ABSTRACT
Objective: The research focus was to review radiation safety guidelines for x-ray departments.
Methods: Databases such as the Ministry of Health Jamaica library, the American College of Radiology, along with others were consulted. Organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) along with others were used as information sources. Publications concerning the topic were also reviewed.
Results: The results showed the different specifications that both the equipment and facility design should meet if the protection of staffs, patients and the public from unnecessary exposure to x-radiation is to be optimized. Quality control tests that should be carried out routinely as well as the standards of performance the unit should maintain while being operated were also presented.
Conclusion: Effective building design and planning along with routine quality control test are the most effective ways of ensuring radiation protection in an x-ray facility.
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