X-Ray Radiation Safety at McMaster University

There are over 50 X-ray machines in use at McMaster! Whether you already own a machine or are looking to purchase a new one, you’ll find all the information on X-ray radiation safety here.

Health Physics X-Ray Permits

The installation, use and disposal of any x-ray machine in Ontario is governed by provincial regulations. Under McMaster University Risk Management Manual (RMM) 701: X-Ray Safety Program, responsibility for x-ray radiation safety is assigned to the McMaster Health Physics Department.

All x-ray machines at McMaster University are required to have a permit issued by the Health Physics Advisory Committee. A permit can be obtained by completing the X-Ray Permit Application Form on this page.

Provincial Registration

All x-ray machines must also be registered with the province of Ontario. Machines that are used on humans are registered with the Ontario Ministry of Health. Machines that are not used on humas are registered with the Ontario Ministry of Labour. The Health Physics Department will submit the registration to the province as part of the permit application review process.

Note that approval by the province may take some time and is an independent process – Health Physics cannot expedite the provincial review. Applications to the Ministry of Labour, in particular, may take up to 6 months to process. Please take these timelines into account when planning the purchase or acquisition of any new X-ray equipment, as X-ray machines may not be operated without both provincial approval and a Health Physics permit.

Additional Resources

This page contains additional resources related to the x-ray safety program including:

· Interlock & Safety System Test template – x-ray machine safety systems and interlocks are to be tested quarterly, and records must be kept with the machine.

· Authorized User List template – each x-ray machine can only be operated by authorized users who have received both radiation safety training from Health Physics, and operational training & approval for that specific machine from their supervisor. A list of authorized users must be kept with the machine.

To obtain Health Physics training, contact the Health Physics Department at hphys@mcmaster.ca.

· X-Ray Inspection & Survey template – Health Physics performs annual inspections of all x-ray machines. These will be scheduled and arranged ahead of time. The template is provided to help you prepare for these inspections.