Procedures, Reporting, Traceability and Quality Management
The document trail
A written procedure describes what is done and why: scope, references, personnel requirements, equipment, surface preparation, technique, image quality checks, acceptance criteria, records and reporting. A technique sheet is the part-specific implementation. The report records identification, standard and revision, procedure and technique references, equipment and source data with activity at the date of use, exposure parameters, image quality results, findings, evaluation, acceptance statement and signatures. Each radiograph must be traceable to the report through unique identifiers and location markers.
Quality management
Personnel certification follows ISO 9712 or an equivalent scheme with defined training, experience and examination. Laboratories operate under ISO/IEC 17025, inspection bodies under ISO/IEC 17020, and manufacturers under ISO 9001 quality systems. Calibration and verification cover densitometers, X-ray meters, dosimeters, IQIs, viewing equipment and source activity records. Consumables need batch records and shelf-life control. Nonconformities trigger corrective action and, where relevant, a hold on the affected items. Internal and external audits check that practice matches procedure.
Traps
Reporting a result without stating the acceptance class; omitting the standard revision; failing to record the isotope activity date so exposure times cannot be reconstructed; and assuming a calibration certificate alone proves traceability without the associated readings.
Rule of thumb
Someone with no access to the original radiographer should be able to repeat the exposure and re-evaluate the image from the report and technique sheet alone. If a field is missing, traceability is broken.