Answer to Question #12468 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Medical and Dental Equipment and Shielding — Lead Aprons

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Q

Are there federal (e.g., Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA]) or state regulations requiring health care facilities to supply personal protective gear to workers exposed to medical x rays, such as lead gowns or lead eye protection?

A

OSHA does indeed have regulations related to occupational radiation exposures (29 CFR 1910.1096) However, there is nothing in those regulations that addresses the personal protective equipment (PPE) you mention. With the exception of federal facilities (e.g., VA hospitals), the regulation of x-ray producing devices is carried out by the individual states and most states address the requirement for the PPE; however, they may be slightly different from state to state.

For example, the State of Indiana's regulations (410 IAC 5 Rule 6.1) on required PPE for both occupational workers and patients is as follows:

  • "(2) Staff and ancillary personnel shall be protected from direct scattered radiation by protective aprons or whole body protective barriers of not less than twenty-five hundredths (0.25) mm lead equivalent."
  • "(3) Patients who cannot be removed from the room shall be protected from direct scattered radiation by whole body protective barriers of twenty-five hundredths (0.25) mm lead equivalent or shall be positioned so that portion of the body nearest to the tube head is at least two (2) meters from both the tube head and the nearest edge of the image receptor."
  • "(u) Gonadal shielding of not less than twenty-five hundredths (0.25) mm lead equivalent shall be used for patients who have not passed the reproductive age during radiographic procedures in which the gonads are in the useful beam, except for cases in which this would interfere with the diagnostic procedure."

The above requirements are in addition to other protective barriers that are required for specific equipment—e.g., Pb drapes on fluoroscopy equipment. Oddly enough, Indiana's regulations don't mention the requirement for lead eye protection; however, they do include "protective gloves" (along with protective aprons and gonadal shields) in their definition of what they refer to as a "secondary protective barrier." Indiana's regulations have not been updated for quite some time, so it is likely that other states may indeed mention protective eyewear in their regulations. A quick telephone call, internet search, or email to the regulating state agency would likely produce the applicable regulations.

Mack L. Richard, MS, CHP

Ask the Experts is posting answers using only SI (the International System of Units) in accordance with international practice. To convert these to traditional units we have prepared a conversion table. You can also view a diagram to help put the radiation information presented in this question and answer in perspective. Explanations of radiation terms can be found here.
Answer posted on 7 May 2018. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, materials, and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.