Overview of radiation safety and protection plans
Radiation businesses need a Radiation Safety and Protection Plan (Plan) for their radiation practice.
You will need to submit a proposed Plan with your Possession Licence application.
This page contains the following approval to change application form:
And the following Radiation Safety and Protection Plan templates:
What is a Radiation Safety and Protection Plan?
Your Plan specifies the actions to protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of the radiation that will be used your business.
The Plan is about:
- Identifying the radiation hazards and accountabilities of the organisation and individual staff.
- Governing the business in a transparent and auditable way to ensure radiation safety.
- Managing risks to prevent harm to people and the environment as a result of radiation exposure.
- Assessing and improving the radiation safety measures that are in place.
Most businesses will need to develop a Radiation Safety and Protection Plan to suit their radiation practice type and business conditions.
The Plan needs to be readily available to, and easily understood by, all people in the business. Successful Plans are developed collaboratively by all parties in the business to ensure ownership and embed a shared radiation safety culture.
Template Plans for small dental and veterinary businesses
You can use a template Plan if you are small intra-oral dental or veterinary business and it is suitable for your radiation practice. Alternatively, you may adapt it to better suit your business. All plans will need to be submitted for approval with your Possession Licence application.
If you choose to adopt the template plan:
- include the name of the Possession Licence applicant
- sign and date the plan
- submit the plan with your Possession Licence application.
If the template plan is not suitable for your business, you will need to develop a Radiation Safety and Protection Plan to specifically suit your practice. For example, the template Plan is not suitable, without modification, if your business includes multiple premises.
Intra-oral dental business Plan template
Intra-oral dental diagnostic radiography RSPP (PDF 98 kB)
Include the name of this Plan in your Possession Licence application if you choose to use it for your dental radiation practice.
A toolkit (PDF 36 kB) is available to assist you to meet your legislative responsibilities as the Possession Licensee for the radiation practice.
The toolkit includes:
- checklists to assist staff in performing their duties, including:
- an annual checklist for Radiation Safety Officers
- a daily operational checklist for the radiation practice
- a monthly operational checklist for the radiation practice
- a 6 monthly operational checklist for the radiation practice
- guidance on how to maintain a manual film processor (if relevant)
- guidance on digital image optimisation
- a contact list for radiation safety and compliance
- an X-ray inventory list
- an X-ray exposure register
- a training record
- a maintenance record.
Veterinary business Plan template
Small animal plain film veterinary diagnostic radiography RSPP (PDF 176 kB)
Include the name of this Plan in your Possession Licence application if you choose to use it for your veterinary radiation practice.
Change a Plan
A change needs to be made when there is a significant change to the practice.
For example, you are replacing one type of radiation equipment with a different type of radiation equipment or transitioning from paper based to electronic image/dosimeter registers.
The Plan for your business can be changed in two ways:
- As the Possession Licensee you can apply for approval to change the Plan for your radiation practice.
- The Chief Executive can give written notice of a change to your Plan.
Apply for approval to change your Plan
Application for an Approval to Change an Approved Plan (PDF 843 kB)
Use this form if you are a Possession Licensee and seek to make changes to your Plan.
Approved changes
Within 14 days of the changes to your Plan being approved you will need to return to Radiation Health:
- your Plan with the approved changes applied
- your Possession Licence.
You will be given an updated licence with the new approved Plan listed.
Written notice of a change to your Plan
If the Chief Executive makes a change to your approved Plan you will receive written notice that details the changes.
You are able to make a written submission about any of the changes made by the Chief Executive.
Within 14 days of receiving the notice you will need to return to Radiation Health:
- your Plan with the changes that were detailed in the written notice applied
- your Possession Licence.
You will be given an updated licence with the new approved Plan listed.