The Radiation Safety Institute of Canada has considerable expertise in shielding calculations appropriate for each regulatory environment and for a large variety of x-ray equipment, whether used for human diagnostic x-rays or industrial applications.
The safety of structural shielding for x-ray emitting devices below 1 MeV is governed by the applicable provincial or territorial regulations. Health Canada provides useful guides that include information on how to perform radiation shielding calculations, as does the US National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP). It is important, however, that you select the guideline and calculation methods deemed acceptable in your province or territory, as not all methods are acceptable for regulatory agencies in all provinces.
Using scale drawings, equipment specifications and expected equipment workload, the Radiation Safety Institute can provide advice on the thicknesses of lead or concrete shielding required in walls, doors, floors and ceilings to ensure that radiation levels are kept below regulatory expectations.
The Institute can also assist with regulatory submissions in most provinces. Please note that we cannot provide this service for dental or medical x-ray submissions in Ontario, as the Institute is responsible for reviewing such submissions on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.
Contact us today to assist you with your shielding design and (where possible) regulatory submission!
