MR Safety Training

 

Obtaining A New MR Scanning Badge

For NEW Yellow Large Bore Badges  (Bays 1-8)

  1. Complete the Health Stream Trainings (HERE)
  2. Fill out the Employee Screening form (*If you have already completed the screening form for a small bore badge please do not fill out again)
  3. Sign up (HERE) and attend one Safety Training with the MR Techs in person, in Bay 1.

* Health Stream trainings and Employee Screening Forms MUST be completed 1 week prior to the in-person Safety Training. If Health Stream training and/or Employee Screening Forms have not been completed 1 week before in-person training, you will not be allowed to attend the in-person training and will have to sign up for another in-person training after trainings and forms have been completed.

*If you have already filled out the screening form for a small bore yellow badge please do not fill out the form again. You may skip this step.

There is a limit of 20 spots per Safety Training. The first 20 people will get priority. If space fills up we will email you and you will be put on the list for the next Safety Training.

At the end of the in-person Safety Training, employees will receive their new Yellow Large Bore Training Badge, and a badge access request for the MRI bays will be submitted to Police and Security.

For NEW Yellow Small Bore Badges  (4.7T, 9.4T, 11.7T, 14T)

  1. Complete the Health Stream Trainings (HERE)
  2. Fill out the Employee Screening form. (*If you have already completed the screening form for a large bore badge please do not fill out again)
  3. Sign up (HERE) and attend one Safety Training with the Pre-Clinical Safety Team

* Health Stream trainings and Employee Screening Forms MUST be completed 1 week prior to the in-person Safety Training. If Health Stream training and/or Employee Screening Forms have not been completed 1 week before in-person training, you will not be allowed to attend the in-person training and will have to sign up for another in-person training after trainings and forms have been completed.

*If you have already filled out the screening form for a large bore yellow badge please do not fill out the form again. You may skip this step.

There is a limit of 20 spots per Safety Training. The first 20 people will get priority. If space fills up we will email you and you will be put on the list for the next Safety Training.

If you need access to the small and large bore scanners you will need to go through BOTH the Yellow Small Bore Badge AND the Yellow Large Bore Badge processes.

At the end of the in-person Safety Training, employees will receive their new Yellow Small Bore Training Badge. and a badge access request for the MRI bays will be submitted to Police and Security.

For NEW Green Badges

  1. You must hold a Yellow Large Bore Training Badge (previously called the Yellow Badge) for 4 months
  2. Complete the HealthStream Trainings (HERE)
  3. Email MRI-time to schedule your Green Badge test (same as before).

Before you schedule your  green badge test, please refer to the instructions below.

  1. The exam needs to be performed on a human subject or volunteer arranged by the requesting group, during hours when the core technologists are available to perform the exam.
  2. The topics outlined on the green badge test in the test rubric should be performed / demonstrated by whoever is attempting to obtain their green badge.
  3. Other study members present during the exam are not allowed to help aid someone with answers to questions asked for the test.
  4. Disregarding the metal detectors by any group member or subject is not allowed and would cause one to fail the test.
  5. Every effort should be made to schedule your green badge test during times when core technologists are at Martinos (Mon – Fri, 8:00am – 4:30pm).
  6. At least one other person with a yellow or green badge must be present during the exam (the technologist overseeing the test is not a substitute for the regular required personnel).
  7. Our expectations for those that obtain a green badge is that you should be able to safely work in the MRI environment, potentially needing to supervise others, including knowledge of the equipment you are using, and how to troubleshoot the scanner.Please take a moment to review the test rubric with the competencies required for passing the green badge test for scanning human subjects. If there are any competencies on the list related to equipment that you and your group won’t be using at all, then you wouldn’t have to worry about those particular items on the test.

Please let us know if you have any questions on any of the topics listed. We’re here to support you and your studies.

All green badge requests should be sent to “mri-time@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu” where we will help coordinate.

Optional Green Badge training session:

You can book a Green Badge training session for yourself, or for your lab (limit 5-6 people) by signing up (HERE). This is an in-person training with the MR Techs on to review the competencies on the Green Badge Test. All staff attending this training must already have a Yellow Badge.

For NEW Navy Badges

  1. You must have had 6 scan sessions and had a Navy Badge holder sign off that they observed you.
  2. Email Ethan French and Chris Farrar to schedule your Navy Badge Test. This is similar to the green badge test. The Pre-Clinical Safety team will observe one of your scan sessions.

