Answer to Question #12701 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 any guidelines regarding who is able to test the integrity of a lead apron? I work in a surgery center with a very high orthopedic population and we have a small C-arm often used in the operating room. We only employ registered nurses and certified surgical technicians and no one seems to be comfortable testing the aprons. If employees are trained in the use of the equipment, is it appropriate for them to perform the annual lead apron test that our facility requires? Or does it have to be a physicist or a trained radiology technician?

A

You should consult with the radiation protection department for the state that your facility is located in. In Ohio, for example, there are no regulations about who can test lead aprons. The regulations there do require a facility to have procedures for quality control testing (such as lead aprons). These requirements include listing the procedure and who does the testing, as well as documenting that the person(s) performing the procedure have been trained in that procedure. In this case, anyone who is trained as a radiation worker could conceivably be trained to check lead aprons. Most facilities that we see, utilize their x-ray technologists to do the lead apron testing. The few facilities that do not utilize x-ray technologists typically have physicists perform the testing, although other medical personnel could be trained if the staff were comfortable doing the testing. If your state does have criteria for who can test lead aprons, you would need to follow that first and foremost.

Kennith "Duke" Lovins, CHP

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Answer posted on 14 November 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.