Earlier this year, the BC Dental Association (BCDA) informed BCCOHP that its X-Ray Inspection Program was discontinued as a member service effective May 31, 2025.
This update is being shared for information and clarification of our earlier communication on this topic. The end of this program does not affect any BCCOHP requirements for oral health professionals. If you have questions about the discontinuation of the BCDA program, please contact BCDA directly.
Regulated oral health professionals are responsible for ensuring that the environments in which they provide oral health care meet relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
Please refer to sections 2.1 and 2.5 of BCCOHP’s Professional Standards for the Oral Health Team:
- “You must know and comply with all legal requirements that affect the provision of oral health care” (standard 2.1)
- “You must only practise in safe and hygienic environments” (standard 2.5).
BCCOHP expects compliance with Radiation Protection in Dentistry – Safety Code 30 (Health Canada), which includes maintaining regular radiation protection surveys (inspections). Page 50 of the safety code states that:
- “Facilities should contact the applicable regulatory authority to establish the survey schedule. If a survey/inspection frequency is not set by the responsible regulatory authority, surveys may be conducted every three years.”
Regulated oral health professionals who own or lease X-ray equipment are reminded that WorkSafeBC is the ‘applicable regulatory authority’ for radiation protection in British Columbia (per Safety Code 30). Part 7 – Division 3 of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation (Noise, Vibration, Radiation and Temperature) provides information on radiation surveys (inspections). Further to this, WorkSafeBC has supplemental Part 7 Guidelines for radiation exposure relating to radiation requirements, including a guideline G7.24(a) that clarifies how often to conduct and who can conduct radiation surveys which states that:
- “It is expected that the interval between radiation surveys/inspections will not normally be more than three years, except in the case of a typical dental bite-wing x-ray unit operating only at or below 70 kVp, where a maximum period of five years between surveys/inspections is acceptable because of the low power levels and the nature of usage.”
- “This guideline does not alter the requirements of Regulation sections 7.24(b) and (c) which require a survey/inspection to also be conducted if the equipment has been damaged or modified, or if there is an indication of an unusually high exposure of a worker to ionizing radiation.”
- “Performance of a survey
…. in BC, the OHS Regulation requires the employer to conduct the radiation surveys/inspections. The employer may contract with a specialist to perform the survey/inspection, but remains responsible for the survey/inspection being done with the required frequency and in accordance with accepted standard practice. WorkSafeBC prevention officers may review survey/inspection reports to ensure that the terms of the Safety Code and the Regulation have been met.”
Please contact WorkSafeBC with any questions regarding surveys/inspections.