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Healthcare FAQs

Midland Lead Lead Products for Healthcare

Your questions about lead products for the healthcare sector

It’s reassuring to know that lead is the most reliable barrier against x-rays – and that the use of lead sheet in x-ray applications is regarded as the safest form of shielding available, but…

…There are still questions. Should you choose plywood or plasterboard – is there a difference? What thickness of board do you need for adequate radiation protection? And how do you fit lead-lined boards?

We’ll answer some of the commonest questions here. But do contact us with any specific enquiries, or give us a call on +44 (0) 1283 224 555 and we’ll do our best to help you. 

Is plywood or plasterboard best?

Lead sheet can be bonded to various types of boards, and we don’t suggest that one type of board is better than another.

In most cases we use plasterboard/gypsum – an excellent choice for screens and window coverings. But other types of board are also available, including:

Should I use lead sheet only or lead-lined boards?

The great benefit of thin lead sheet is that it is so adaptable. It is a malleable material, so it can even be wrapped around pipes or used in aprons and curtains as well as being built into walls, doors and window frames.

Lead-lined boards provide heavy-duty protection even where there aren’t any walls for you to bond lead sheet onto. Lead-lined boards also provide portable protection, including x-ray screens.

 

What sizes of lead-lined boards can you supply?

We generally use 2.4m x 600mm x 12.5mm plasterboard/gypsum – and can supply boards up to a maximum length of 3.0m.

For other types of boards – plywood and MDF – we offer different thicknesses, from 4mm up to 25mm, depending on the board type.

If you’re choosing gypsum, please note that although gypsum boards are available up to 1200mm width, our standard width is 600mm. Any bigger and it gets prohibitively heavy and difficult to handle. It may also be more prone to breakages.

What is the delivery time for lead-lined boards?

Our turnaround times for plasterboard are very quick. We’ll get to work on making your order almost as soon as we’ve received it. We do have to wait for the bonding agent to work – and larger boards will obviously take a little longer – but we are usually ready to despatch your lead-lined boards within 3-5 days of receiving your order.

Delivery time on non-standard boards will depend on the type of board and the quantity requested. Give us a call on +44 (0) 1283 224 555 and we can give you a delivery estimate.

If you’re outside the UK, contact us, or give us a call on +44 (0) 1283 224 555 and we’ll discuss the likely delivery times with you.

How do I fit lead-lined boards?

Fitting lead-lined boards in a small dental or veterinary practice is relatively straightforward. We’ve prepared a handy guide to fitting lead-lined boards (in conjunction with a radiation protection advisor). For larger projects, please get in touch with us and we can refer you to an RPA or experienced healthcare project manager.

What are fillet backing strips?

Fillet backing strips are normal rolls or strips of lead that are fitted to the wooden battens or steel framework where the lead boards are joined together. They are normally 50mm wide and are supplied in the length and lead code of the lead-lined board.

We also supply corner strips which again are rolls of lead 100mm wide in the length and code of lead board shield.

Can you advise on optimum thickness of lead-boards for radiation protection?

The thickness of the lead you need is dictated by the x-rays (in kv) that you will be protecting against. We can supply thicknesses from 1.0 mm (giving protection against 75 kv) up to 9mm.

Recommended thickness of lead for x-ray protection

x-rays generated by peak voltage,
not exceeding:
Minimum thickness of lead (in mm):
75 kv 1.0
100 kv 1.5
125 kv 2.0
150 kv 2.5
175 kv 3.0
200 kv 3.5
225 kv 4.0
300 kv 9.0
400 kv 15.0
600 kv 34.0
900 kv 51.0

Please note that this information should be used as a guide only. Do refer to a radiation protection advisor for official approval.