General information

License holders of X-ray equipment must ensure and demonstrate that the room where the X-ray equipment is used is designed so that the general public outside the room is not exposed to radiation exceeding 0,25 mSv/year.

The Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority (Geislavarnir ríkisins) reviews drawings and approves shielding in accordance with the intended use of the room. The Authority charges a fee for the review of drawings in accordance with its tariff. It is strongly recommended that drawings for new or modified radiation facilities be submitted to the Authority for review during the design stage and before construction begins.

Dental X-ray equipment

For standard dental X-ray units, the Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority has established the principle that shielding requirements are considered met if the walls (including windows and doors, if any) in the area where the primary beam may fall have a shielding value equivalent to 0,25 mm of lead. An example of such an area around dental X-ray equipment is shown in Figure 1.

Greater shielding is generally required for all other X-ray equipment, including orthopantomography (OPG) units and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanners used by dentists.

Figure 1: Area where the primary beam may fall on the surrounding wall of a traditional dental X-ray unit (red line).

Requirements for drawings of the room

For the Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority to approve shielding, a drawing must be submitted, and the following information must be marked on it:

• Date and author

• Address and floor level

• Intended use (e.g., dental clinic)

• Activities in adjacent rooms, as well as on the floors above and below (if applicable), and the distance to the nearest buildings

• Construction materials of the walls in the rooms in question

• Type and thickness of shielding materials in walls, ceilings, and floors (as applicable)

  • Thickness and type of concrete, if it forms part of the shielding

  • Thickness and height of lead in walls

• Shielding in doors and windows, where applicable

• Location and type of X-ray units (e.g., conventional or CT scanner)

The Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority does not require that drawings showing shielding be prepared by a building inspector, architect, or similar professional; however, all the above-mentioned details must be included in the drawing.

Further reading

Shielding for X-ray facilities is addressed in Article 65 of Regulation No. 1299/2015.

More detailed instructions on the shielding of radiation facilities, including information on the shielding values ​​of building materials, can be found in the following publications: