Lesson 5.3 · 5 min

Protecting staff and patients, refresher training

Open in the coursewith narrated slides, a checklist to tick off and a quiz

At a glance

Only the patient. Only the person being examined may be in the useful beam. Dental X-ray has one exception: holding the image receptor.
Companions first. Holders come first. Anyone who has to hold for compelling reasons is protected; carers and companions are to be asked first.
Two metres. Without structural or other protection, staff keep two metres from the patient, the tube and the beam.
Two plus two hours. Anyone without that knowledge from their own training needs basic and dental X-ray training, at least two hours each, or radiation protection officer training.
Four hours in five years. After that, at least four hours of refresher training in intervals of five years, for everyone who takes X-rays or helps with them.

In detail

Who may be in the beam

Only the person being examined may be exposed to the useful beam. Dental X-ray has an exception for holding image receptors § 13(1) MedStrSchV. If someone other than the patient has to hold the receptor § 31(1) MedStrSchV: use holders where possible; anyone who has to hold for compelling reasons is protected, for example with protective equipment; and carers and companions are to be asked first § 13(4) MedStrSchV.

Protecting staff and patients

Enough protective equipment is kept and used where the procedure requires it and its purpose allows; for children in suitable sizes § 13(3), (5) MedStrSchV.
Operating staff keep at least two metres from the person exposed, the tube and the useful beam, unless protection is ensured by structural or other measures § 31(2) MedStrSchV.
The beam entry area is kept as small as possible; settings are adjusted for children § 28(1), (4) MedStrSchV.

Training

Anyone who takes X-rays or is involved in the practical side needs recognised training and specific knowledge of radiation protection § 9(1) MedStrSchV. If they didn't gain that knowledge in their training, they need the radiation protection training in Annex 2 or training as a radiation protection officer for the field § 9(2) MedStrSchV. For dental X-rays, the Annex 2 training has two parts:

Part	Length
Basic training, covering among other things radiation biology, law, image quality, dose and protective measures	at least two hours
Training for dental X-rays: units, optimising image and dose, quality assurance	at least two hours, one of them practical demonstration

Anyone already working on 6 February 2018, when the regulation entered into force, doesn't need this training. The refresher duty applies to them too; their first interval began in 2019 § 9(4) MedStrSchV § 45(1) MedStrSchV.

Refresher training

All these people take refresher training on the Annex 2 topics or for radiation protection officers, at least four hours in intervals of five years. The first interval starts with the year after they start the work § 9(3) MedStrSchV. The QSV requires the practice to see to it § 5 no. 9 QSV.

Checklist

Image receptors are held by holders or by the patients themselves.
If someone has to hold, it is a companion first, with protection.
Staff keep two metres away or stand behind structural shielding.
There is suitable protection and adjusted settings for children.
For each person we know the refresher interval and the next due date.

Quiz

Under the MedStrSchV, who should hold the image receptor first if the patient can't?

No one, then no X-ray is taken
The dentist
A carer or companion
The dental assistant

Show the answer

The answer is C: A carer or companion. If people must be used to hold for compelling reasons, they must be protected; carers and companions are to be asked first (§ 13(4) with § 31(1) MedStrSchV).

Sources

This lesson's statements rest on:

Not legal advice. What counts is the acts and regulations in the Federal Legal Information System and the Austrian Dental Chamber's regulations (read on 7 October 2026). The health minister's regulation with the criteria from 2028 (§ 9b(2) GQG) had not been issued on that day. Not covered are insurer contracts, billing, data protection in detail and the employer's duties under the Worker Protection Act in detail; there is a separate course on those at aschg.globalapps.top. Not an offer of the Austrian Dental Chamber, a regional dental chamber, the BIQG or the Chamber of Commerce.