Radiation Protection in Radiotherapy Part 14 Transport Safety IAEA Training Material on Radiation...
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- Radiation Protection in Radiotherapy Part 14 Transport Safety
IAEA Training Material on Radiation Protection in Radiotherapy
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety2
Transport of sources l A problem in external beam therapy only for
dosimetric check sources and in the context of source replacement
for a tele-therapy unit l A day-to-day problem in
brachytherapy
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety3
Objective l To understand the process of n ordering n storage n
accounting for n and transport of radiation sources within the
hospital and externally l To appreciate the protection and safety
issues associated with this process
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety4
Contents 1 Notes on ordering of sources 2 Transport n IAEA
transport regulations n external of the hospital n internal 3
Storage and accounting Disposal discussed in part 15
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety5
1. Ordering of sources l Need authorization l Require all relevant
licenses l Order from approved supplier l More in part 18 of the
course
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety6
The BSS on ordering and transport: l General obligations: 2.7. No
practice shall be adopted, introduced, conducted, discontinued or
ceased and no source within a practice shall, as applicable, be
mined, milled, processed, designed, manufactured, constructed,
assembled, acquired, imported, exported, distributed, sold, loaned,
hired, received, sited, located, commissioned, possessed, used,
operated, maintained, repaired, transferred, decommissioned,
disassembled, transported, stored or disposed of, except in
accordance with the appropriate requirements of the Standards,
unless the exposure from such practice or source is excluded from
the Standards or the practice or source is exempted from the
requirements of the Standards, including the requirements of
notification and authorization.
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety7
Receiving of sources l Consignments are often sent by default to
the hospital store l Care must be taken that: n either sources are
directly sent to and received by the person who holds the
appropriate license and has the appropriate expertise n or that the
hospital receiving officer is trained appropriately, records all
details of the shipping and informs the responsible person in
radiotherapy immediately l Radioactive sources MUST not be allowed
to be stored with other goods without being under immediate control
of an appropriately trained person
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety8
2. Transport of radioactive sources for radiotherapy l Between the
radiotherapy center and outside facilities n delivery of sources n
disposal of sources n transport between hospitals l Within the
radiotherapy center
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety9
BSS and transport l General obligations: 2.9. The transport of
radioactive sources shall be subject to the requirements of the
IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material and
any applicable international convention.
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety10
Transport of Radioactive Material l IAEA Safety Standards No. ST-1:
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 1996
Edition
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety11
Objective of the IAEA Transport Regulations l To protect persons,
property and the environment from the effects of radiation during
the transport of radioactive material. This protection is achieved
by requiring: scontainment of the radioactive contents scontrol of
external radiation levels sprevention of criticality (not a concern
for radiotherapy sources) sprevention of damage caused by
heat.
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety12
Scope of the IAEA Transport Regulations l The Regulations apply to
the transport of radioactive material by all modes on land, water
or in the air. l The Regulations cover the design and manufacture
of packaging, the preparation, consigning, loading, carriage,
unloading and receipt of the packages.
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety13
Types of Packages as defined by the IAEA Transport Regulations l
Excepted package l Industrial package Type 1, 2 and 3 l Type A
package l Type B(U) package l Type B(M) package l Type C
package
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport
safety14
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety15
Type B container l Used for transport of 60-Co sources for external
beam therapy l Used for 192-Ir sources for high dose rate
brachytherapy
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety16
Please note l Usually the head of a 60- Co unit is NOT a suitable
container for transport of the source!
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety17
In practice l The transport container and the treatment unit may be
identical (as seen here for the Nucletron HDR brachytherapy
afterloading unit) Courtesy of Nucletron
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety18
Gammamed mobile unit l Must be labelled once source is present l
Easy to transport l Must be accompanied by appropriately trained
person Courtesy of MDS Nordion
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety19
The Transport Index l The Transport Index is the maximum radiation
level, in mSv/h, at a distance of 1 m from the external surface of
the package, multiplied by 100. l The categories of packages, are
determined by the Transport Index and the maximum radiation level
at any point on the surface of the package. 1.0 m
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Categories of Packages
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety21
White-I Label < 5.0 Sv/h @ surface < 0.05 Sv/h @ 1.0 m TI
close to 0
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety22
Yellow-II Label 5 Sv/h @ surface < 10 Sv/h @ 1.0 m 0 < TI
< 1.0
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety23
Yellow-III Label > 500, < 2000 Sv/h @ surface > 10, <
100 Sv/h @ 1.0m 1.0 < TI < 10
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Vehicle Placards l Required every time activity is transported l
Need at least three l Other documentation also required
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety25
Consignors Responsibilities l all labelling and placarding l
provision of transport documents l provision of local rules and any
other relevant information
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Package Labels l Package type l Isotope, activity, calibration date
l Transport index (surface dose)
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety27
Potential problems in Brachytherapy l Source order, delivery,
calibration and acceptance n Different units were used by the
hospital (mCi) and the manufacturer (mg-Ra-equivalent); this led to
an overdosage of 74% of one patient n In three cases there was an
underdosage due to the use of the sources without checking the
source activity.
