The hierarchy of hazard controls in clinical magnetic resonance safety: an analysis of the American College of Radiology Manual on MR Safety.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this work was to critically assess safety guidance and practices in clinical magnetic resonance (MR) using the hierarchy of hazard controls (HHC).

Methods: Publicly available, widely used guidance documents for MR safety practice were gathered. The most recent guidance, the American College of Radiology (ACR) MR Safety Manual (2024) was selected for detailed analysis. A 5-point scale was assigned to the various levels in the hierarchy of hazard controls, from Elimination (score=5, most effective) to Personal Protective Equipment (score=1, least effective). MR safety practices recommended in the ACR MR Safety Manual were surveyed and scored using the 5-point scale. The safety practices were grouped by category of hazard addressed (e.g. main field, radio-frequency field, gradient field).

Results: Overall, Administrative Controls were the most common controls, followed by Engineering Controls. Controls within each hazard category featured a range of HHC scores, and all categories were predominantly served by Administrative Controls.

Conclusion: The analysis presented in this work could serve as a tool to analyze choices made in the deployment of safety measures, to motivate decision- or policy-making, as a tool for assessment of MR safety programs, or as an approach to motivate future work in the design of hazard controls for MR.