Alabama Administrative Code › Title 420 - ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH › Chapter 420-3-26 - RADIATION CONTROL › Section 420-3-26-.06 - Radiation Safety Requirements For Users Of X-Ray In Healing Arts Or Servicers Of X-Ray Equipment

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1)
			 Scope. Rule
			 420-3-26-.03 establishes
			 standards for use of x-rays in the healing arts including but not limited to
			 medicine, dentistry, osteopathy, chiropractic, podiatry, and veterinary
			 medicine or servicers of x-ray equipment. The provisions of this Rule are
			 written in addition to, and not in substitution for, other applicable
			 provisions of these regulations. Periodic inspections will be performed of all
			 registrants. The inspection frequency will depend upon available personnel and
			 work load, but every x-ray unit ideally should be inspected not less than once
			 every two years.
(2) Definitions.
(a) "Agency" means the State Board of
			 Health.
(b) "ARCR" means the
			 Alabama Regulations for Control of Radiation.
(c) "Aluminum Equivalent" means the thickness
			 of aluminum affording the same attenuation, under specified conditions, as the
			 material in question.
(d) "Dead Man
			 Switch" means a switch so constructed that a circuit closing contact can only
			 be maintained by continuous pressure by the operator.
(e) "Diagnostic Tube Housing" means an x-ray
			 tube housing so constructed that the leakage radiation with the port closed at
			 a distance of one (1) meter in any direction from the target cannot exceed one
			 hundred (100) milliroentgens in one (1) hour when the tube is operated at any
			 of its specified ratings.
(f)
			 "Filter" means material placed in the useful beam to absorb preferentially the
			 less penetrating radiations.
(g)
			 "Half-Value Layer (hvl)" means the thickness of absorber required to reduce a
			 beam of radiation to one-half (1/2) its incident exposure rate.
(h) "High Radiation Area" means any area in
			 which there exists radiation or such levels that a major portion of the body
			 could receive in any one (1) hour a dose in excess of 100 millirems.
(i) "Inherent Filtration" means the
			 filtration in the useful beam due to the window of the x-ray tube and any
			 permanent tube enclosure.
(j)
			 "Interlock" means a device for precluding access to an area of radiation hazard
			 either by preventing entry or by automatically removing the hazard.
(k) "Kilovolts Peak (kVp)" means the crest
			 value in kilovolts of the potential of a pulsating potential generator.
(l) "Lead Equivalent" means the
			 thickness of lead affording the same attenuation under specified conditions as
			 the material in question.
(m)
			 "Leakage Radiation" means all radiation coming from within the tube housing
			 except the useful beam.
(n) "Mobile
			 X-Ray Unit" means a unit that is not permanently fixed to a definite location
			 in a building or vehicle.
(o)
			 "Personnel Monitoring Equipment" means devices designed to be worn or carried
			 by an individual for the purpose of measuring the dose received (film badges,
			 pocket dosimeters).
(p) "Primary
			 Protective Barrier" means a barrier sufficient to attenuate the useful beam to
			 the required degree.
(q)
			 "Protective Apron" means a barrier of attenuating materials, used to reduce
			 radiation exposure.
(r) "Protective
			 Barrier" means a barrier of attenuating materials, used to reduce radiation
			 exposure.
(s) "Protective Glove"
			 means a glove made of attenuating materials used to reduce radiation
			 exposure.
(t) "Radiation." The word
			 radiation shall mean ionizing radiation, that is any electromagnetic or
			 particulate radiation capable of producing ions directly or indirectly in its
			 passage through matter.
(u)
			 "Radiation Area" means any area in which there exists radiation at such levels
			 that a major portion of the body could receive in any one (1) hour a dose in
			 excess of 5 millirems, or in any five (5) consecutive days a dose in excess of
			 100 millirems.
(v) "Restricted
			 Area" means any area to which access is controlled by the registrant for
			 purposes of protection of individuals from exposure to radiation. "Restricted
			 area" shall not include any areas used for residential quarters, although upon
			 authorization by the Agency a separate room or rooms in a residential building
			 may be set apart as a restricted area.
(w) "Scatter Radiation" means secondary
			 radiation or radiation that, during passage through matter has been deviated in
			 direction.
(x) "Secondary
			 Protective Barrier" means a barrier sufficient to attenuate stray radiation to
			 the required degree.
(y) "Shutter"
			 means a device, generally of lead, fixed to an x-ray housing to intercept the
			 useful beam.
(z) "Stray Radiation"
			 means radiation not serving any useful purpose. It includes leakage and
			 scattered radiation.
(aa)
			 "Therapeutic Type Tube Housing" means an x-ray tube housing so constructed that
			 the leakage radiation with the port closed at a distance of one (1) meter in
			 any direction from the target cannot exceed one (1) roentgen in one (1) hour
			 and at a distance of five (5) centimeters from any point of the surface of the
			 housing accessible to the patient, cannot exceed thirty (30) roentgens in one
			 (1) hour when the tube is operated at any of its specified ratings.
(bb) "Useful Beam" means that part of the
			 radiation which passes through the window, aperture, cone, or other collimating
			 device of the tube housing.
(cc)
			 "Services" means the installation, calibrating, repairing, maintaining or
			 performing a radiation protection survey of an x-ray producing machine or
			 associated x-ray component.
(dd)
			 "Healing Arts" means the practice of medicine, dentistry, osteopathy,
			 chiropractic, podiatry, and for nonhumans, veterinary medicine.
(ee) "Portable" means x-ray equipment
			 designed to be hand-carried.
(ff)
			 "Stationary" means x-ray equipment which is installed in a fixed
			 location.
(gg) "Gonad Shield" means
			 a primary protective barrier for the testes or ovaries.
(hh) "Image Receptor" means any device, such
			 as a fluorescent screen or radiographic film, which transforms incident x-ray
			 photons either into a visible image or into another form which can be made into
			 a visible image by further electronic or chemical transformations.