South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL › Subchapter 61-64 - X-Rays (Title B) › Part IV - USE OF X-RAYS IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS › Appendix 61-64.IV.C - Design Requirements for an Operator's Booth/Station

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
1. Space Requirements:
a) The operator shall be allotted not less than seven and
				  one-half square feet (7.5 ft2)(0.697
				  m2) of unobstructed floor space in the
				  booth/station.
b) The operator's booth/station may be any geometric
				  configuration with no dimension less than two feet (2 ft)(0.61 m).
c) The space shall be allotted excluding any encumbrance by
				  the x-ray control panel, such as overhang, cables, or other similar
				  encroachments.
d) The booth/station shall be located or constructed such
				  that unattenuated direct scattered radiation originating on the examination
				  table or at the wall cassette cannot reach the operator's station in the
				  booth/station.
2. Structural Requirements:
a) The booth walls shall be permanently fixed barriers of at
				  least seven feet (7 ft)(2.13 m) high.
b) When a door or movable panel is used as an integral part
				  of the booth structure, it must have an interlock which will prevent an
				  exposure when the door or panel is not closed.
c) Shielding shall be provided to meet the requirements of
				  RHB 4.4.
3. X-ray Control Placement:
The x-ray control for the system shall be fixed within the
				  booth/station and:
a) Shall be at least forty inches (40 in)(1.02 m) from any
				  open edge of the booth wall which is nearest to the source of radiation,
				  excluding mammography and dental systems. If the exposure switch is separate
				  from the control panel, the exposure switch shall be at least forty inches (40
				  in)(1.02 m) from any open edge of the booth wall which is nearest to the source
				  of radiation, excluding computed tomography exposure switches designed to
				  provide a delay before initiating x-rays.
b) Shall allow the operator to use the majority of the
				  available viewing windows and allow the operator to control all access to the
				  radiation area.
4. Viewing System Requirements:
a) Each booth/station shall have at least one (1) viewing
				  device which will:
i) Be so placed that the operator can view the patient during
				  any exposure, and
ii) Be so placed that the operator can have full view of any
				  occupant of the room and shall be so placed that the operator can view any
				  entry into the room. If any door which allows access to the room cannot be seen
				  from the booth/station, then that door must have an interlock controlling the
				  exposure which will prevent the exposure if the door is not closed.
b) When the viewing system is a window, the following
				  requirements also apply:
i) It shall have a viewing area of at least one square foot
				  (1 ft2)(0.0929
				  m2).
ii) The design of the station shall be such that the
				  operator's expected position when viewing the patient and operating the x-ray
				  system is at least eighteen inches (18 in)(45.72 cm) from the edge of the
				  station.
iii) The material constituting the window shall have the same
				  lead equivalence as that required in the booth wall in which it is
				  mounted.
c) When the viewing system is by mirrors, the mirror(s) shall
				  be so located as to accomplish the general requirements of Appendix B.
d) When the viewing system is by electronic means:
i) The camera shall be so located as to accomplish the
				  general requirements of this Part, and
ii) There shall be an alternate viewing system as a backup
				  for the primary system.
5. Alternative Design Criteria. The design considerations
				  listed in Appendix C shall be followed. If design criteria in Appendix C cannot
				  be followed, the registrant may offer alternative design criteria to the
				  Department for acceptance as long as the same degree of safety is being met.