Description

Radiation Protection Field Services (RPFS) staff administer and enforce:

  • occupational X-ray safety under Regulation 861 – X-ray Safety
  • safety requirements for the protection from ionizing radiation (in the form of naturally occurring radioactive materials, or NORM) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and
  • Safety requirements for the protection from non-ionizing radiation (electromagnetic extremely low and very low frequency, radio-frequency, microwave, magnetic resonance imaging, ultra-violet, laser) under the OHSA.

RPFS staff includes radiation protection officers (RPOs) who are appointed as:

  • inspectors under the OHSA, and
  • provincial offences officers under the Provincial Offences Act.

Radiation Protection Officers (RPOs) have the power to lay charges for violations of the OHSA and its regulations.

RPOs specialize in:

  • dealing with ionizing and non-ionizing radiation to protect workers’ safety at Ontario workplaces
  • conducting proactive inspections and reactive investigations to address workers’ concerns and work refusals
  • registering employers who have an X-ray source
  • reviewing/accepting installation plans of X-ray sources used in veterinary, industrial, analytical and training applications.

X-ray, non-ionizing radiation and NORM sources can be found in virtually every sector of the economy.

The number of employers with X-ray machines continues to increase every year. Installation approval of X-ray machines is also increasing, most notably in veterinary (addition of dental services), and security screening applications.

X-ray sources in key sectors are outlined as follows.

X-ray sources in the health care sector:

  • hospitals
  • radiological clinics (human medical and dental)
  • veterinary facilities.

X-ray sources in the industrial sector:

  • thickness gauges in steel/coating
  • fill-height detection in bottling/canning
  • contaminant detection in food processing, etc.

X-ray sources in the educational sector:

  • training of X-ray operators in medical, dental, forensic, chiropractic fields
  • non-destructive testing and security.

X-ray sources in the construction sector:

  • industrial radiography of buildings
  • pipelines, etc.

X-ray sources in the analytical services sector:

  • quality assurance/control
  • investigation in major manufacturing
  • testing and research.

X-ray sources in the policing sector:

  • courthouse security screening
  • public buildings security screening
  • correctional centres security screening including whole body scanners
  • bomb detection.

Injury and illness causes

  • Exposure to a hazardous physical agent (X-rays) may induce cancer, cause genetic damage, tissue damage or — in unborn children — developmental defects. The same can be said of external gamma radiation exposure and/or internal alpha/beta particle radiation exposure from the inhalation/ingestion of NORM).
  • High-powered lasers in industrial, medical, cosmetic and research applications may injure skin and eyes.
  • Safety issues related to a magnetic field of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system may result in an injury from a projectile or severe frostbite/freeze burns from exposure to cryogenic gas.
  • Radio frequency/microwave exposure can heat tissue.
  • Ultraviolet radiation can induce cancer and damage skin and eyes.

Radiation protection inspection focus

RPOs conduct joint workplace visits with Ministry of Labour inspectors who enforce the OHSA and its regulations at workplaces across the province. RPOs are involved when workplaces under blitzes have X-ray sources or other known radiation hazards. RPOs also conduct proactive inspections on their own initiative based on:

  • potential risk of radiation exposure
  • results of last visit to a workplace
  • history of non-compliance
  • X-ray application status and
  • elapsed time since the last visit.

As part of the Safe At Work Ontario strategy, RPOs, along with ministry inspectors, also devote special attention to certain sector-specific workplace hazards.

They take enforcement action, as appropriate, to any violations of the OHSA and its regulations.

In 2017-2018, the RPFS will proactively:

  • focus on inspection of dental X-ray source installations at veterinary facilities
  • focus on veterinary facilities with digital imaging systems
  • investigate the highest personal X-ray exposures at workplaces, with a particular focus on workers under age 20 (supplied by the National Dose Registry database, the repository for occupational X-ray exposures)
  • confirm registration and review X-ray sources and installations. Regulation 861 – X-Ray Safety requires employers to register; in addition, an application for review, together with plan location drawings, of the installation must have been reviewed and accepted by a ministry inspector.
  • follow up on rejected X-ray applications where no resubmission has been received by the ministry’s Radiation Protection Service
  • focus on cosmetic use of high power lasers
  • support ministry inspectors on any regional initiatives with a radiation protection component
  • support ministry inspectors on reactive or proactive visits to nuclear facilities where the ministry has authority to enforce the OHSA.

RPOs will also pay particular attention to enforcement focus topics and issues outlined as follows (the list applies mainly to veterinary facilities and other extended coverage workplaces).

  • Exposures to radiological hazards
    • Health hazards in veterinary care settings include:
      • use of radioactive elements in nuclear medicine (I-131 for thyroid treatment of cats)
      • physical agents such as X-rays
      • other radiation hazards such as MRI and lasers.
  • Availability of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS)
    • Veterinary care sector uses a wide variety of chemicals in liquid, solid and gaseous states. Endangered workers must have access to current MSDS and WHMIS training.