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#1 Posted : 10 January 2001 12:37:00(UTC)
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Posted By John Young Aviation Medical I have a teaser for those who are working in the Aviation or Diving world! As part of an aircraft engineers lot, he/she may be required as part of their duties to carry out ‘aircraft cabin pressure checks’. This will involve raising the cabin pressure to between 4.5 & 9 psi and remaining within. We currently provide engineers with a medical, repeated every 3 years, which is carried out by our Occupational Health physician. He has recently been advised that the MOD requires their engineers to have a chest x-ray, as a consequence he is recommending that we do the same. I have taken advice from other medical practitioners who do not believe that this is appropriate or desirable. This on the grounds that it unlikely to identify the medical conditions to which they are looking for. Before I commit the Company to an MOD policy, the origins for which we are unable to determine, I wonder if anybody else within the aviation industry or diving world is aware of a similar policy, and if so, what is the driver? Would appreciate your input. Please respond either through this forum or contact me on 01202 409000 Ext. 34523 - 07974 191325.
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#2 Posted : 11 January 2001 08:11:00(UTC)
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Posted By John Donaldson The question of X Rays for medical surveillance has come up in another forum which I belong to. One of my colleagues has contributed the following which puts it very clearly. “The European Medical Exposures Directive and the UK Ionising Radiations (medical exposure ) Regulations (2000) cover the use of x-rays for all such purposes. Any x-ray procedure carried out on an individual for whatever reason would need to be individually justified, i.e. the net clinical benefit to the individual (or in certain cases society as a whole) would need to outweigh the radiation detriment to the individual.”
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#3 Posted : 11 January 2001 11:22:00(UTC)
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Posted By Bryn Maidment Have you tried EMAS? You are quite right being dubious about introducing X rays for no discernible reason. Seems like your mental risk assessment is correct ............ and no numbers involved!! I'll have a word with my OH Physician see if he can give any benefit for X rays in your circumstances.
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#4 Posted : 11 January 2001 14:58:00(UTC)
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Posted By Bryn Maidment John The consensus appears to be that there is no apparently valid reason to conduct chest x rays on your staff. In certain circumstances such as in advanced congestive cardiac disease work in elevated pressure environments may cause fluid on the lungs which an x ray would pick up. However if a person were to be suffering from advanced CCD they would not be healthy nor in work. People with previous history of pneumothorax (which high pressure may exacerbate)may have x rays but only when they are suffering and again they are not going to be in work. Incidentally our 'fitness to work' bible indicates that those engaged in diving or working in hyperbaric chambers should have medicals every 3yrs under 40 but more frequently over. The only other medical issue, slightly outside your original question, was that of restrictions on staff working in high pressure with ear infections or colds. Please do seek an 'authoritative' answer, perhaps from EMAS, but your original assertion on necessity for x rays appears well founded ......... unless someone from MOD can come up with a better argument for them. Hope this helps Regards from University Hospital Lewisham!!
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