Level of Practical Skills in Personnel Dosimetry Monitoring and the Laboratory Experience with Different Types of TLD Readers

Abstract

This study was carried out to analyze individual annual dose records of diagnostic radiology staff at forty-eight (48) different medical facilities in urban and rural Region of Ghana for the period of 2011-2015. The monitored dose data were extracted from the Radiation Protection Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission’s database called the Dose Management System (DMS). The doses of these OEWs analyzed, are divided into four subgroups namely; general radiographers, radiologists, computed tomography (CT) technologists, fluoroscopy technologists. The dose distribution, collective dose and mean annual dose were determined. A total of 1574 OEWs were monitored comprising of 56% radiographers, 15% radiologist, 21% computed tomography (CT) technologists and 8% fluoroscopy technologists. The average annual effective dose ranged from 0.36 to 1.70 mSv with radiographers receiving the largest. Fluoroscopy technologist recorded the least annual total collective effective dose value of 0.1 person-Sv. The study contributes to the existing works to promote a more comprehensive personal monitoring service for OEWs. Continued analysis of occupational doses should be an integral component of institutional radiation safety programs in Ghana.