Standards

The BSS or the 'International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources' are jointly sponsored by a number of international bodies, and issued by the IAEA, in order to internationally harmonize radiation protection and safety. (The links take the reader to the respective BSS paragraphs.)

1. Requirement for qualified experts in radiotherapy physics.  BSS II.1(d)
2. Guidance on operation considerations. BSS II.18
3. Guidance on calibration, clinical dosimetry and quality assurance. BSS II.19-23
4. Investigation of accidental medical exposure. BSS II.29-30
5. Responsibilities of an employer. BSS 1.5-9,  and BSS II.15-16
6. What are my main responsibilities as a radiation oncologist?
7. What are my main responsibilities as a radiotherapy technician?
8. What are my main responsibilities as a medical physicist in radiotherapy?

6. What are my main responsibilities as a radiation oncologist?

• Ensuring overall radiation protection of the patient;
• Responsibility for diagnosis, treatment, follow up and supportive care of the patient;
• Ensuring that the exposure of normal tissue is kept as low as reasonably achievable while required dose is delivered to the planning target volume;
• Establishing optimized protocols for therapeutic procedures, in consultation with the medical physicist;
• Ensuring radiotherapeutic procedures of women who are pregnant or likely to be pregnant be avoided unless there are strong clinical indications;
• Evaluating any radiation accident or incident from a medical point of view.

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7. What are my main responsibilities as a radiographer?

• Identify the patient prior to treatment occasion;
• Administering the radiotherapy to the patient, including the correct set up and delivery;
• If the female pregnant is pregnant or likely to be pregnant, inform the physician and seek advice;
• In case of concern in relation to unusual reaction of patient, inform the physician;
• In case of concern in relation to unusual event relating to treatment unit or treatment parameters, inform the physicist.

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8. What are my main responsibilities as a medical physicist in radiotherapy?

• Ensuring the correct calibration of treatment units both during commissioning and on a regular basis;
• Ensuring the correctness and accuracy in patient dose calculations, both computerized and manual;
• Designing, implementing and supervising quality assurance procedures;
• Participating in the continuing review of the radiotherapy practice’s resources (including budget, equipment and staffing), operations, policies and procedures;
• Planning, in conjunction with the radiotherapy physician and the RPO, the facilities for radiotherapy practice;
• Preparing performance specifications for equipment with regard to radiation protection;
• Ensuring the establishment and maintenance of a radiation protection programme for the safety of staff and the public;
• Test equipment for acceptance, commission equipment for clinical use and supervise equipment maintenance;
• Participating in the investigation and evaluation of incidents and accidents;
• Contributing to the radiation protection training programme.

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