Safety attributes for planning the radiation emergency response for handling unsealed radiation sources

Radiotherapy is modality of medical treatment using ionizing radiation such as gamma rays (emitted from radioactive source), high energy X-rays (generated by medical accelerator) and particle therapy using Hadron Therapy Accelerator (e.g. Proton/ Carbon Ion based). There are two types of radiation source namely sealed sources and unsealed sources. Radiation sources are widely used in medicine, industry, and agriculture. Nuclear Medicine is the specialty that utilizes unsealed radioisotopes in the form of radio-pharmaceuticals to investigate disorders of anatomy, physiology and patho-physiology for diagnosis and/or treatment of diseases. Radioisotopes in unsealed form used to carry out diagnostic and therapeutic operations in nuclear medicine practices have a potential for radiation contamination and exposure. Therefore, adequate care in ensuring safe handling of radioisotopes is required to be taken while carrying out Nuclear Medicine procedures. Radiation accidents which can commonly be occurred in nuclear medicine facilities are spillage of radio-pharmaceuticals, mis-administration of radiopharmaceuticals to patient, and loss of sources in the department or in transit. Accidents causes personnel exposure, internal and external contamination. So RSO and License must prepare an emergency response plan as well as Emergency Response Committee which includes NMP, RSO, Physicist, Lab Assistant, Administration in charge and Electronics Instrumentation expert as members. The incident reports of the emergencies must be documented, submitted to AERB and the immediate actions must be carried out as per the safety guidelines given by the regulatory body. (author)