Ariz. Admin. Code § 9-7-603

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section R9-7-603 - Operational Standards, Shielding, and Darkroom Requirements

A. A person shall not make, sell, lease, transfer, lend, or install x-ray equipment or the supplies used in connection with the equipment unless the supplies and equipment, when properly placed in operation and properly used, meets the requirements of 9 A.A.C. 7.

B. A registrant shall direct the operation of x-ray machines under the registrant's control and assure that all of the following provisions are met in the operation of x-ray machines:

1. The registrant shall not permit any individual to engage in the practice of "Healing Arts Radiography" using equipment under the registrant's control, unless the individual possesses, and displays in the primary employer's facility, an official certificate issued by, or is exempt from, the Medical Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners that contains an original signature of its Director or designee. A copy of the certificate shall be posted at any secondary employment location with documentation that verifies that the employer has physically seen the official certificate and has annotated on the copy the location where the official certificate may be viewed by Department staff.

2. The registrant shall maintain records documenting compliance with subsection (B)(1) for each individual practicing "Healing Arts Radiography" using equipment under the registrant's control,

3. The registrant shall provide safety rules to each individual operating x-ray equipment under the registrant's control, including any restrictions in operating procedures necessary for the safe use of the equipment and require that the operator demonstrate familiarity with 9 A.A.C. 7.

C. Shielding

1. Each registrant shall provide each installation with primary and secondary protective barriers that are necessary to assure compliance with 9 A.A.C. 7, Article 4.

2. A registrant shall ensure that attenuation provided by a protective barrier meets or exceeds the level of protection established in Report No. 147 Structural Shielding Design for Medical X-ray Imaging Facilities, November 19, 2004, by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, (NCRP), NCRP Publications, 7910 Woodmount Ave., Suite 400, Bethesda, MD 20814-3095. This report is incorporated by reference and available under R9-7-101. The incorporated material contains no future editions or amendments. Copies of the report are available from NCRP Publications: online at http://www.ncrppublications.org ; toll free at (800) 229-2652 (Ext. 25); or e-mail at NCRPpubs@NCRPonline.org. Each registrant shall use this incorporated material to provide sufficient shielding to prevent a public exposure that exceeds the limits in R9-7-416.

3. A registrant shall:

a. Mount each lead barrier so that the barrier will not sag or cold flow because of its own weight and protect the barrier from damage;

b. Use barriers designed so that joints between different ends of protective material do not impair the overall protection of the barriers;

c. Use barriers designed so that joints at the floor and ceiling do not impair the overall protection of the barriers;

d. Use windows, window frames, doors, and door frames that have the same lead equivalence required in the adjacent walls; and

e. Cover holes in protective barriers so that overall attenuation is not impaired.

4. A registrant shall also meet the structural shielding requirements in R9-7-607(C), if the x-ray system in question is not a mobile fluoroscopic unit, dental panoramic, cephalometric, dental CT, or intraoral radiographic system.

D. Film Processing and Darkroom Requirements. A registrant shall:

1. Ensure that the darkroom is light-tight and use proper safe-lighting such that any film type in use exposed in a cassette to x-ray radiation sufficient to produce an optical density from 1 to 2 when processed shall not suffer an increase in density greater than 0.1 (0.05 for mammography) when exposed in the darkroom for two minutes with all safe-lights illuminated. (A processor with a daylight loader satisfies this requirement.);

2. Ensure that film is stored in a cool, dry place and is protected from radiation exposure; and that film located in open packages is stored in a light-tight container;

3. Ensure that film cassettes and intensifying screens are inspected annually, cleaned, and replaced as necessary;

4. Ensure that film cassettes contain film and intensifying screens that have the same sensitivity;

5. Ensure that automatic film processors develop film in accordance with time-temperature relationships recommended by the film manufacturer;

6. Ensure that manually developed film is developed in accordance with the time-temperature relationships recommended by the manufacturer, and that a timer, thermometer, and a time-temperature chart are available and used in the darkroom;

7. Ensure that film processing solutions are prepared and maintained in accordance with the directions of the manufacturer;

8. Ensure that outdated film is not used for diagnostic radiographs;

9. Follow manufacturer's recommendations for cleaning or inspection of computed radiography (CR) cassettes, but not less than annually;

10. Follow manufacturer's recommendations for preventive maintenance on digital radiography panels or cassettes, but not less than annually; and

11. Maintain documentation that demonstrates that requirements of this subsection are being met for three years for Department review from the date of inspection.

Ariz. Admin. Code § R9-7-603

New Section R9-7-603 recodified from R12-1-603 at 24 A.A.R. 813, effective March 22, 2018 (Supp. 18-1).