Radiographic viewing conditions at Johannesburg Hospital

PURPOSE: To measure the luminance level of X-ray viewing boxes and ambient lighting levels in reporting rooms as a quality assurance procedure, and to compare the results with those recommended by the Directorate of Radiation Control, South Africa (DRC), European Commission (EC) and Nordic Radiation Protection Co-operation (NORDIC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All the viewing boxes housed at the Divisions of Radiation Oncology and Radiology of Johannesburg Hospital had their luminance levels measured using a calibrated photometer. In addition the room’s ambient light was measured using a photometer. RESULTS: The mean average luminance was 1026.75 ± 548.65 cd m(-2) and 3284.38 ± 327.91 cd m(-2) at the Division of Radiology and Division of Radiation Oncology respectively. The Division of Radiation Oncology had an average viewing box uniformity of 7.14% compared to 27.32% at the Division of Radiology. The average ambient lighting was found to be 66.30 lux and 66.43 lux at the Division of Radiation Oncology and Division of Radiology respectively. CONCLUSION: The radiograph viewing conditions in Johannesburg variably comply with guidelines. This study underscores the need to implement quality control and quality assurance standards in radiographic image viewing.