Assessment of occupational exposure to external radiation for workers at the Radiotherapy Institutes in Tanzania (2019-2023): a case study of Ocean Road Cancer Institute in Dar Es Salaam.

Abstract

Examining occupational exposure to external ionizing radiation in radiotherapy facilities is crucial for evaluating regulatory compliance and technological progress. This study analysed exposure records for 158 workers at the Ocean Road Cancer Institute from 2019 to 2023, focusing on whole-body dose (Hp (10)) data. Over the 5-year period, radiotherapists, medical physicists, oncologists, nurses, engineers, nuclear medicine specialists, radiologists, and office attendants received an average effective dose of 0.60 ± 0.34 mSv, ranging from 0.1 to 1.3 mSv. The number of workers increased from 91 in 2019 to 158 in 2023. Doses exceeding 5 mSv represented only 8% of the total collective dose, with most individual doses remaining below 1 mSv. The annual average effective dose was below the global average, reflecting satisfactory radiation protection at the facility.