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New ionising radiation regulations to come into force
Under the new 'graded approach', radiation employers will need to notify, register or get consent, depending on the level of risk involved in their work.
Practices will be required to register with HSE

Veterinary practices using diagnostic radiography will need to register with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), under new regulations coming into force from 1 January, 2018.

Those with multiple sites will only need to register once. Some sites may also be required obtain consent.

The Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017 (IRR17) are set to replace existing regulations (IRR99), which may impact the way veterinary practices work.

Some of the changes include*:

  • how you tell HSE that you work with ionising radiation
  • the dose limit for exposure to the lens of the eye - from 150mSv to 20mSv in a year
  • a requirement to put in place procedures to estimate doses to members of the public
  • recording and analysis of significant events, i.e radiation accidents
  • removing the subsidiary dose limit for the abdomen of a woman of reproductive capacity.
* List not necessarily exhaustive

Under the new 'graded approach', radiation employers - which will now be referred to as 'employers' - will need to notify, register or get consent, depending on the level of risk involved in their work.

Ionising radiation occurs as either electromagnetic rays (such as X-rays and gamma rays), or particles (such as alpha and beta particles). It occurs naturally, e.g. radon gas, but can also be produced artificially.

Veterinary practices are advised to contact their radiation protection adviser (RPA) for advice on how the new regulations may affect them. Further information can be found on: www.hse.gov.uk/radiation/ionising

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.