Answer to Question #14699 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Medical and Dental Equipment and Shielding — Shielding

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

Q

What is the safe distance during a mobile/portable ward radiography beyond which we can be without wearing lead aprons?

A

It is always preferable for no one, other than the x-ray machine operator, to be inside the room when an x ray is taken. This may not always be possible. In this case, one should stand behind any solid barrier, i.e., a wall, during the x-ray exposure.

If there are no solid barriers, it is commonly accepted that staff who must be in the area during an x-ray exposure must be at least 1.8 meters from the patient being exposed. State regulations may vary on this recommendation so it would be prudent to ask your radiation safety officer or medical physicist what the local requirements may be.

Joel Gray, PhD, FAAPM

Answer posted on 19 October 2022. 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.