General Care
a) Cleanliness
-Significant to departmental hygiene and functioning of equipment
- Specialised cleaning of floor tract as well as lubrication is worth while
- Daily cleaning routine and regular thorough cleaning interval should be maintained, accompanied
with equipment inspection.
b) Log book: Record keeping of faults and other relevant observations should be documented by the
Radiographer. This has several advantages:
- Ensures that minor faults and suggestive symptoms are brought to the attention of an engineer when
the next routine service is due
- Provides history and evidence of particular faults
- Makes information available to new personnels (e.g new engineer)
c) Brakes and locks
- Avoid moving equipments against its restrictions (e.g brakes and locks)
- Radiographers should ensure all the locks on the tube column of a portable x-ray equipment remain
firm before being moved about the hospital, to avoid sliding or swinging of parts upon movement
d) High tension Cables
- Avoid moving x-ray tubes or other electronic equipments in such a way that their movement becomes
inhibited by their cables or cables are stressed, this may lead to fracture
c) Meters and controls
- Careful attention should be paid to recordings on meters (mA, kV, mAs e.t.c) during exposure to spot
early any arising faults.
d) Tube stands and tracks
- when moving an x-ray tube, it's important to not allow it to gallop along and hit the end stops of the
track at full speed. Reasons:
- Tube column may jump the rails
- Possiblity of fracturing a filament in the insert, particularly if it's hot or even of shattering the
insert
.
- On completion of any bedside or similar examination, there should be a firm drill to ensure that the
Radiographer leaves the unit:
- Tidy,
- It's cables neatly coiled,
- The tube in a normal position on the column and
- All brakes tight, after which it may then be considered for to travel
e) Accessory Equipment
- Mobile tools/ equipments should be handled carefully and reported if damaged
- No piece of equipment should ever be subjected to force, to avoid further damage
CHOICE AND INSTALLATION OF NEW EQUIPMENT
Factors to consider include the following:
1. What is the new equipment needed for?
2. whether or not the equipment presently installed meets the needs of the radiologist and
radiographer.
3. Whether or not there are to be any radical changes taking place in the hospital in the forseeable
future which would alter the present requirements.
4. Other departments must be consulted and plans coordinated so that future as well as present
needs will be met.
5. It is important that equipment is selected which will meet these needs as closely and as
economically as possible.
6. It is important to visit other departments which already have the desired equipment installed so
that it can be seen under working conditions.
7. Discuss with the radiographers working with the equipment any good or bad points it may have
and how well it meets the needs of their department.
8. Find out from the superintendent any difficulties he has encountered with installation, servicing
and replacement of spare parts, etc.
9. Consider available space and best location for each piece of equipment. Ensure sufficient space
to patients and access to wheelchairs and trolleys as well as adequate space for Radiographers
to work in.
10. Ensure that doors and corridors in the hospital are wide enough to get the equipment to the X-
ray room and that the lift is big enough and powerful enough to accommodate mobile units etc.
11. Get the help and advice of the radiological protection advisor, an experienced hospital physicist
who will advise on the necessary protection requirements
12. The manufacturer's engineers, because of their experience in installing equipment in other
hospitals should also be consulted at an early stage, they will decide prerequisites for the
machine.
13. Ensure that any pre-installation work is completed to schedule so as to avoid delays in the
installation of the equipment
14. Make sure that equipment delivered to the hospital prior to installation is safely stored in dry
accommodation.
15. After installation check all mechanical movements, scales, locks etc. Ensure that all scales are
reading correctly
16. Carry out the quality assurance tests described in to provide a basis against which future
performance can be judged.
17. Finally ensure that all radiographers are familiar with the equipment and its controls before the
first patient is examined.
