Australian regulatory framework and reporting entities are hindering the lessons to be learned from adverse radiation events

Abstract

When adverse radiation events occur in the medical radiation science profession in Australia they are reported to the relevant state or territory authority. The details and cause of the incident are forwarded to the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to be included in the Australian Radiation Incident Register. The aim of any error reporting system is to learn from previous errors and to prevent them occurring again. The information obtained from past errors is one of the most invaluable tools to prevent future adverse events.This article examines the current regulatory framework, reporting systems and radiation protection authorities in Australia and their effectiveness at improving patient safety. Several obstacles must be overcome if the systems and organisations responsible for radiation safety are to meet the expectations of both the community and the medical radiation science profession.