scholarly journals Safety Culture in Handling Radioactive Materials for Radiation Practitioners: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (02) ◽  
pp. 1397-1406
Author(s):  
Siti Amira Othman ◽  
◽  
Nor Farah Amirah Nor Azman ◽  
Nurul Fathihah Abu Bakar ◽  
Nurin Saqinah Jasrin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Safety Culture ◽  
Radiation Doses ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Alara Principle ◽  
Radioactive Substances ◽  
Time Distance ◽  
Radioactive Sources

This paper reviews the safety culture in handling radioactive sources. Safety culture refers to how safety is addressed and communicated in the workplace. It encompasses the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and values of all employees in an organization in relation to safety. A good safety culture can be promoted by management through commitment to safety, realistic practices for handling hazards, continuous organizational learning and concern for hazards shared across the workforce. The radioactive substances used should comply with the following characteristics where radiotoxicity must be as low as possible, short-living isotopes are preferred than long-living ones and the amounts used must be kept to a minimum. Therefore, the ‘As Low As Reasonably Achievable’ (ALARA) principle was applied that based on the minimization of radiation doses and limiting the release of radioactive materials into the environment by employing all reasonable methods. Besides that, the ALARA principle is an integral part of all activities that involve the use of radiation or radioactive materials and can help prevent unnecessary exposure as well as overexposure. The three major ALARA principles to assist with maintaining doses are time, distance and shielding. It takes a whole team effort to successfully implement the ALARA in safety culture while doing routine element of working in handling radioactive materials.

Organizational learning and patient safety: hospital pharmacy settings

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 695-713
Author(s):  
Wael Abdallah ◽  
Craig Johnson ◽  
Cristian Nitzl ◽  
Mohammed A. Mohammed
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Safety Culture ◽  
Hospital Pharmacy ◽  
Patient Safety Culture ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hospital Pharmacies ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between organizational learning and patient safety culture in hospital pharmacy settings as determined by the learning organization survey short-form (LOS-27) and pharmacy survey on patient safety culture instruments, and to further explore how dimensions of organizational learning relate to dimensions of pharmacy patient safety culture. Design/methodology/approach This study is a cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from three public hospital pharmacies and three private hospital pharmacies in Kuwait. Partial least square structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings A total of 272 surveys (59.1 percent response rate) were completed and returned. The results indicated a significant positive relationship between organizational learning and patient safety culture in hospital pharmacy settings (path coefficient of 0.826, p-value <0.05 and R2 of 0.683). Several dimensions of the organizational learning showed significant links to the various dimensions of the pharmacy patient safety culture. Specifically, training (TRN), management that reinforces learning (MRL) and supportive learning environment (SLE) had the strongest effects on the pharmacy patient safety culture dimensions. Moreover, these effects indicated that MRL, SLE and TRN were associated with improvements in most dimensions of pharmacy patient safety culture. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to assess the relationship between organizational learning, patient safety culture and their dimensions in hospital pharmacy settings.

Experiences in the Field of Radioactive Materials Seizures in the Czech Republic

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karel Svoboda ◽  
Josef Podlaha ◽  
David Sˇi´r ◽  
Josef Mudra
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Nuclear Research ◽  
Municipal Waste ◽  
Radioactive Material ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Nuclear Research Institute ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Radioactive Sources

In recent years, the amount of radioactive materials seizures (captured radioactive materials) has been rising. It was above all due to newly installed detection facilities that were able to check metallic scrap during its collection in scrap yards or on the entrance to iron-mills, checking municipal waste upon entrance to municipal disposal sites, even incineration plants, or through checking vehicles going through the borders of the Czech Republic. Most cases bore a relationship to secondary raw materials or they were connected to the application of machines and installations made from contaminated metallic materials. However, in accordance to our experience, the number of cases of seizures of materials and devices containing radioactive sources used in the public domain was lower, but not negligible, in the municipal storage yards or incineration plants. Atomic Act No. 18/1997 Coll. will apply to everybody who provides activities leading to exposure, mandatory assurance as high radiation safety as risk of the endangering of life, personal health and environment is as low as reasonably achievable in according to social and economic aspects. Hence, attention on the examination of all cases of the radioactive material seizure based on detection facilities alarm or reasonably grounds suspicion arising from the other information is important. Therefore, a service carried out by group of workers who ensure assessment of captured radioactive materials and eventual retrieval of radioactive sources from the municipal waste has come into existence in the Nuclear Research Institute Rez plc. This service has covered also transport, storage, processing and disposal of found radioactive sources. This service has arisen especially for municipal disposal sites, but later on even other companies took advantage of this service like incineration plants, the State Office for Nuclear Safety, etc. Our experience in the field of ensuring assessment of captured radioactive materials and eventual retrieval of radioactive sources will be presented in the paper.

