What should a radiology department's emergency plan address for radiological incidents (spill, exposure, or contamination)?

• A. Incident command, containment, notification, evacuation, decontamination, medical evaluation, environmental monitoring, waste management, regulatory notification, and post-incident review.
• B. Only evacuation and medical evaluation.
• C. Only inventory and disposal of waste.
• D. Only immediate reporting to media.

Answer: (A)

Coordinated emergency management is essential for radiological incidents, ensuring protection, containment, and proper communication from the moment an event is detected through recovery. The plan should establish an incident command structure to coordinate actions and allocate resources, contain the spread of contamination, and quickly notify the right people—hospital leadership, the radiation safety officer, and relevant regulatory or public health authorities. If needed, evacuate affected areas to reduce exposure, then perform decontamination of people and surfaces to remove radioactive material. Medical evaluation and ongoing health monitoring are crucial for exposed or potentially exposed staff and patients, while environmental monitoring guides decisions about access, cleanup, and restoration. Waste management must handle contaminated materials in accordance with regulations, and regulatory notification ensures compliance and timely oversight. Finally, a post-incident review identifies lessons learned and updates the plan to prevent recurrence. The other options are too narrow, omitting key steps like containment, monitoring, waste handling, and regulatory reporting, or misplacing emphasis on communications.