The following need to be considered to comply with current radiation protection legislation.

  1. A registration with the Health and Safety Executive needs to be obtained before X-rays are used for the first time in your new dental practice. The registration website is: https://services.hse.gov.uk/bssd/

    Full details of the registration process, including information on completing the HSE’s online registration form, can be found in the FAQ section of our website.

  2. The practice must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.

    Details can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/organisations-we-regulate

  3. Appoint a Radiation Protection Adviser (legally required under Ionising Radiations Regulation 2017 (14)).

    To do this request a quotation from Dent RPA (click here for quotation form). You will receive an instant online quote for Dent RPA to act as your Radiation Protection Adviser. A written contract will be provided within 48 hours of accepting our quote by telephone or email.

  4. Appoint a Medical Physics Expert, as legally required by the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017.

    Dent RPA will automatically act in this capacity when appointed as Radiation Protection Adviser for a practice and no separate appointment need be made.

  5. Submit plans of the practice to one of the Dent RPA Radiation Protection Advisers who will advise on the shielding requirements and radiation protection arrangements.

    The plans should give room dimensions and show the position of the X-ray equipment and control console. Details of the construction of walls and the occupancy levels of surrounding areas should also be given where possible. Plans should be emailed to RPA@dentrpa.com Please do this as early as possible in case changes to the layout need to be made or additional protection required. This service is normally only available to customers who sign up for a three-yearly RPA contract and the assessment is usually included in the agreement. The RPA specification provided by Dent RPA constitutes a significant part of the requirement to carry out a Radiation Risk Assessment prior to carrying out work with ionising radiation, mandated under Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (8).

  6. Arrange for the Critical Examination of the X-ray equipment to be performed.

    The installer will usually perform the Critical Examination following installation and this should be sufficient to ensure that the equipment is safe for use. However, Dent RPA are able to offer this service where the installer is unable to arrange the testing. We usually require at least two weeks’ notice, but will try and accommodate all requests. Please note that it is a legal requirement that such tests are carried out before the equipment is put into clinical service.

  7. Appoint a Legal Person who takes overall responsibility for radiation protection matters.

    This is usually the practice manager or owner.

  8. Appoint a Radiation Protection Supervisor to oversee day-to-day radiation protection matters.

    Dent RPA provides its customers with a comprehensive handbook for Radiation Protection Supervisors to define the role and enable them to manage their duties in accordance with current legislation. Our online radiation protection training (free to clients) is also designed to cover the syllabus for RPSs for a dental practice. The RPS appointment should be in writing and Dent RPA customers can use the proforma letter in the Resources section of the website (under My Toolbox).

  9. Ensure that Employer’s Procedures and Protocols for Medical Exposures are in place. This is a legal requirement under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017.

    Dent RPA provides its customers with a set of IRMER procedures and protocols that have been written to meet this requirement. These should be allow dental practices to meet these IRMER obligations with the minimum amount of local customisation.

  10. Once the practice is operational, you will also need to consider issues such as an ongoing workplace risk assessment, the in-house quality assurance programme and equipment-specific training records.

    Dent RPA staff will guide you through the process and the dentrpa.com website has a comprehensive range of resources to make the process straightforward and efficient.