Myths & Facts about Radiation Safety and AERB approvals

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Myths Facts about Radiation Safety and AERB
approvals
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• Myth 1 Only Radiology technicians working
  regularly with X-Ray based machines need to wear
  TLD badges
• Fact All Radiation Workers, whether
  technicians, doctors, nurses or any other staff
  who are in close contact with equipment like
  X-Ray, C-Arm, CT etc. and are exposed to
  radiation on a regular basis need to be
  monitoring their radiation exposure levels and
  hence wear TLD badges.

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• Myth 2 A Radiation Worker working in multiple
  facilities should wear the same badge to all the
  places of work so as to assess their cumulative
  dose
• Fact Every worker must have separate badges for
  each facility, because AERB holds the hospital or
  diagnostic facility responsible for managing the
  radiation exposure. Hence, they need to be able
  to identify not only the worker, but also the
  facility. At the time of applying for additional
  TLD badge, each applicant must mention their
  other facility badges reference also. This is the
  way AERB integrates all the badges of each
  individual and assesses the cumulative dose for
  each individual.

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• Myth 3 Just wearing the new TLD badge issued by
  every quarter by AERB, protects me from radiation
  and measures the dose, no need to return old
  badge

Fact Once a Radiation worker receives the next
TLD badge from AERB, they MUST return the old
badge so that AERB can measure their radiation
exposure so far and take preventive actions if
the exposure is higher than prescribed levels.
Some people believe that since they have paid for
all the badges, they are entitled to keep all of
them. However, this defeats the very purpose of
radiation safety.
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• Myth 4 Layout approval by AERB is the same as
  License
• Fact Both the equipment as well as the room
  layout should independently meet AERB approval.
  It is possible that while layout and construction
  of the room where the radiation equipment would
  be housed, meets AERB norms, the equipment itself
  is not in the AERB approved list and Vise versa.

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• Myth 5 Procurement license obtained from AERB,
  prior to purchase of equipment is the final
  license.
• Fact
• First step of the process involves getting
  approval for layout from AERB.
• After that a procurement license must be
  obtained prior to purchase of equipment from AERB
  along with NOC if the same is to be imported.
• Based on the procurement license the authorised
  manufacturer/supplier can supply and install
  the equipment on the hospital premises.
• Once the equipment is installed, the manufacturer
  needs to upload the installation report as a
  third step in the process.
• based on the installation report, the hospital
  needs to apply and obtain the actual AERB license
  for the equipment.

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• Myth 6 There is no need to register online on
  eLORA, If you have hard copy of the layout
  approval/ license
• Fact AERB earlier used to issue its approval in
  hard copy. However, one needs to register the
  institution and the specific equipment online
  now, even if they have approval in hard copy.

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• Myth 7 Once I have paid for AERB registration
  services, I will get the AERB approval/ license
  in due course of time.
• Fact AERB does not charge any money for
  approvals or granting licenses. A hospital can
  themselves register on eLORA and add their
  equipment along with required documents. However,
  very often hospitals think it is a simple easily
  manageable form and go for the lowest cost
  service agencies, which disappear after
  collecting the initial fee, without completing
  required processes.

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