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Brachytherapy problems l Source order, delivery, calibration and
acceptance. Contributing factors: n Different units were used by
the hospital and manufacturer n Insufficient check of documents
(order and delivery n No source calibration by the users (source
strength determination)
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Transport of sources between hospitals l Brachytherapy sources
prepared on a different site to where they are used n often the
case for highly specialized medical areas such as eye surgery l
Radioactive applicators stored at a different site to where they
are used n ophthalmic applicators
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety30
Transport of sources between hospitals l May be the case for entire
HDR brachytherapy unit and control l Infrastructure (cables, beds,
theatre) in place at multiple locations Courtesy of Nucletron
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- Transport within a hospital Aim to minimize all transport needs
by initial layout of the facility or choice of brachytherapy
areas.
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety32
Transport within a hospital l Often required for brachytherapy l
Need mobile safe to suit the isotope in use l Transport must be
accompanied by an appropriately trained person at all times l
Labels required
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety33
Transport containers l Maximum dose rate at the surface should
be
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety34
Transport within a hospital l Some practical suggestions: n
Transport routes must be chosen prior to transport and adhered to n
Avoid lifts n Avoid public areas (not only to protect patients but
also to minimize anxiety of patients and others)
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety35
Transport of patients with radioactive implants l Should be avoided
for brachytherapy patients n shielding is difficult n the implant
may move during transport l Label and signs required
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety36
Transport of patients with implants l l If possible, the activity
should be removed prior to transport of the patient
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Disposal of sources l Only to person licensed to do this l
Documentation required l This is a potential for accidents l
Compare part 15 of the course BIN
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety38
3. Source storage l See part 15: Safety of sources l Before
ordering sources it must be assured that they can be safely stored
l Information required for storage is similar to information
required for transport
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety39
Features of source storage l Secure (lock and key) l Labels l
Different compartments l Shielding l Easy access
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety40
BSS on Security of sources 2.34. Sources shall be kept secure so as
to prevent theft or damage and to prevent any unauthorized legal
person from carrying out any of the actions specified in the
General Obligations for practices of the Standards (see paras
2.7-2.9), by ensuring that:... (b)a source not be transferred
unless the receiver possesses a valid authorization; and (c) a
periodic inventory of movable sources be conducted at appropriate
intervals to confirm that they are in their assigned locations and
are secure.
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety41
In radiotherapy practice l Source storage area should be close to
areas where the sources are to be used (theatres, brachytherapy
ward) l Storage and transport containers are usually of different
design - a storage container is NOT necessarily suitable for
transport
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Emergency storage l In brachytherapy an emergency storage container
should be available in case a source must be removed form the
patient.
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety43
Emergency storage l Next to temporary LDR implants in case sources
must be removed for medical emergency l Next to HDR applications in
case the source gets stuck and the whole applicator has to be
removed
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Summary l Transport of sources is always a potential for exposure l
Source transport is mainly an issue in the context of brachytherapy
l Appropriate containers and labeling is required l Transport
issues can occur outside and inside of a radiotherapy facility
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- Any questions?
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- Question Please design a source inventory suitable for your
institution.
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety47
Some suggestions l Should include: n Type of source n Activity (and
date of specification) n Ordered by: (authorization?) n Received by
n Received when n Storage where? n Patient name and identification
number (for brachytherapy patients) n Used for? n Can be disposed
of when (if applicable) n Disposed by n Disposed when n Disposed
to
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- Radiation Protection in RadiotherapyPart 14: Transport safety48
Acknowledgment l Lee Collins, Westmead Hospital, Sydney