Standards · Standard or regulation
IRR17 and IR(ME)R 2017
Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 and Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017
In plain words
What it covers.
The UK laws on ionising radiation. IRR17 protects workers and the public: risk assessments, controlled and supervised areas, local rules, dose limits, radiation protection advisers and critical examination of new X-ray installations. IR(ME)R protects patients: every medical exposure must be justified and optimised, with clear duty holders and equipment quality assurance.
Who uses it: Radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy departments, medical physics, RPAs and engineers working on imaging systems.
A summary written by BMEssentia for learning, not the text of the standard. Always work from the current official edition and the manufacturer's instructions.
It covers
- Controlled and supervised areas
- Local rules and radiation protection supervisors
- Dose limits and personal dosimetry
- Radiation protection adviser (RPA)
- Critical examination of new installations
- Patient exposure justification and optimisation (IR(ME)R)
- Medical physics expert
Key points
What engineers need to know.
- Keep doses as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP): time, distance and shielding.
- The annual effective dose limit for classified workers is 20 mSv.
- Engineers must follow local rules and only enter controlled areas under the written arrangements.
- New or modified X-ray rooms need a critical examination before clinical use.
- IR(ME)R makes the employer, referrer, practitioner and operator each accountable.
- Unintended or excessive patient exposures must be investigated and may be reported to the regulator.
- Engineers must not change dose settings without the medical physics team.
Medical City
Where you practise it.
- Hospital Architect
- Room Builder
- Clinical Engineer Campaign
- Medical Device Mastery
- Installation and Commissioning
- S1-M040 CT installation
- S1-M044 nuclear environment
- S1-M051 linear accelerator
- S2-M092 radiation protection certificate
- Room Builder radiation zoning