Maintenance of Exposure Devices

One of the most cited causes for source disconnects, misconnects, and reasons why sources need to be recovered is maintenance of the exposure device and associated equipment. There are two requirements in the radiation regulations relating to equipment inspection and maintenance:

• The radiation worker must inspect and maintain the equipment prior to use, and 
• The licensee or Certificate of Authorization holder must inspect and maintain the equipment on a quarterly basis

When the radiation worker is pressured to get the job done, they may look at the inspection and maintenance of the equipment to be a ‘check-the-box’ exercise and don’t do a good job because they know that the company is required to do the same quarterly. Likewise, the company knows that the equipment should be inspected and maintained every day by the radiation worker so quarterly functions are not performed because the radiation workers would certainly let the company know of any problems.

As a result, many exposure devices and associated equipment don’t ever get serviced and, given enough time, will fail. This class is directed at this industry problem and covers the manufacturer suggested methodology and recommendations for the inspection and maintenance of the most widely used radiography equipment. You’ll learn how to properly perform these tasks and the tools needed to be successful so that your equipment stays in tip-top condition. We’ll talk about modes of failure and how to recognize and remedy these problems before a failure that could lead to injury.

Subjects Covered:

1. Why inspection and maintenance are important
2. Who’s responsible for what
3. Modes of failure
4. Manufacturer requirements
5. Regulatory requirements
6. How to ensure inspection and maintenance is being performed
7. Documentation
8. Reporting requirements/incident reports