# Assessment of Diagnostic Radiology Facilities Technical Radiation Protection Requirements in KSA
## 2 Methods  
KSA-SFDA regulates the use of diagnostic radiology facilities such as X-ray machines at hospitals. The regulation of SFDA are issued in 2007, it is the main authority to control all the radiation-emitting devices such as diagnostic X-ray machines in the kingdom [15; 28]. The ministry of health gives the licensee for the design construction and building of the hospitals that include radiology facilities. The King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) regulates and provides the license of the RSO in the field of diagnostic radiology. Based on the KSA-SFDA recommendation, the responsibility of the medical RSO is to assess and ensure the continuity of the radiation protection program within the facility. The inspector must make an open discussion with the radiation safety officer (RSO) and the radiation workers to make sure the following subjects:  
1. Personal dosimetry devices are worn by the operators at the correct part of the body such as the chest, front, wrist, fingers, etc. 2. The equipment and devices are matched with the type of radiation and its energy;
3. The used dosimeters must be approved by the national regulatory body and matched with its standards;
4. The operators are periodically informed by their radiation absorbed doses;
5. Radiation records of personal monitoring are kept in existence and in a safe condition; verify that all individual annual doses are below the annual recommended dose limits of 20 mSv/y;
6. The inspector must verify that all personal protective equipment exists and is available at the inspected facility [3; 6; 17]. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt}} \hline \hline
**Task Activities** & **Inspection Procedures** \\ \hline Assessment of Monitoring devices & Check all radiation measuring instruments used, Aging of the X-ray machine, calibration, and the type of the personal dosimetry TLD/OSL \\ \hline Assessment of radiation warning signs and protective tools & Check the existence of the radiation-warning signs in Arabic and English Languish, and evaluation of the personal protective tools (lead apron, thyroid shield, gonad shield, and eye shield. \\ \hline Assessment of monitoring devices, survey meters, and equipment & Check the availability of records and reports such as safety assessment and calculations report, radiation survey report, Personnel dosimetry report, area survey report; Check the number of the radiation workers in the facility and their responsibilities, and their degree of qualifications; Check periodic servicing and maintenance of the machine and equipment \\ \hline Check the licensee for every individual worker and facility & Check the existence of the radiological emergency plan at the facility (written emergency strategy with final revision and updated periodically) \\ \hline Assessment of room design and layout & Check the condition of the design of the X-ray room for safety and security issues and shielding requirements. The new facility should have the approval to assure that the shielding design meets the SFDA requirements. Any barrier (window frame, door, floor, doorframe, wall, ceiling, and protective viewing screen) in various occupational areas must be shielded. \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: The main topics included in the inspection site visit. There are many instruction guides available for radiation protection and control of radiation activities in the Kingdom for different types of radiation activities, one of them is titled \"general instruction for ionizing radiation safety in Saudi Arabia\" first edition of 2007\" published by King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology. Another guide was published by KSA-SFDA with the title \"SFDA Requirements for Radiological Health Safe practice in health facilities\" [12; 17]. All these guides cover the radiation regulations and instructions in the field of radiation safety and protection for ionizing radiation such as diagnostic X-ray facilities.