Radiation safety in diagnostic imaging aims to minimise radiation exposure to patients, staff, and the public while maintaining adequate image quality. Because X-ray imaging involves ionising radiation, understanding radiation protection principles is essential for safe clinical practice.

Key concepts include absorbed dose, equivalent dose, effective dose, and the biological effects of radiation. Radiation protection is guided by the principles of justification, optimisation, and dose limitation, with optimisation commonly implemented through the ALARA principle (As Low As Reasonably Achievable).

Practical radiation protection strategies include appropriate collimation, shielding, optimisation of exposure parameters, and maintaining adequate distance from radiation sources.

Radiation safety is consistently tested in FRCR, ABR Core, and RANZCR examinations, particularly in questions relating dose measurement units, shielding materials, and strategies for dose reduction.

This section contains board-level questions covering radiation protection principles, dose measurement, biological effects, and safe imaging practice.

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