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We save your team unnecessary radiation exposure & time
Safe & Compliant Lead with No Stress
Undetected damage can compromise the safety of X-ray garments, leading to unwanted radiation.
Annual X-ray scans are best practice to keep your staff safe.
Scanning aprons yearly is time and resource-consuming. RCS removes the headache with our full-service platform.
X-ray Scanning is the Only Method
K. Lambert and T. McKeon performed a study to establish stringent rejection criteria for lead aprons. Their findings suggest aprons should be replaced when:
Defects exceed 15 mm² when over critical organs (thyroid and gonads).
Defects exceed 670 mm² when along the seams, in overlapped areas, or on the back.
Defects exceed 11 mm² for thyroid shields.
You are unlikely to feel an 11 mm² hole in the garment's attenuation when only using visual or palpation tests. An X-ray examination is necessary to ensure the safety of your staff and patients.
We Keep You Safe by Scanning Annually
We have too much evidence of dangerous attenuation damage and fast damage growth after X-ray scanning hundreds of thousands of X-ray garments year after year. Different states have varying regulations on how often lead aprons should be X-ray scanned, but at RCS, the best practice is to scan aprons yearly. It's the right decision to protect staff and patients from radiation.
Our Process
RCS’s proprietary RADCOMPLY™ software tracks when your garments are due for an annual X-ray scan.
Each garment due for an X-ray is scanned and noted for any damage outside of our recommended rejection criteria based on the K. Lambert and T. McKeon study.
RADCOMPLY™ houses scanned images and keeps them on file from year to year. Images are available via your smartphone by scanning the QR code on the tags we assign to the garments.
We build a master report for you, with details and images of each garment, from each department.
We leave it up to your team to determine whether to keep garments identified with damage in service.
A study found that small defects can progress rapidly, with an average increase in tears of over 270% in 10 months.
Case Study
Cost of In-House Garment Management
$171,538 or $338/piece
A new RCS customer was previously performing in-house integrity scanning, cleaning, and documentation for 508 lead pieces across nine departments. The year prior, 87 pieces were discarded due to the integrity of the lead or damages to fabric and attachments.
Time Spent
The staff estimated each X-ray garment took approximately 6 minutes to scan, wipe down, and document. Aprons with defects or heavy soil took over 20 minutes. The total annual scanning and documentation process took over 111 hours to complete for the 508 pieces, averaging over 13 minutes per piece.
Labor Cost
Techs worked in teams of two to complete the work, one minimum wage new tech and one tenured tech. For the 111 hours of work, the labor cost totaled $6,799.
Downtime Revenue Lost
The hospital shut down an examination room for the entire scanning period of 14 business days. The room averaged 11 exams daily, totaling $164,738 of lost revenue over the duration of the annual screening.
Study on Lead Apron Criteria for Rejection
K. Lambert and T. McKeon performed a study to establish stringent rejection criteria for lead aprons. Their findings suggest aprons should be replaced when:
Defects exceed 15 mm² when over critical organs (thyroid and gonads).
Defects exceed 670 mm² when along the seams, in overlapped areas, or on the back.
Defects exceed 11 mm² for thyroid shields.
Study on Practical Rejection Model for Lead Aprons
The study aimed to propose a practical model for evaluating defects in lead aprons based on ALARA principles.
The study found:
Aprons with defects exceeding 0.22 mSv, varying by the type of apron and location of tear, should be replaced (see Table 2.)
Semiannual inspection should be performed for aprons with marginal defects.
Small defects can progress rapidly, with an average increase in tears of over 270% in 10 months.
Proper handling and storage are crucial for maintaining the balance between economy and safety.
What Makes RCS Different
RCS has been leading the industry in X-ray garment compliance for over a decade.
Our processes go beyond wipes & sprays to ensure your garments are safe for patients and staff.
The Joint Commission and other regulators recognize RCS as a best practice solution.
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Lead aprons can develop cracks, holes, and tears over time due to prolonged use, improper storage, accidental impacts, and other factors. According to research from Radiography Open, such defects can compromise the apron’s ability to provide adequate radiation shielding, increasing the risk of unnecessary radiation exposure. For this reason, regular inspections are essential to detect any damage and ensure timely repairs or replacements using proper inspection methods.
How often should lead aprons be evaluated, and what is the process? We’ll break it all down step-by-step and explain how services like ours at Radiological Care Services (RCS) can help. By the end, you’ll feel better equipped to inspect and maintain lead aprons to keep your healthcare team safe while ensuring medical equipment remains in proper working order.
