Safety measures for the machine

Since x-ray radiation is dangerous peoples and technicians must be protected. X-ray machines by
itself has its own safety systems and indicators.

A) SAFETY BY THE MACHINE

1) Components of the machine: Since X-ray tube housing, collimator, and grid are
used to minimize the scattered beam of photons in order to protect the peoples nearby.
2) Inter-lock switch: is preventing an electric supply to an X-ray when the door of the
room is opened in order to prevent inadvertent access to the beam.
3) Warning lights: visual and audible warning signals are activated when the X-ray is
starting emitting the X-ray beams.
4) Dead man switch: X-ray will only be generated when the operator actively presses
the switch. When the physician stops pressing the switch, then X-ray generation will stop.

B) EXTERNAL SAFETY

1) X-ray shielding: X-rays can be shielded either by a thick layer of lead of several feet
of concrete. Two types of shielings:

a) Shielded room and control station: The X-ray room (the room in which x-ray is
placed) must be shielded in order to protect people around the room. The control
station where the technician controls the console is separated from the main room by
a shielded wall which has a glass window in order for the technician to see and
control the process.
 Access doors should be of the sliding type giving better radiation protection,
and should be lined with lead sheet of 2 mm thickness.
 X-ray rooms should preferably be sited on the ground floor of a building. If
the x-ray room is above ground level the solid concrete must be of 150 mm
thickness. Thickness of ceiling blocks, if space above is occupied, should not
be less than 100 mm, but if it is single floor then it does not require a ceiling
slab.
b) Personnel shielding: The operator or other peoples around must be shielded from X-
ray by using PPE (personal protection equipment) which are
 Leaded aprons
 thyroid collars
 gonadal shields
 Eye googles and
 Gloves
The technicians must wear protective clothes of at least 0.25 mm in order to protect them from
scattered beams.
Shielding thickness could be decreased by increasing distance and decreasing working load.

https://Radiopedia.org
Radiationsafe.co.za
www.x-rayscreener.co.uk