform the job just as well.
