Regulation 10 requires the Employer to keep and have ready for inspection an updated inventory of all equipment which includes information about:

• name of manufacturer
• model number
• serial number
• year of manufacture
• year of installation

Regulation 4(2) requires the Employer to ensure that written protocols (or standard operating procedures) are in place for every type of standard radiological practice and each equipment (SI 2000 No 1059). The Healthcare Commission and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulator Agency (MHRA) have co-produced a useful poster highlighting the importance of maintaining equipment protocols – available at: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Publications/Postersandleaflets/CON038792 [2]

It is advisable that protocols are:

• reviewed regularly (usually every 2 years as a minimum and after notable change in process has taken place)
• amended (if required) only by key staff with that responsibility
• discarded if out-of-date
• updated if and when equipment manufacturers change hardware or software.