A study on plain radiography rooms in Sri Lanka with emphasis on radiation protection

Abstract

Aim: To ensure radiation safety, the design of X-ray Rooms require consideration of various aspects including size of the room, shielding requirements, wall thickness, distance from focal spot to operator, the warning light, lead lined doors etc. Methods: Data was collected from sixty three X-ray rooms in twenty seven hospitals. Results: Results show 89% of X-Rooms are larger than recommended size of 20 m 2. 64 % had sufficient wall thickness. Only 12.5% had warning lights but 95.3% had lead lined doors. TLD and protective aprons were available in majority of hospitals. Conclusion: Therefore, some of the plain X-ray rooms surveyed need design improvements to comply with recommended guidelines. A larger detailed study is needed to assess overall impact from these findings on general population.