DOSIMETRIC QUALITY ASSURANCE INTERPRETED FOR ISO 17025 IN PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND'S PERSONAL DOSIMETRY SERVICE

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Protection
• Metrology

Background:

• Individual monitoring services (IMSs) possess extensive experience in high-quality dosimetry.
• Rigorous quality assurance (QA) procedures are commonly employed by IMSs to ensure accurate dose measurements.
• A gap exists in understanding the alignment between typical IMS QA practices and ISO 17025 requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To interpret and map existing quality assurance (QA) procedures of an individual monitoring service (IMS) against ISO 17025 requirements.
• To evaluate the suitability of current QA practices for compliance with international standards.
• To inform the development of new services by aligning QA with ISO 17025.

Main Methods:

• Review and analysis of the Personal Dosimetry Service's established QA procedures.
• Interpretation of QA procedures in the context of ISO 17025 accreditation criteria.
• Application of this interpretation to both existing service operations and the development of a new dosimetry service.

Main Results:

• The study provides a clear interpretation of how the Personal Dosimetry Service's QA procedures relate to ISO 17025.
• It demonstrates a practical approach to aligning experienced-based QA with international standards.
• The findings facilitate the operation of existing services and the creation of new ones.

Conclusions:

• Individual monitoring services can effectively map their QA procedures to ISO 17025 requirements.
• Public Health England's Personal Dosimetry Service offers a model for QA interpretation and implementation.
• Alignment with ISO 17025 enhances the credibility and quality of personal dosimetry services.