Guidelines for shielding of x-ray installations

The utility can hence forth follow the standard layout plans as provided in AERB web-site or customize it as per guidelines given below:

Options in shielding materials X-ray equipment must be installed in adequately shielded rooms to ensure that public in the vicinity of the x-ray installations are not unduly exposed to x-ray radiation. The adequacy of shielding depends on the material and thickness used for this purpose. Different materials can be used for shielding. However, brick or concrete are considered the best materials, as they are easily available, economical, and have good structural strength. While lead is a suitable shielding option for energies encountered in diagnostic x-rays, it is a weak structural material with tendency to lose uniformity and needs periodic radiation survey to ensure its continued adequacy. Also, Lead poses a serious environmental hazard and the use of it is being discouraged the world over. Recently, many new materials are being used/ developed as potential shielding materials, as an alternate to Lead. AERB would like to promote use of these materials, on demonstration of shielding adequacy. Step- by-step guidelines for submission of layout plan in diagnostic radiology facility 1) 2) Decide a suitable room for housing an X-ray unit to facilitate the easy movement of staff and patient positioning. Room should have preferably one entrance door and window if present, should be above 2m from the finished floor level outside the x-ray room. Door should have a hydraulic mechanism to ensure that door is closed during procedure and should be provided with overlapping at the joints to avoid streaming. Identify the walls as Wall A, Wall B, Wall C & Wall D (in any sequence) Position the location of the equipment for each modality as follows: a) Radiography and Fluoroscopy equipment: Couch, Control console and chest stand - In such a way that chest stand is on the opposite wall of the entrance door and the control console. - Mobile protective barrier with lead equivalent glass viewing window should be positioned in such a manner that the operator is completely shielded during the exposure. - Control console should be positioned as far away as possible from the x-ray tube. b) Computed Tomography and Interventional radiology equipment: Separate control console room, viewing window, Gantry / C-Arm, Couch,

3) 4) 5)

Position the gantry and couch such that the patient is completely visible from the control console, during the scanning The entrance door to the gantry room from the control console shall have similar requirements as the patient entrance door.

c) Mammography/ OPG/ CBCT: Control console, Equipment and Protective barrier Positioning of equipment should be as far as possible from the door and the control console.

6) Decide on the material and thickness of walls and door by referring to equipment specific table. 7) Measure the distances of all the walls, doors, windows from the centre of the couch 8) Tabulate the details of layout and shielding as given in Annexure-1 9) Note that the required shielding of any material shall be provided at least up to the height of 2m from external finished floor of x-ray room. PLEASE NOTE: The final assessment of the adequacy of the design and construction of structural shielding is based on the radiation survey of the completed installation to be carried out at the time of commissioning after installation by supplier of the equipment. If the assessment survey shows deficiencies, additional shielding or modification of equipment and procedures are required. REFERENCE DATA ON SHIELDING OF X-RAY INSTALLATION ROOM Radiography and Fluoroscopy Distance from centre of patient Table Shielding Material Brick (cm) Concrete (cm) Steel (cm) Lead (cm) Any other material 1.5 m 23 15 2.3 0.17 2.0TVT 2.0 m 20 12 2.0 0.15 1.8 TVT Primary wall of dedicated chest x-ray installation at 2 m 20 12 2.0 0.15 1.8 TVT

Floor (if installation is not on ground floor) and ceiling thickness of 6-8 inch concrete is adequate. Computed Tomography Shielding Material Brick (cm) Concrete (cm) Steel (cm) Lead (cm) Any other material ( No. of TVTs) Distance from iso- centre 1.5m 27 18 2.7 0.21 3.0 TVT 2.0 m 25 15 2.5 0.18 2.8 TVT 2.5 m 23 13 2.0 0.15 2.6 TVT 3.0 20 12 1.8 0.14 2.5 TVT

Interventional Radiology (Cardiac Angiography) Shielding Material Brick (cm) Concrete(cm) Steel (cm) Lead (cm) Any other material Distance from centre of patient Table 1.5 m 25 18 2.5 0.2 2.35 TVT 2.0 m 23 15 2.0 0.18 2.0 TVT 2.5 m 20 12 1.5 0.16 1.95 TVT 3.0 m 18 11 1.3 0.15 1.8 TVT

Mammography Shielding Material Distance from centre of patient Table 1.0 m Gypsum Wallboard (cm) Plate Glass (cm) Concrete (cm) Brick (cm) Any other material Bone Mineral Densitometry Dose rate at 1m is less than allowable dose limit for public hence no structural shielding is needed even with the smallest room. Dental CBCT/OPG Shielding Material (Ref: - Report of HPA working party on dental CBCT (HPA-RPD-065) Distance from centre of patient Table 0.5m* 1.0m 1.5 m 2.0m 12 8 -0.12 1.4TVT 1.5 1.0 1.0 1.5 2 TVT 1.5m 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.68 TVT Standard gypsum wallboard construction is usually adequate to shield the walls of mammography facility (as per thickness given below) Solid core wooden door ( 5 cm thick) leading to corridors outside a mammography room provide adequate shielding. Standard wooden doors may not be sufficient if the shielded area has significant occupancy. Standard concrete construction provides adequate barriers above and below mammographic facilities Lead lined walls and doors are usually not required

Brick (cm) 22 17 15 Concrete (cm) 15 11 9.5 Baryte Plaster (cm) 1.5 1.0 -Lead (cm) 0.22 0.17 0.15 Any other material 2.6 TVT 2 TVT 1.72 TVT *Considered at this distance as the foot print of this equipment is small 100cm X 150cm

Dental -intra oral radiography (Recommendatory) Distance from centre of patient Table Shielding Material Primary wall Brick (cm) Concrete (cm) Lead (cm) 12 9 0.1 1.0m Secondary wall 5 4 0.04 Primary wall 10 7 0.08 2m Secondary wall 5 2 0.02 Primary wall 8 5.0 0.06 4.0m Secondary wall ----

C- Arm and Lithotripsy x-ray equipment: Mobile C-arm and Lithotripsy equipment should be used in Operation Theater with normal wall thickness of 9 brick/ 6 concrete and should have 1.0 mm lead lined doors/windows.

FORMAT FOR SUBMISSION OF LAYOUT DETAILS OF MEDICAL X-RAY INSTALLATION Type of equipment: Model name: Wall Identification Wall A Wall B Wall C Wall D Entrance Door Any other door Window, if any, if at the height less than 2 m from outside finished floor of x-ray room Floor Ceiling Distance from exposure area (from centre of the couch) Material used for shielding Thickness of the shielding material (cm)

Check list to be filled by applicant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 All the walls are identified and distances of walls from the centre of the couch/equipment are indicated in the layout drawing Layout drawing indicates the location of the mobile protective barrier Layout drawing indicates x-ray machine, couch, control panel/ control room, chest stand, windows, doors, make and model of the x-ray equipment. Layout drawing is signed and stamped by the applicant. Layout drawing is authenticated by supplier. The layout drawing is as per values filled in the above table. Chest Stand is on the opposite wall of control console and entrance door If NO whether, a permanent protective barrier is placed between operator and chest stand Height of the window from outside finished floor of x-ray room is > 2 m If No, whether shielding is provided on the window up to 2m No permanent occupancy behind chest stand is ensured

Status

Yes/ No Yes/ No Yes/ No Yes/ No

Attach drawing authenticated by supplier in A4 size sheet (scale 1:50) indicating details given above. Verified by: Signature of the supplier Name Designation Company Name: Signature of applicant