Säteilyturvakeskus (STUK)

STUK investigates safety deviations in nuclear medicine

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The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) will investigate the most significant radiation safety deviations in nuclear medicine in 2023. The objective is to understand the causes of deviations, learn from incidents and improve STUK's own supervision.

In nuclear medicine, as in any activity, something unpredictable may take place. Incidents may be caused by a device failure or a human factor, for example. The reason may also be deficiencies in the guidelines or organization as well as combinations of all of the above.

“We are conducting a thematic investigation here. In other words, we are investigating information from several similar incidents. In this thematic investigation, each incident is investigated separately, but the results are also addressed as a single entity,” says Senior Inspector Hanna Kuivalainen, the head of the investigation.

Hanna Kuivalainen emphasizes that this investigation surveys precisely opportunities for development. “By investigating the root causes of these incidents, we can also make new recommendations that can further improve safety in the industry,” she says.

Investigations are conducted by examining deviations. The material is also obtained by interviewing the health care professionals involved.

Every year, more than 43,000 nuclear medicine examinations are performed in Finland, that is, examinations involving radioactive substances that are introduced into the body. Nearly 3,000 radionuclide therapies are performed each year by using radiopharmaceuticals. Nuclear medicine procedures are carried out by 26 health care units in Finland.

STUK receives fewer than ten deviation reports per year concerning nuclear medicine procedures. There are no known incidents in which the radiation safety of patients would have been compromised as a result of the deviation. In addition, the medical staff or bystanders have not been endangered.

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Contacts

Senior Inspector Hanna Kuivalainen , tel. +358 9 7598 8410

About Säteilyturvakeskus (STUK)

Säteilyturvakeskus (STUK)
Säteilyturvakeskus (STUK)
Jokiniemenkuja 1
01370 Vantaa

Mediapalvelu: 010 850 4761http://www.stuk.fi

Säteilyturvakeskus (STUK) on säteily- ja ydinturvallisuutta valvova viranomainen. Tehtävämme on ihmisten, yhteiskunnan, ympäristön ja tulevien sukupolvien suojelu säteilyn haitallisilta vaikutuksilta. STUKissa oli vuoden 2022 alussa yhteensä 336 työntekijää.


Strålsäkerhetscentralen (STUK) är en myndighet som övervakar strål- och kärnsäkerheten. Vårt uppdrag är att skydda människorna, samhället, miljön och de framtida generationerna för strålningens skadliga konsekvenser. I början av 2022 hade STUK sammanlagt 336 anställda.

Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) supervises radiation and nuclear safety in Finland. Our mission is to protect people, society, the environment and future generations from the detrimental effects of radiation. At the beginning of 2022 STUK had 336 employees.

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