Module 2: Radiation Safety and Protection

Objective

  • To develop key skills and knowledge required of a radiation oncology medical physicist to work competently and independently in the area of radiation protection management relevant to a radiotherapy department.

Competencies to be acquired.

2.1 Apply the principal requirements of radiation protection management.

2.2 Assess local radiation protection guidelines and interpret new guidelines.

2.3 Perform radiation safety and protection procedures for radiation emitting devices according to legislated requirements.

2.4 Perform radiation safety and protection procedures for radiation sources according to legislated requirements.

2.5 Design room shielding in treatment facilities, including calculations for appropriate shielding structures.

2.6 Provide protection in relation to medical, occupational and public exposure to ionizing radiation.

2.7 Reach correct decisions in emergency situations.


Expected time commitment

  • 10% - 15% of the entire program

Reference Syllabus

* Podgorsak E B (Ed). Radiation Oncology Physics: A Handbook for Teachers and Students, IAEA, Vienna, 2005, Chapter 4, 16.

Core References

  • IAEA, Safety Standards Series No TS-R-1 (2003): Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material
  • IAEA, Safety Report Series No. 38: Applying Radiation Safety Standards in Radiotherapy
  • IAEA, Safety Report Series No. 115: International basic safety standards for protection against ionizing radiation and for the safety of radiation sources. (IAEA Web site)
  • IAEA TECDOC-1040: Design and implementation of a radiotherapy programme: Clinical, medical physics, radiation protection and safety aspects. (IAEA Web site)
  • ICRP 1991 Recommendations of the International Commmission on Radiological Protection ICRP Publication 60 Ann. ICRP 21 1-3
  • ICRP 2007 Recommendations of the International Commmission on Radiological Protection ICRP Publication 103 Ann. ICRP 37 2-4
  • Australasian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency publications (ARPANSA www.arpansa.gov.au/ )
  • New Zealand Radiation Protection Act 1965, Radiation Protection Regulations 1982
  • New Zealand National Radiation Laboratory www.nrl.moh.govt.nz and Regulatory Publications (see NRL C12, C13, C14, C3)
  • Radiation Protection Series Publication No. 11 Security of Radioactive Substances ARPANSA 2007
  • Radiation Protection Series Publication No. 6 National Directory for Radiation Protection Edition 1 ARPANSA 2004
  • State Radiation Safety Acts and Regulations

Supplementary References

  • Cember H. Introduction to Health Physics. 3rd Edition. (!McGraw-Hill, 1996)
  • Hallenbeck W H. Radiation Protection. (Lewis Publishers, 1994)
  • IAEA, Safety Report Series No 17: Lessons learned from accidental exposures in radiotherapy
  • Martin A and Harbison S A. An Introduction to Radiation Protection. Fourth Edition. (Chapman and Hall, 1998)
  • !McGinley P H. Shielding Techniques for Radiation Oncology Facilities. Second Edition. (Medical Physics Publishing, 2002)
  • NCRP 49. Structural Shielding Design and Evaluation for Medical Use of X Rays and Gamma Rays of Energies up to 10 MeV (1976)
  • NCRP 127. Operational Radiation Safety Program. (1998)
  • NCRP 151. Structural Shielding Design and Evaluation for Megavoltage X- and Gamma-Ray Radiotherapy Facilities (2005)
  • Noz M E and Maguire G Q. Radiation Protection in the Health Sciences. (World Scientific, 1996)
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