Public Safety from Radiation Exposure It is no secret that radiation can be harmful to humans, and even cause death.

However, it is also no secret that radiation has been killing cancer for many years. Therefore, it has to be used correctly so we can use its benefits while avoiding its downfalls. Everyone hears the horror stories about people getting over radiated and dying from overexposure. However if everyone is working as a team, this should never happen. There are a couple different reasons on why mistreatment should never happen, and society should not have to be worried about over exposure in radiation oncology. A major item that should give patients some relief is the extensive quality assurance programs that should go on in every center. Quality assurance measures are taken everyday by checking the beam output for each field in the morning, and also making sure the treatment room lasers are correct. There are also weekly measures to be followed, including the physicist weekly chart check to determine the correct amount of dose has been given for the week. The physicist also does monthly and yearly extensive checks on the linear accelerator to determine everything is running correctly. Along with that, the service engineer with the company of whatever machine you are using will come out quarterly to determine everything on their end is running smoothly. As you can see, extensive checks are done to be positive the machine is performing exactly how it should be. While all these checks and assurance measures are great and have to be done, I believe another item is even more crucial. That item would be departmental communication and doing your job correctly. Unfortunately, every mishap that has to do with over-treating could be prevented or caught early if everyone in the department was doing their job correctly. Radiation and patient safety should be the most important thing on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I believe many workers get into a routine and begin taking everything for granted. As soon as you begin to get comfortable and in a routine, that is when errors are made. This importance of radiation and patient safety has to begin with the senior management and board of directors1. If these people are not fully on board with the concept, the odds are that the department will not find it too important. It is not possible for safety to be the most important virtue in the department unless everyone is on board2. Along with it being the most important virtue, everyone has to work together in the department.

Everyone in the department obviously has different roles and objectives on a daily basis. No matter what your job title is, patient safety should be the most important. When it comes to radiation safety, the radiation therapist, medical dosimetrists, physicist, and doctor all have to work together. The therapists see the patient everyday and should be observing patient changes and also reviewing the monitor units and treatment prescription. The physicist does his weekly check and should catch numbers that are not correct. If one person in the department is slacking or missing something, a gigantic mistake could be made in treatment. Hence, that is why it is very important for everyone to be able to trust everyone in the department. If trust is not felt between everyone in the department then it will not be an enjoyable workplace. Radiation centers put a large amount of money into these buildings and departments to make sure they are safe. The vault is made of protective barriers that will not allow radiation to penetrate through the room3 , so occupants on the other sides of walls are safe. Along with the wall, a specialized door is used so no radiation can leak through the door. When it comes to radiation sources, they are stored in special drawers so they cannot leak and expose workers or the public. All departments are equipped with radiation monitoring instruments for the linear accelerators and radiation sources. Some people assume that workers in the radiation department receive much more radiation than the general public, but that is not the case. Workers must be monitored in controlled areas for occupationally exposed individuals3. As you can see, these centers are putting a lot of money into making sure no excess radiation is received by the patients, staff, or the general public. When it comes down to it, radiation oncology departments are much safer down then they were 20 years ago. They have devised many Quality Assurance checks for different members of the department, to make sure the machine is running correctly. These assurance checks should also catch any errors in the patients chart. Advancing technology is making many more items digital and less work for the therapists and department. While this is appreciated by the radiation therapists, this could cause unexcused errors. If you are a patient, trust is a major factor in choosing a facility to be treated at. As I stated, a large percent of misadministration could be prevented or interrupted if the workers are doing their job correctly. As a worker in a radiation facility, I make sure everyday I go into work realizing if I am not at the top of my game I could cost someone their life. If everyone in the department works together and does their job, patients should not have to worry about mistreatments. As a patient, you should feel safe and

secure at the center you are at. If you dont I would advise to find a center that you feel comfortable at. 1. Hendee WR, Herman MG. Improving patient safety in radiation oncology. Am Assoc Physicist Med. 2011; 38(1). 2. Odle TG, Rosier N. The critical role of the radiation therapist in patient safety. ASRT. 2012; 21(1). 3. Khan FM. Radiation protection. In: Khan FM. The Physics of Radiation Therapy. 4th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2010.