Control of radioactive substances

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Reay ◽  
David Sutton ◽  
Colin J Martin
Keyword(s):  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Competent Authority ◽  
Radioactive Material ◽  
Critical Groups ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Security And Protection ◽  
The Public ◽  
Radioactive Substances ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
The Impact

The possession, use, transport, and disposal of radioactive materials are controlled through regulation to limit exposure of the public and workers. This chapter describes the methodologies employed. Regulation is enacted through a system of notification and licensing, based upon recommendations from the IAEA and ICRP. A competent authority is empowered to permit an organization to hold, use, or dispose of any radionuclide, provided certain conditions are met. These take the form of limits on the quantities of different radioactive materials held, and requirements for security and protection. They require an evaluation of the impact of waste disposal. Methodologies for estimating doses received by critical groups from release of radioactive material into the environment are explained. Minimization of the waste produced and regulation of its disposal are essential components in the overall strategy to protect the environment. Controls over the transport of radioactive materials and medical administrations to patients are considered.

scholarly journals Quantification of the Hazard Due to Releases of Radioactive Substances in Accidents and Fires in Workplaces with Radioactive Sources

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 11-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Hudzietzová ◽  
Jozef Sabol
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Inappropriate Use ◽  
Radioactive Substances ◽  
State Office ◽  
Means Of Measurement ◽  
Standards And Guidelines ◽  
Radioactive Sources ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In the Czech Republic, under normal conditions, the radioactive sources are used transported and stored in accordance with the relevant regulations and instructions of the State Office for Nuclear Safety (SONS), which is the regulatory authority of the state administration. Its main task is to ensure adequate safety and protection of persons in accordance with current international standards and guidelines. However, if there is an incidence, accident, or other emergency, these circumstances require taking some specific measures aimed at minimizing the impact of such situations on human health and the environment. During a fire in the workplace, the radioactive sources can get out of control or radioactive substances may begin to leak into the environment. In these cases, it is necessary to evaluate the radiation situation by means of measurement and monitoring both the external radiation and radioactive contamination of the air and the surrounding environment. For this purpose, a system of quantities and units has been developed for this purpose. If the system is not used correctly, this may cause serious confusion in some cases. Inappropriate use of quantities may also result in some misunderstanding regarding the evaluation of the severity of the radiation situation. The paper gives an overview of the relevant quantities and units in accordance with the latest recommendations of international organizations which are active in this area.

scholarly journals Passive Gamma-Ray and Neutron Imaging Systems for National Security and Nuclear Non-Proliferation in Controlled and Uncontrolled Detection Areas: Review of Past and Current Status

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 2638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajir Al Hamrashdi ◽  
Stephen D. Monk ◽  
David Cheneler
Keyword(s):  
National Security ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Neutron Imaging ◽  
Imaging Systems ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Nuclear Materials ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Global Concern ◽  
Radioactive Sources ◽  
Unstable States

Global concern for the illicit transportation and trafficking of nuclear materials and other radioactive sources is on the rise, with efficient and rapid security and non-proliferation technologies in more demand than ever. Many factors contribute to this issue, including the increasing number of terrorist cells, gaps in security networks, politically unstable states across the globe and the black-market trading of radioactive sources to unknown parties. The use of passive gamma-ray and neutron detection and imaging technologies in security-sensitive areas and ports has had more impact than most other techniques in detecting and deterring illicit transportation and trafficking of illegal radioactive materials. This work reviews and critically evaluates these techniques as currently utilised within national security and non-proliferation applications and proposes likely avenues of development.

scholarly journals BAPETEN SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY IN THE PROCEDURE OF TRANSPORTATION OF RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCE THROUGH THE SEA

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 447
Author(s):  
Shinta Hadiyantina ◽  
Dewi Cahyandari ◽  
Dhiana Puspitawati
Keyword(s):  
Precautionary Principle ◽  
Regulatory Authority ◽  
Radioactive Substance ◽  
Radioactive Materials ◽  
Important Thing ◽  
Supervisory Authority ◽  
The Precautionary Principle ◽  
Radioactive Substances ◽  
Transportation Process

<em>One important thing that must be considered in the use of nuclear and other radioactive materials is the process of transporting radioactive substances through the sea. This paper will analyze the optimization of the supervisory authority of BAPETEN in the transportation of radioactive substances, especially in the process of transporting radioactive substances by sea. Option to choose the sea because most of Indonesia's territory is the sea. If it has the authority, Bapeten's supervisory authority will then be analyzed in the process of transporting radioactive substances via the sea lane. Recommendations from this article are a form of juridical liability if an error occurs, which causes a loss in the process of transporting radioactive substances by sea. Because the process of transporting radioactive substances is essential in preventing the occurrence of radiation, the regulatory authority in the transportation process must be regulated in detail based on the precautionary principle, as well as the form of juridical accountability.</em>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document