In Germany, hazardous radiation is primarily generated in medical facilities. As these facilities are accessed via doors, x-ray doors are generally required. These doors are governed by DIN 6834-1. This standard regulates x-ray doors used to protect against X-rays and other forms of radiation.
Radiation protection is usually achieved by means of led cores integrated into the door leaf and, where necessary, into the door frame. The required thickness of this lead must be determined as part of a risk assessment or fixed in the radiation protection plan. The radiation protection plan must be created when installing an asset in accordance with DIN 6812, DIN 6844-3 or DIN 6853-2 and is the responsibility of the operator.
The thickness of the led core is fixed by the so-called lead equivalent (lead thickness in mm), the attenuation factor in mm or the attenuation equivalent in mm (attenuation factor in accordance with DIN EN 61331-1).
If, for example, the medical facility requires a lead equivalent (attenuation equivalent) of Pb 1 mm due to the radiation intensity of the equipment, lead with a thickness of 0.5 mm can be applied to each side of the door, as both sides of the door are included in the calculation.
In the door construction, care must be taken to ensure that oblique radiation is also shielded by the construction. According to DIN 6834-1, the gap between the door bottom edge and the upper edge of the floor must not exceed 10 mm.
The function of x-ray doors must not be impaired by fittings or additional equipment. This also applies to the wall connection. In practical terms, this means that these ranges must also be covered, for example with lead. The walls in which x-ray doors are built-in must also provide the necessary radiation protection.
X-ray doors do not require control, as is the case with fire or smoke protection doors. In principle, any door can be subjected to a structural alteration to become an x-ray door by fitting it with lead sheeting. Prerequisite: The door structure must be able to bear the additional weight permanently. Hence the recommendation: Such doors should only be produced by specialist firms.
