XRay Rooms.....

Re: XRay Rooms.....

nmenaul — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:19:30 GMT

You need to contact the HSE as soon as possible. Look on the HSE website, they will give you details of who the local inspectorate is in your area.

Re: XRay Rooms.....

Sal the 1st — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 23:15:04 GMT

no silver trap ? - local water authority/ enviromental health would be very interested in that. Lead lined walls, actually I understood they are not a definite requirement, however the wall should be thick enough (I think it is two bricks thick?) and some places use barium plaster instead of lead. They shouldnt be plaster board as this offers no protection at all. windows in doors - sometimes if you look at these the glass looks thick or slightly discoloured - it usually has a high lead content. Thyroid guards -definitely , I dont see nearly enough of these when i have been working around. Dont know how effective this is but was told by a human radiographer if you dont have a thyroid guard and you are in the room when the xray is taken then keep your head well down so that your jaw goes over your thyroid area. There are very very few occs when you should need to be in the xray room holding an animal when an xray is being taken - I know some people think it is quicker than sedating an animal but it isnt an excuse, very sick animals you cant sedate can often be restrained with cradles and sandbags and are often sick enough to just lie for you.

RPA should be carrying out and making recommendations - You should have an RPA

Re: XRay Rooms.....

loobylou — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:56:28 GMT

Agree with all suggestions already made but also is the practice part of the pss? If so Im pretty sure that H&S for xray should have been checked with the inspection.

Re: XRay Rooms.....

abigail smith — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:12:39 GMT

Hmm, Im not too sure. I think maybe just before or just after Christmas.

Re: XRay Rooms.....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:08:39 GMT

When was the last time you had a new one?

Re: XRay Rooms.....

abigail smith — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:04:04 GMT

We are no longer a training practice, so I have found and am starting a new job at a TP.

I do have a dosimetre but we never hear the results from them and they are not sent off every 3 months. We do not have one outside the door either.

Re: XRay Rooms.....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:01:03 GMT

Forgot to say....or ask you do have a dosemeter dont you??, you should also have one on the outside of the door

Re: XRay Rooms.....

dinkyd — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:00:58 GMT

Hi Abigail - firstly good on you for takin note of this and wanting to investigate further and look after yourself- its a very serious matter especially health and safety.I see from your profile you are a svn?Is your practice a tp?I know our vnac/iv are very strict in making sure all health and safety and servicing of anaesthetic machines/xray machines etc are carried out - may be worth mentioning your worries to iv/vnac - not sure if they would be able to help but they may be able to back you up and get the ball rolling.

Re: XRay Rooms.....

abigail smith — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:54:35 GMT

No one that would really look into it. I guess it is just me.

I am very worried and actually very angry about this.

I think on Monday I shall call our local health and safety place.

Thankyou all for the help.

If anyone else has anything to add that will help my case, please let me know :)

Re: XRay Rooms.....

Emily Hibbs — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:46:14 GMT

Should be once a year I think, but we've previously had problems with both our xray machine and our automatic processor, so these have been checked more recently.

Health and safety is so important when it comes to radiography, so I would look into this asap!! Do you have a practice manager/head nurse/practice prinicple who would look into it??

Re: XRay Rooms.....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:42:45 GMT

I think the posters are compulsory in a place of work, so if you dont have one, then again that is wrong.

You should be able to get the number either from directory enquiriesor even any other premises of work will have one with the number on it.

Re: XRay Rooms.....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:41:13 GMT

They are supposed to be checked annually at the very least, and yes he can get into trouble for it, if he is risking yours or anyone elses safety.

Also pouring the x ray waste down a drain, I would imagine he could get in serious trouble for that.Most places send that stuff off to be disposed of correctly.

Re: XRay Rooms.....

abigail smith — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:38:44 GMT

You would think this all should be sorted. Surely our boss could get in trouble for putting our health at risk?

Re: XRay Rooms.....

abigail smith — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:37:24 GMT

I don't think we actually have that poster up at work. I may be wrong though.

Also, I have a feeling the sticker on the machine is from ages ago. How often are they supposed to be checked?

Re: XRay Rooms.....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:35:11 GMT

You will also know if the equipment has been inspected recently as well, as there should be a sticker on the machine telling you when the last inspection was done

Re: XRay Rooms.....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:34:03 GMT

You can contact the Health and Safety executive, the number should be on the poster that "SHOULD" be in all places of work.

Re: XRay Rooms.....

abigail smith — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:31:56 GMT

Well, I have been there for almost 12 months and I have not heard of us having a health and safety inspection.

Howe do I contact someone outside of the practice to ask about this?

Whenever I bring this up at work, it gets brushed off. Just like the fact that we do not have a silver catcher in the drain the xray fluids go down!?!

Re: XRay Rooms.....

Emily Hibbs — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:26:43 GMT

Do you have an RPA (Radiation Protection Advisor)? Someone in the practice is also the RPS (Radiation Protection Supervisor). In the case of my practice it's my assessor/practice principle. The RPA is external to the practice and also writes up the Local Rules regarding radiation health and safety.

Has your practice had a recent Health and Safety inspection?

Re: XRay Rooms.....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:25:54 GMT

Abigail, i would def say that was breaching health and safety.

You should have lead lined walls, table door, and also have a button that can be pressed from outside the room.

No one should be holding animals either, and if the vet wants them held then they should be doing that themselves

Re: XRay Rooms.....

abigail smith — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:17:16 GMT

We have the badges.

There is also an apron incase we have to stand in the room and hold an animal.

We do not have thyroid sheilds or gloves. We also do not have a screen to stand behind. We have to stand behind a door which has a glass pane (and therefore no protection) because the button you press is behind the door.

Does this sound right??

Surely with no screen or lead doors/walls, we are potentially being exposed every time we take an x ray?

Re: XRay Rooms.....

Emily Hibbs — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:11:43 GMT

We have a lead screen to stand behind when making exposures, the table has a lead backing to it, you should also have lead aprons, thyroid shields and lead gloves, all staff involved in radiography should have a dosimeter to wear to monitor radiation levels (these are sent away every 3 months).

Hope this helps!