Radiation therapy facility risk analysis in Brazil with SEVRRA software

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiological Safety
• Risk Management

Background:

• Risk assessment in radiation therapy is vital for identifying process vulnerabilities.
• Safety barriers are crucial technical or organizational measures to prevent or mitigate accidents.
• Radiotherapy facilities require robust risk management to ensure patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define parameters for an overall risk profile in Brazilian radiotherapy facilities.
• To support risk-informed decision-making and regulatory processes.
• To identify critical safety barriers for enhancing radiological safety.

Main Methods:

• Radiological risk analysis of 20 Brazilian radiotherapy facilities.
• Utilized the sevrra risk-management software for analysis.
• Identified missing barriers using importance, impacted facilities, and barrier-effectiveness indices.

Main Results:

• Identified 'in vivo dosimetry in the first treatment session' and 'weekly in vivo dosimetry' as highly effective barriers.
• 'Annual external audit for reference dose rate control' and 'independent calibration verification' were also highly effective.
• Highlighted the need to strengthen existing safety barrier mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Effective barriers are essential for reducing risk levels in radiation therapy.
• A comprehensive risk profile aids in prioritizing safety improvements.
• Continuous strengthening of safety barrier effectiveness is necessary in radiation therapy procedures.