Analysis of the effects of ionizing radiation on human health in the context of Occupational Health and Safety

Health care personnel working ionizing radiation departments in hospitals are in the risky groups, so their health status should be researched. In general, when they are exposed to low doses of radiation, some health problems may not occur immediately, but various discomforts may occur in the long term. In order to investigate the health status of employees in the use of radiation, which is generally used in hospitals and which cannot be abandoned at this point, on the basis of occupational health and safety and to investigate whether the employees have any discomfort as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation during their work and to investigate the precautions taken in this regard; to contribute to the safer and more effective use of radioactive materials and radiation producing devices used in hospitals for health, education and research purposes, to optimize the radiation safety of hospital staff, patients and the related environment against ionizing radiation and its negative effects, to examine on the basis of occupational health and safety, and serious research is required. In this study, repeated X-ray measurements of five seconds duration were made in five different sections of three patients to determine the exposure levels of health personnel who were exposed to ionizing radiation, especially working in radiology and nuclear medicine departments. Measurements were made with the Fluke 451 Ion Chamber Survey Meter ionizing radiation measurement device, which was supplied from Istanbul Çekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center, according to the positions of the healthcare workers at the time of radiation in all units where X-rays are used. Obtained results are given in detail in tables. The smallest and highest values of these measurement results were obtained as 0.01 µSv behind the lead screen and 410 µSv in the room where the shooting was carried out by wearing a lead vest and wearing a lead collar. These limit values are within the accepted standard values. People working in the radiology department make an average of 80-100 shots in a seven-hour work day. Personnel working with ionizing radiation sources in health services should not exceed the monthly effective dose limit of 2 mSv according to the regulation on radiation dose limits and working principles. The exposure level is sometimes unavoidable when the standard effective dose level of 2 mSv per month can be exceeded. Exceeding the level of exposure increases the probability of health workers to decrease fertility, to develop diseases such as cataracts in the eye and some types of cancer. It will be beneficial in the long term to ensure that the health workers in question do not exceed the exposure level in the desired standards in terms of OHS, to ensure that they use protective equipment continuously and to limit the number of shots. Working hours of those working in ionizing radiation environments are limited to seven hours a day, 35 hours a week.