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It’s recommended that medical facilities conduct annual radiographic inspections of all lead aprons in use. Inspecting aprons regularly is important since even minor damage can worsen quickly and pose a risk to the wearer. A study by the Journal of Health Physics found that tears in lead aprons can increase in size by 270% in 10 months.
Radiographic inspections are important because an X-ray scan can catch early damage that isn’t always easy to see or feel. If those damages get missed, small holes can become a larger problem that affects the safety of clinicians. Using an inspection tracking system ensures that each apron is checked on schedule and helps maintain compliance with standards set by organizations like the Joint Commission.
The Importance Of Keeping A Lead Apron Inspection Log
Lead apron testing reports should get filed away so you can track the condition of garments over time and know when the next inspection date is.
Make a note of any marginal defects in lead aprons that don’t need immediate repairs. The previously mentioned study from the Journal of Health Physics recommended inspecting any lead aprons with marginal defects every 6 months to ensure worsening damage is caught and managed as soon as possible.
Busy healthcare facilities often face challenges in managing apron inventory, inspection logs, and testing reports. That's why at RCS, we've developed RADCOMPLY™—an intuitive inventory software solution designed to simplify and streamline this process.
When you partner with us, we handle all your radiographic inspections. After each inspection, testing reports are sent directly to you and automatically documented in RADCOMPLY™, ensuring your inventory stays up-to-date. Plus, you'll receive timely reminders when aprons are nearing their next inspection date.
If you’re not ready to upgrade to software, we have a lead apron inspection checklist template that you can use for free.
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The British Institute of Radiology recommends X-ray scans and visual assessments as a regular part of your lead apron inspection checklist. A tactile inspection is also helpful to identify any lead apron cracks, holes, or tears forming in the material. Here’s an overview of how each of these steps works.
Annual X-Ray Inspections
An annual X-ray inspection is the most important step since it identifies early damage you can’t always see or feel. You can conduct this inspection using a variety of equipment, including a traditional X-ray, fluoroscopy, or CT scan. During the process, avoid using objects like clipping ball points pens, which could puncture the lead lining.
The British Institute of Radiology recommends limiting exposure levels to 70 to 80 kV, which is enough to identify small tears or separations accurately while protecting the person performing the inspection.
That said, this process is costly and time-consuming for medical facilities to perform in-house. Therefore, it’s usually more efficient to outsource to services like us at RCS, which have a streamlined approach developed to make inspections easy.
Visual Inspections
Visual inspections aren’t as accurate as X-ray scanning, but they can help identify any obvious damage that needs immediate attention. To do them:
Lay the apron out flat on a table.
Inspect all coverings and seams for any visible cracks, holes, tears, or separations.
Check all belts and fastening devices to ensure they’re working properly.
It’s important to do visual inspections in addition to annual X-ray scanning. It is not a replacement for X-ray scans.
Tactile Inspections
After conducting a visual inspection, you can perform a tactile check to assess any obvious damage. Place the lead apron on a flat surface and gently run your hands over the material, feeling for lumps, cracks, or signs of sagging seams. This hands-on approach helps identify potential issues that might not be immediately visible.
Conducting tactile inspections alongside annual X-ray scans is important for thorough assessment and safety.
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The best practice is to perform an annual radiographic inspection for lead aprons and other protective garments, such as gloves, thyroid collars, and goggles. An X-ray scan can detect small damage that a visual or tactile inspection might miss.
Visual and tactile inspections can be done every 6 months, but understand that they’re best to identify obvious damage and don’t replace thorough X-ray scanning.
Inspection Of Lead Aprons: Criteria For Rejection
When cracks or holes are identified during inspection, it’s important to know when lead aprons are salvageable and when they should be rejected and disposed of. A study by K. Lambert and T. McKeon established rejection criteria that suggest that aprons and other protective garments should be replaced when damage exceeds:
15 mm² over critical organs, such as the thyroid and gonads
670 mm² along the seams, overlapped areas, or on the back
11 mm² for thyroid shields
We recommend checking with your facility’s Radiation Safety Officer to know your site’s requirements for lead apron rejection criteria.
When garments meet one or more of these criteria, RCS can provide lead apron disposal following proper regulations for human health and environmental safety.
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Thorough lead apron inspections and maintenance can be both costly and time-consuming. That’s why partnering with a service like ours at RCS is often a more efficient solution. We ensure that you’re doing everything possible to keep your staff safe while maintaining your lead aprons in optimal condition for the long term.
At RCS, we provide:
Streamlined inventory management with RADCOMPLY™
Ready to improve your lead apron inspection process? Contact RCS today to learn more.