Probably,
the first code of practice, a set of 7 radiation protection rules, was issued
by British Roentgen Society in November 1915 (The image is reproduced in Bull.
of Radiation Protection, Vol. 18 (4), 1995, p. 23).
Recommendations for the Protection of X-ray Operators
The
harmful effects produced by X-rays are cumulative and do not generally appear
until some weeks or months after the damage has been done. It is to be noted
that X-rays of any degree of hardness are capable of producing ill effects,
although it is commonly supposed that soft X-rays only are harmful.
It
is undesirable that any X-ray treatment should be carried out except under the direction of a qualified medical practitioner experienced in X-ray work.
All
X-ray tubes must be provided, when in use, with a protecting shield or cover
which prevents the access of the rays to the operators and which encloses the
tube, leaving an adjustable opening only sufficiently large to allow the
passage of a sheaf of rays of the size necessary for the work in hand. Even
with this shielding, the operator may not be completely protected in all cases
(e.g., especially in screen work), and the use of movable screens, gloves and
aprons is recommended.
Operators
should be warned that shields obtainable commercially are often ineffective and
test of their opacity should be made.
Whenever
possible the cubicle system should be used for X-ray treatment and the operator
should be able to make all adjustments from a protected space.
When
screen examination is required it is essential that the screen should be
covered with thick lead glass of proved opacity and that the screen should be
independently supported and not held in the hands of the operator. If the hands
are so used they should be properly protected.
The
hand or any portion of the body of the operator should never be used to test
the hardness or quality of the X-ray tube; any simple form of penetrometer can
be easily arranged for this purpose. #radiation #X-rays #radiationsafety #radiology
#regulation #healthphysicist #radiologicalprotection