Annual MRI Safety Recertification

You are required to complete annual recertification in order to maintain your badge status and access privileges. This applies to everyone with a Martinos scanning badge (e.g. yellow, green, navy, etc.). The only exception to this is for employees who have received their initial training badge, or have earned a higher badge status (e.g. green badge) after January 1st 2025.

2025 Recertification Deadlines:

  • April 3rd – Badge holders will be emailed instructions and links to complete the necessary steps for recertification.
  • May 31st – Recertification period ends. Employee MRI Screening Form and HealthStream completion are due.

Steps to complete your annual recertification (will be sent  with links via email):

1. Employee MRI Screening REDCap Form

Please review your screening information using the REDCap link emailed to you. If you have had changes to your screening information, please update the form, and check off at the end that changes have been made. Please make sure to sign and date the form before you submit it. If you have indicated that your screening information has changed, your response will be reviewed by the MRI Techs, and you will get a copy of their response. You will receive a confirmation email once your form has been reviewed.

2. HealthStream Training

Please complete the necessary HealthStream Trainings. These are not assigned to you.

  • Yellow In Training Badge for Large Bore Scanners (Bay 1-8)
  • Green Badge for Large Bore Scanners (Bays 1-8)
  • Yellow In Training Badge for Small Bore Scanners (4.7T, 9.4T, 11.7T, 14T Vertical, 14T Horizontal)
  • Navy Badge for Small Bore Scanners (4.7T, 9.4T, 11.7T, 14T Vertical, 14T Horizontal)

Zero Tolerance Policy

Breaching Safety Protocols:

Starting April 1st 2024 the center will have a new Zero Tolerance policy for breaching safety protocols. If someone is observed breaking one of these safety rules your badge access will be revoked.

In order to re-obtain your badge access you will need to attend the Yellow-Badge Safety training again with the MR Techs and you will be charged for the hour of scan time.

Safety Protocol that need to be followed at all times:

  • Scanning without the necessary staff being present
  • Leaving the bay unattended with the door to the magnet room (Zone IV) open
  • Bringing unapproved equipment into the magnet room (Zone IV)
  • Improper staff attire when at the scanner (open toed shoes, dress shoes with ferrous materials, etc.)
  • Not adhering to our patient/volunteer attire & patient padding policies (if ignored, could cause burns or artifacts)
    • Not using required 1cm padding
  • Ignoring the alarm on the metal detectors
  • Not wanding the subject prior to bringing them into zone IV
  • Lab members present in the console room that do not have a badge
  • MRI screening forms not signed prior to imaging

See something Say Something:

There are QR codes placed around the bays for you to report concerns that you see. If you see a concern, say something. Your response can be anonymous. We don’t want to get people in trouble but if we discover multiple people making the same mistake maybe we can do something about this.

FAQ

What happens if I didn’t complete my trainings/safety form by May 31st?

Your access will be revoked until you complete them. Once you complete the steps for the recertification, your access will be reinstated.

 If I scan in both small bore and large bore bays do I need to complete both trainings?

There will be HealthStream training for Large Bore and Small Bore access. If you need access to both you must complete both trainings. You are only required to submit one MRI Employee Screening Form on REDCap.

What if I don’t need access to the bays right now? Do I need to complete the trainings now?

No. If you are not currently scanning you can complete the trainings at any time prior to when you need access to the bays.

What if I recently received my yellow/green/other badge and did the HealthStream training? Do I still need to do the recertification?

No. Employees who have received initial training badge, or have earned a higher badge status (e.g. green badge) after January 1st 2025 are exempt from recertification until next year.

How do I book a Yellow Badge Safety Training?

You can sign up for the yellow badge safety training here. There is no cost to this.

How do I book a Green Badge/ Supplemental Training?

You can sign up for the green badge/supplemental training here. There is no cost to this.

What happens if I am found breaking a safety rule?

If you are found to be in violation of one of the safety rules listed here, your badge access will be revoked and you will no longer be able to scan at the bays until you attend the in person MR Safety Training with the MR Techs. There will be a fee associated with this training. You (or your PI) can decide what account to charge this to.

What do I do if I just need general access to the bay but will not be involved with scanning?

If you need access to the bays you will need to get a yellow badge and go through the yellow badge training. This is to ensure that everyone in the MR areas is safe. 

How do I test to see if an item of clothing is OK to wear in the bays?

If you are unsure about whether an item of clothing is safe to wear in the bay please bring it to the MRI office and one of the techs will help you test it to see if it is safe to wear in the bays.

I have a collaborating lab member that wants to observe a scan is this allowed?

Everyone in the MR area is required to be safety trained. If you believe there is a special scenario please email the MR Techs with the relevant information and this will be decided on a case-by-case basis.