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Review of Common Occupational Hazards and Safety Concerns for Nuclear Medicine Technologists^*

Nuclear Medicine Technology Program, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences, School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

Correspondence: For correspondence or reprints contact: Norman E. Bolus, MPH, CNMT, Room 444, Richard M. Scrushy Bldg., 1705 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35294-1212. E-mail: Bolusn{at}uab.edu

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to address common occupational hazards and safety concerns of nuclear medicine technologists. There are many possible occupational hazards, but this review is intended to concentrate on common hazards and safety concerns. These include radiation safety issues and concerns about the possibility of developing latent diseases, such as eye cataracts or cancer; pregnant workers and radiation safety issues; biohazard concerns associated with patient body fluids; possible low-back pain from moving heavy equipment and performing patient transfers; and possible repetitive trauma disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, from computer work. Suggestions are made regarding how to identify potential hazards and avoid them. After reading this article, nuclear medicine technologists should be able to explain the importance of the as-low-as-reasonably-achievable concept, discuss the possible effects of ionizing radiation on the adult and the developing fetus, list several basic principles to avoid injury to the back, list and describe the more common repetitive trauma disorders or injuries and how to avoid them, and list and describe the biohazard safety issues that nuclear medicine technologists face and how to develop policy to minimize exposure risk.

Key Words: radiation safety; occupational hazards; biohazard safety; patient transfer techniques; cumulative trauma disorders