John Saunderson is a consultant medical physicist, an accredited Radiation Protection Adviser, Radioactive Waste Adviser, Medical Physics Expert, Clinical Scientist and Consultant Scientist.John is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine. He has previously chaired the IPEM Radiation Protection Special Interest Group, and is currently an Association of Clinical Scientists’ assessor, and external adviser for the IPEM Clinical Scientist Guided Training Scheme.

Mohamed Metwaly, PhD, FIPEM, is a lead consultant clinical scientist and registered medical physics expert (MPE) in the RPA2000 record (UK). He is the head of the Dosimetry and Imaging Quality Assurance Service (radiotherapy physics) at the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust. He is the editor-in-chief of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) Report Series. Since 2021, he has been the IPEM representative of EFOMP.

Lisa Rowley, DClinSci, MIPEM, is Head of Nuclear Medicine and Vascular Ultrasound at the University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. She is an accredited Radiation Protection Adviser, Radioactive Waste Adviser and Medical Expert. Lisa has worked in nuclear medicine at the Christie, Northampton, Leicester, and Oxford, and was a corresponding member of the IPEM nuclear medicine special interest group.

Mark Worrall, PhD, is the Head of Medical Physics at NHS Tayside, based at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. He is an accredited Radiation Protection Adviser, Radioactive Waste Adviser and Medical Physics Expert. He has previously chaired the IPEM diagnostic radiology special interest group and was the founder of the digital radiography user group. He is an external adviser for the IPEM Clinical Scientist Guided Training Scheme.

Philip Mayles was Head of Physics until 2014 and then Radiation Protection Adviser and Radioactive Waste Adviser at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. He was an accredited RPA until 2022 and an accredited RWA until 2021. He contributed to both editions of the IPEM’s Report 75 on the design of radiotherapy treatment facilities. As a visiting professor at the University of Liverpool, he helped establish the MSc programme for STP and he continues to teach on this course. He is a fellow of the IPEM.

Will Mairs, BSc DipIPEM, PGDip, MSc MIPEM, is Group Leader for Imaging Physics and Radiation Protection at Christie Medical Physics and Engineering (CMPE). Will is recognised as a Medical Physics Expert, with an interest in Mammography Physics. He is now a Consultant Clinical Scientist and leads the HSE-recognised RPA body for CMPE. Will is taking the lead in expanding the imaging science workforce for the NW Imaging Networks to ensure sustainable support for imaging services.

Preface

Acknowledgements

Editor biography

IPEM working group

List of contributors

Introduction

1 General measures for radiation protection

2 Radiation protection of persons undergoing exposures

3 Diagnostic radiology (excluding dental) and fluoroscopically guided interventions

4 Diagnostic radiology (excluding dental) and fluoroscopically guided interventions x-ray equipment management

5 Dental radiography

6 X-ray equipment for dental radiography

7 Radiotherapy

8 Radiotherapy and brachytherapy equipment

9 Brachytherapy sources

10 Diagnostic uses of open radioactive substances

11 Positron emission tomography

12 Preparation of radiopharmaceuticals

13 Therapeutic uses of open radioactive substances

14 Ionising radiation protection in general laboratories

15 Diagnostic uses of sealed or other solid radioactive sources

16 Patients leaving hospital after administration of radioactive substances

17 Precautions after the death of a patient to whom radioactive substances have been administered

18 Keeping, accounting for, and moving radioactive substances (including transport)

19 Accumulation and disposal of radioactive waste

20 Contingency planning and emergency procedures for radioactive substances activity

Appendix 1: Roles and responsibilities of the employer using ionising radiation

Appendix 2: Ionising radiation protection and medical exposure policy

Appendix 3: The role of the radiation protection adviser

Appendix 4: Examples of dose calculations for risk assessments

Appendix 5: Radiation risk assessment pro-forma

Appendix 6: Designation of controlled and supervised areas

Appendix 7: Warning signs and notices

Appendix 8: Identifying persons exposed to ionising radiation

Appendix 9: Aide memoire to developing a policy on cooperation between employers (CBE)

Appendix 10: Record keeping

Appendix 11: Example pre-work checklists for outside radiation workers and trainees

Appendix 12: Incidents and shared learning

Appendix 13: The life cycle of imaging systems

Appendix 14: Issues to consider when writing IR(ME)R Employers procedures

Appendix 15: Example pre-work checklists for outside radiation workers and trainees

Appendix 16: Example pre-work checklists for outside radiation workers and trainees

Appendix 17: Basic x-ray benefit and risk information

Appendix 18: Example IR(ME)R audit: procedures and document control

Appendix 19: Guidance on medical research exposures

Appendix 20: Dosimetry in radiomolecular therapy

Appendix 21: The role of the radioactive waste adviser

Appendix 22: Authorities and organisations of interest

Appendix 23: Acts and regulations in the United Kingdom

Appendix 24: List of acronyms and abbreviations