Austrian Research Centers Seibersdorf Occupational Radiological Protection Control through Inspection Done by Qualified Experts for Licensing Procedures in AUSTRIA Hefner, A. Steurer Austrian Research Centers Seibersdorf European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

The Austrian Research Centers Seibersdorf European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Development of the Austrian Radiation Protection Law 1969: first radiation protection law; 1972 Austrian radiation protection decree; 2002: according to the directives 96/29 and 97/43 Euratom; extensive modification of the law; In progress: modification of the decree; it will be replaced by three new decrees European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Development of the New Austrian Radiation Protection Law An important part of the Austrian radiation protection systems are the standards set and edited by the Austrian standard institute Taking into account the most important contents of the EURATOM directives Instructions of the responsible ministery to the different competent authorities Establishing new limits Starting quality assurance in medicine European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Old Limits (Photon Equivalent Dose) HX Maximum permissible dose for oocupational exposure 50 mSv/a Lower boundary of the controlled area (3/10 of the maximum permissible dose for occupational exposure) 15 mSv/a Maximum permissible dose for general public and lower boundary of the surveillance area (1/30 of the maximum permissible dose for occupational exposure) 1,67 mSv/a Derived maximum permissible dose HX and dose rate i.e., 33 µSv/week i.e., 0,83 µSv/h (for a 40-hour work week) European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

New Limits (Effective Dose E and Ambient Equivalent Dose H*) Maximum permissible dose for oocupational exposure, category A 20 mSv/a Maximum permissible dose for oocupational exposure, category B 6 mSv/a Individual person from the general public 1 mSv/a Derived maximum permissible dose H* and dose rate i.e., 20 µSv/week i.e., 0,50 µSv/h (for a 40-hour work week) European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Considerations Reduction of maximum dose rate from HX=33 µSv/week to H*=20 µSv/week New measurement quantities: conversion from HX to H* results in a reduction of the numerical value (energy dependent) For x-rays H* ≈ 1,3•HX Total reduction of maximum dose rate from HX=33 µSv/week to HX ≈ 15 µSv/week European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

AUTHORIZATION Licensing- Procedures Construction licence (§ 5 ARPL) What is needed: Expert opinion including calculation of shielding requirements Review of design and construction documents of buildings and laboratories Review of design and shielding of x-ray equipment and radioactive sources European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

AUTHORIZATION - Procedures Documents required by the Authorities and reviewed by the Qualified Expert (e.g., x-ray equipment): Room lay-out and equipment positions Technical description of equipment Building and construction plans (wall thickness, etc.) Information on intended equipment use Description of working procedures with regards to radiation protection European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

AUTHORIZATION - Procedures Contents of the report by the Qualified Expert: Review and assessment of relevent information pertaining to radiation protection requirements posed by the Authorities and the ALARA principle Assesment of data on equipment use Calculations of necessary shielding (according to ÖNorm S 5212) European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

AUTHORIZATION Licensing- Procedures Operational licence (§ 6 ARPL) What is needed: Expert opinion including experimental verification of shielding Verification of design and construction documents for buildings and laboratories submitted for construction licence Verification of design and shielding of x-ray equipment and radioactive sources European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

AUTHORIZATION - Procedures Contents of the report by the Qualified Expert: Assessment of data on use of equipment Assessment of final construction details of building and laboratory Verification of organizational and technical radiation protection measures and necessary shielding (according to ÖNorm S 5214) Safety, risk, and security analysis European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Problems Experienced in Practice Many could be avoided by early consultation of the Qualified Expert Others could be solved during calculational analysis in the frame of the construction licence Cooperation between licencee and Qualified Expert all throughout the licensing procedure may result in optimization of radiation protection principles European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Problems Experienced in Practice Work and report by Qualified Expert often viewed as inconvenience to simply fulfil regulatory requirements by licencee, lacks comprehension of usefulness with respect to ALARA principle Qualified Expert not just control of licencee or manufacturer, but primarily benefits employees, patients, and general public Licencee‘s motivation to submit all relevant documents low European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Problems Experienced in Practice Construction and design problems, non-conformity in realization (plan) i.e., doors and door jambs Equipment design and manufacturing problems i.e., even CE labelling does not always guarantee conformity Necessitates independent check of all relevant parameters European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Problems European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Problems European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Problems European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Qualified Expert Checking X-Ray Equipment European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Wall Thickness for Diagnostic Room European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Measurement Outside a Diagnostic Room, Shielding by the Wall European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Exterior Measurements at X-Ray Practitioner European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Dose Rate Assessment at Various Points European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Scattering Body for X-Ray Measurements European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

X-Ray Control Room European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Non-routine Applications Brachytherapy in a regular angiography surgery room Equipment design problems Regular surgery room, shielding only for x-ray equipment no additional shielding for gamma and bremsstrahlung radiation Solution: Time and frequency limitation on application European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Cordis Ir-192 Checkmate System European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Brachytherapy Source - Application European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Gamma Brachytherapy in the Cath-lab Results are based on measurements in phantom and maximum values „in-vivo“ during 15 procedures ( 7- 14 GBq) 3 / 0.5 Sv/h 30 / 2 Sv/h 12 / 1.5 Sv/h 5 / 5 Sv/h 20 / 20 Sv/h European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Attenuation Beta radiation Half Value Layer for 192Ir: Range in Air Lead 3 mm Steel 14 mm Concrete 50 mm (DIN 54 115 Teil 1 Beiblatt 1) Half Value Layer for Diagnostic X-ray: Lead < 0.1 mm Beta radiation Range in Air Sr-90/Y-90: 2 m Maximum Range in tissue Sr-90/Y-90 11 mm P-32 8 mm Attenuation with 1 cm PMMA (except Bremsstrahlung) European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004

Vienna experience: Radiation exposure with Iridium-192 source in the Cathlab Data based on measurements during 15 procedures Angiography 128 μSv / month Cardiologist / Technicians / Nurses per procedure Control room = 0.7 μSv Radiation Oncologist  6 μSv Physicist  3 μSv European ALARA Network 8th Workshop, UPPSALA, SCHWEDEN 22.-24. Sept. 2004