3 - Hazards

Abstract

This chapter describes different types of hazards and ways to prevent. It presents some rules that should be observed in hospital theaters. To prevent explosions and fire one must wear cotton clothing, as wool and nylon garments are potential dangers. It is important to make sure that humidity is at least 55% to avoid any accident because of explosion or fire. The chapter also discusses some points to prevent radiation hazards: (1) when X-rays are being taken, all staff must be protected adequately with lead aprons, shields or gloves, particularly during angiography; (2) all staff who are constantly working in X-ray theatres should wear some monitoring device that must be checked regularly; (3) any losses or breakages of radioactive sources in the operating theatre must be reported at once to hospital radiation safety officer; and (4) when sealed sources of gamma rays are being inserted, that is, radium needles, gold seeds, cesium or cobalt, the sources should not be touched by hand, they should be removed from their protective containers with long-handled forceps just before use, sterilized in lead protected containers, and transferred to a sterile covered lead trolley.