Sigma projetor manual Daily Inspection of the System, Daily Inspection of the Exposure Device

DAILY INSPECTION INSTRUCTIONS

		Source Assembly
Control Cable	Exposure Device	Sealed Source

Remote	Locking	Shield	Outlet Port	Source Guide
Control Crank	Mechanism			Tubes

Figure 3.4 Sealed source in the exposure mode

Daily Inspection of the System

A daily inspection of the gamma radiography system for obvious defects is essential to ensure the equipment is in a safe and proper operating condition. It is important that all radiographers perform or supervise this inspection prior to the first radiographic exposure of the shift regardless of any previous inspections that may have been performed that day. As an example, damage to a component of the system may occur during transport of the equipment to the job-site. If damaged equipment were used without detection, the result may be the inability to retract the source assembly into the exposure device and secure it.

The results of a daily inspection should be recorded and include the date, the name of the inspector and what specific equipment was inspected. If any defective or damaged components are discovered during the daily inspection, the component must be removed from service and identified with a status indicator (tag, label, or tape) to prevent inadvertent use by other radiography personnel. Defective or damaged components must be repaired or replaced before reuse in radiographic operations. The three main components of the radiography system consisting of the radiographic exposure device and transport case, remote controls and source guide tubes must be inspected in addition to accessories such as lab stands, collimators, J-tubes, magnetic lab-stands and pipe-clamping apparatus.

Radiographers must take a proactive role in preventing incidents, by performing or directly supervising a simple, but thorough daily inspection of the radiography system. The implications that affect safety and the importance of the daily inspection must be emphasized and understood by the entire radiography staff.

Daily Inspection of the Exposure Device

1Survey the surface of the exposure device or device in the transport case to ensure the radiation level is less than 2 mSv/hr (200 mR/hr), even when containing a source assembly with the maximum allowable activity. This survey provides a function check of the survey instrument that it is responding to radiation, in addition to providing the radiographer with a reference measurement that can be compared to confirmatory surveys after terminating each radiographic exposure.

3.5