Many workplaces use radiation and it is essential that employees understand the risks and protections in place.
ARPANSA has developed free Occupational Radiation Exposure (ORE) training for all people working in medical facilities that use ionising radiation. This includes hospitals and clinics that use X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans or nuclear medicine.
The ORE modules provide useful information and guidance for all medical and non-medical staff and can be tailored to different occupations including nurses, cleaning staff and radiologists. They are the first online training modules of their kind to allow participants to personalise material to their individual needs.
'ARPANSA is proud to have developed this important training material, which will support efforts for comprehensive and consistent radiation safety training of all staff working in medical facilities', said Dr Ivan Williams, Chief Medical Radiation Scientist at ARPANSA.
'We've already had uptake from a range of facilities across Australia and we've received positive feedback from clinics and staff.'
Empowering all staff with the information they need to understand the level of risk builds an informed workforce and also supports patient confidence and safety.
'Health risks from occupational exposure to ionising radiation are well managed in Australia and these training modules provide an extra level of reassurance and understanding,' said Dr Williams.
The ORE modules are interactive, use contemporary adult learning principles and have been developed with extensive feedback from industry.
They can be completed online or downloaded and used independently by medical facilities.
