Which authority may require the use of personnel monitoring devices at its discretion?

• A. DHEC
• B. FDA
• C. OSHA
• D. EPA

Answer: (A)

Regulatory bodies decide when personnel monitoring is required in radiographic work, because dosimetry helps track and limit occupational radiation exposure. State licensing authorities have the primary responsibility to enforce radiation safety in dental facilities within their borders, and they can impose dosimetry requirements at their discretion to protect workers and ensure compliance with state rules. The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is the agency in SC that can set these specific requirements for dental offices, tailoring them to local practice and risk. Other agencies—FDA focuses on device safety, EPA on environmental regulation, and OSHA on general workplace safety—do not typically exercise the same state-level, discretionary dosimetry mandates for dental offices. Therefore, the state health department is the authority most likely to require monitoring devices at its discretion.