MRI safety?

Question

I am writing from a small county in Europe that is not yet part of the European Union. A medical clinic has opened in a building that also has my children's school in one wing. The clinic has a MRI and also state of the art cat scans. What questions should I ask about the safety of this equipment in a building that has a school as well? I truly appreciate any guideance.

Answer 1

Just ask for proof that it's adequately shielded. Chances are, it is. I wouldn't worry about it.

Answer 2

Hello.
One safety question I guess would be "access". Is there easy access to the rooms containing the MRI and CAT scanners? It should be "impossible" for a child just to enter the room (without supervision) with the MR-scanner in it. -These scanners have a large magnetic field strength - but death by flying metalic objects is extremely rare. Obviously other medical devices should not be accessible.
Also regarding the MRI: This scanner maintains its superconductivity because of liquid helium. Regularly helium is brought in to refill it. These containers must be inaccessable to children. One more thing- in the case of an MRI-alarmstop - helium drains through tubes. Where do these tubes go?
To me the most important question would be the "access to the rooms containing the MRI/CT and other medical devices/equipment/material."

The danger of the surrounding magnetic fields around the MR-room (I would imagine) is extremely low.

I'm less sure about the CT though. You will want to know how much radiation-dose exactly could be obtained by walking in halls/and rooms surrounding the CT-scanner. The danger due to x-rays is extremely controversial. One doctor may tell you a scan is meaningless in terms of developing cancer. He or she may compare it to flying in a plane on a buisness trip - And someone-else may tell you to only take a scan if it is absolutely necessary. I know someone who believed that the employers who had died at one radiology department had a higher than average "cancer" as being the cause. - But this is speculative and radiologists/ technicians work very close to the CT-equipment.

I can imagine that the room next to the viewing room of the CT scanner is exposed to very very little radiation.

my priority questions:
access to room containing CT/MRI?
acces to medical equipment?
possible radiation dosage obtained?