Assessment of Health Risk from X-Ray Radiation on Staff Workers in Selected Gaza Strip Hospitals

Abstract

For over a century, radiation has been used in medicine. It is also considered as hazardous agent in the workplace. In governmental hospitals of Gaza Strip, there are few radiation protection programs, staff workers do not have the capacity or the required training and no regular monitoring of their occupational doses. This study aims to find out the risk of X-ray-level workers in departments of radiology in addition to the study of the relationship between the level of risk, and some demographic elements such as sex, age and experience. The study also aims to reach the recommendations that will contribute to improve awareness and reduce the level of exposure to radiation in eleven government hospitals that provide radiological services in the Gaza Strip.This study was implemented in eleven government hospital in the Gaza Strip that provide to patient radiological services. This study used a questionnaire containing 45 questions were distributed to 231 workers in the field through a personal interview, and collected readings of (TLD). The data analyzed by SPSS program. The results of the study show that: There is 31 rooms in the total of Gaza Governmental hospitals, with different sizes, only 9 rooms are not fit with the stander, seven rooms founded in all Al-Shifa hospital, one room in al-Dorra hospital and on room in al-Najjar. All rooms have lead in wall, windows and doors and following the stander designed with protection tools. 74.1% of the staff workers have TLD device, 37.3 % they did not put the TLD device through working and 6.5 % put the TLD in sometimes. 37.6 % have high level risk due to exposure to occupational radiation, while 35.6 % have low level of risk. 50.7 % of the participants having high knowledge about radiation have low level of risk, however the staff workers having low knowledge have high level of risk. The work place plays an important role in the occupational exposure with statistically significant P= (, 000). There was a statistically significant relationship between the occupational exposure risks among the staff workers in medical centers due to their gender. The results reported that increase level of risk with increase duration of work and expectance years. The result reported that there is statically significant between the protection tools available and the level of risk. Based on these findings, the study recommends, conducting training, implementation, monitoring, follow up and evaluation plans that play an important factor to avoid or minimize the risk level of occupational exposure.