Connections between categories of exposure in the hospital setting

Actions that ensure the radiological protection of staff and members of the public are often interconnected with those dedicated to the radiological protection of patients in hospital settings. For example, the staff radiation exposure in nuclear medicine and interventional radiology is related to the dose absorbed by the patient. Moreover, it is important to underline that the justification for everyone's exposure is largely driven by patient benefit. In this scenario, provisions to protect staff and the public should not impair those to optimise patient exposure or, more generally, limit clinical outcome. However, the presence of different categories of exposure is often reflected in regulatory systems where the management of the protection of patients and workers/members of the public can be quite separated. This scenario represents a weakness in the application of the radiological protection system in hospitals. In this article, some workers' exposure pathways in medical practices are described, also reporting what is already provided in ICRP Publication 139 on this topic. Finally, a proposal is made to facilitate the practical implementation of the system, with the intention of stimulating discussion.