The radiation protection audit is an essential practice: it ensures that company activities involving ionizing radiation comply with regulations and best safety practices.
During the audit, various elements are examined, with the goal of identifying potential risks and areas for improvement to ensure a safe working environment.
In this article, we explain how the radiation protection audit is conducted and how it can be incorporated into a company improvement project.
Radiation protection audit planning and preparation
Radiation protection audit planning and preparation are crucial steps: during this phase, specific objectives are defined, areas of concern are identified, and assessment procedures are established, all in relation to the characteristics of the environment.
Audit objectives may include assessment of regulatory compliance, effectiveness of training programs, maintenance of radiological equipment, and management of radioactive waste.
It is also important to plan audit activities, such as field inspections, review of company documentation, and interviews with personnel. During preparation, evaluation criteria and data collection and analysis methodologies are defined. Questionnaires and reporting templates are also developed to record and document audit results accurately and completely.
Detailed planning and preparation ensure that the audit is conducted systematically, objectively and in accordance with the required standards, enabling areas for improvement to be effectively identified and targeted corrective actions to be taken.
Also read “Come si esegue il controllo radiometrico in azienda?”
Audit execution: data collection and verification
During the execution of the audit, data is collected and business practices are verified through a systematic and detailed approach.
The professionals in charge of the audit are Radiation Protection Experts (EDRs) who conduct field inspections to directly verify radiological equipment, operating procedures, and safety practices in place; environmental and working conditions are also assessed to identify any additional risks.
In addition to field inspections, relevant company records, such as operations manuals, quality control records, training programs, and radiological waste management plans, are closely examined.
During the audits, interviews are also conducted with personnel involved in radiological activities to assess their understanding of safety procedures and protocols, as well as to gather feedback and suggestions for improving existing processes.
Improvements and corrective actions
Based on the data collected, processes aimed at identifying possible improvements and corrective actions are activated. Audit results are analyzed to identify any areas of nonconformity, inefficiencies, or potential risks: radiation monitoring data, incident or anomaly reports, and any reports of nonconformity are analyzed.
Once critical points are identified, targeted improvements and corrective actions are determined. These may include updating operating procedures, introducing new quality control measures, implementing additional training for staff, or optimizing radiological infrastructure and equipment.
It is critical that corrective actions are well documented, planned in detail, and monitored over time for their effectiveness in mitigating identified risks. Likewise, the involvement and collaboration of all company personnel is important.
Continuous radiometric audit: monitoring and adaptation of practices
Radiometric auditing is a fundamental requirement, in terms of efficiency and safety, for all entities that make use of ionizing radiation-based technologies.
It is therefore a process that cannot be limited to a periodic analysis, but evolves into a continuous cycle of monitoring, evaluation and adaptation of policies and procedures.
This approach not only improves regulatory compliance but also contributes to an informed and responsible corporate culture regarding radiation protection.
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