ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a number of safety issues that are pertinent to modern radiation therapy. The need for a safe and accurate delivery of radiation to the patient is clear because errors can be catastrophic and irreversible. The chapter describes how the philosophy of quality assurance surrounding radiation oncology is shifting from merely being a prescriptive set of "rules" to a comprehensive set of checks based on an individual clinic's needs and accepted standards of practice. Furthermore, the industrial concepts of safety, as applied to radiation therapy, were explored. These industrial concepts of safety include how a safety culture can enhance the working environment and how a failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) can highlight risky practices and then direct resource allocation to solve or mitigate those risks. A root cause analysis is reactive and is used after an event, whereas the FMEA is prospective, aiming to discover weaknesses or sources of error before they have their effect.
