[ RadSafe ] RadSafe Digest, Vol 581, Issue 1

[Hout, Jason D.]

""Four hundred and fifty micro micro Curies per one hundred centimeters
squared" described the presumptive surface contamination limit when
measured with an RM-3 radiac and using a DT-304 pancake probe.  The 100
cm^2 is the formalized estimate of the area covered by an eight inch
long and 'S' curved swipe sample with approved media.  Were the
Fukushima NPP workers so drilled they might not be having some of the
issues we're hearing."


I sure hope you are talking about the large variance of reported contamination and radiation values we are hearing out here (which are more than likely caused by the media's interpretation vice the technicians reporting the wrong value).  If you are referring to the accident and release of contamination I would conclude that no level of training could have prevented this.

I also am betting that they are not using a frisker and just multiplying their count rate by 5 (or 4.5 depending on how "accurate" you want to be) to assess the issue.  

Jason Hout