A vet, John Kenward, of Maidstone, has been fined after telling an equine intern to X-ray her foot using the practices X-ray kit.
The 25-year-old intern was stood on by a horse, and feared she had broken her foot.
Mr Kenward, also the practice director, had suggested she use the practice X-ray kit to check. The intern did this, deduced there was no break, and returned to work.
The Radiation Protection Supervisor then noticed a human image on the processor, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was contacted.
Mr Kenward was ordered to pay £1,296 after admitting a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Cedrec's take
The vet was rightly disciplined for this error in judgement. The entire practice was at risk of repercussions due to this mistake, however well-intentioned it was. While the intern would have been X-rayed at hospital after a wait, she would have been covered by the personal dosemeter to protect her from the harmful beam, and the hospital would have followed correct protocol, leading to no fines, no disciplines and an avoidance of this incident.
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