[ RadSafe ] ANSI Standards for Portals, Meters and Dosimetry.

[Tom Hazlett]

Actually, Pete Chiaro and Laticia Pibida at NIST are running the show 
for the ANSI standards.
Currently there are standards for portals, identifiers and personal 
dosimeters. 

ANSI N42.32:  Performance Criteria for Alarming Personal Radiation 
Detectors for Homeland Security
This standard describes design and performance criteria along with 
testing methods for evaluating the performance of instruments for 
homeland security that are pocket sized and carried on the body for the 
purpose of detecting the presence and magnitude of radiation. This 
standard specifies the performance criteria for radiation detection and 
measurement instruments that may be used in a variety of environmental 
conditions.  The performance criteria contained in this standard are 
meant to provide a means for verifying the capability of these 
instruments to reliably detect significant changes above background 
levels of radiation and alert the user to these changes.

ANSI N42.33:  Radiation Detection Instrumentation for Homeland Security
This standard establishes design and performance criteria, test and 
calibration requirements, and operating instruction requirements for 
portable radiation detection instruments.  These instruments are used 
for detection and measurement of photon emitting radioactive substances 
for the purposes of detection and interdiction and hazard assessment. 
 The informative annexes of this standard provide reference information.

ANSI N42.34:  Performance Criteria for Hand-Held Instruments for the 
Detection and Identification of Radionuclides
This standard addresses instruments that can be used for homeland 
security applications to detect and identify radionuclides, for gamma 
dose rate measurement, and for indication of neutron radiation. This 
standard specifies general requirements and test procedures, radiation 
response requirements, and electrical, mechanical, and environmental 
requirements.  Successful completion of the tests described in this 
standard should not be construed as an ability to successfully identify 
all isotopes in all environments.

ANSI N42.35:  Evaluation and Performance of Radiation Detection Portal 
Monitors for Use in Homeland Security
This standard provides the testing and evaluation criteria for Radiation 
Detection Portal Monitors to detect radioactive materials that could be 
used for nuclear weapons or radiological dispersal devices (RDDs). 
Portal monitors may be used in permanent installations, in temporary 
installations for short-duration detection needs, or as a transportable 
system. These systems are used to provide monitoring of people, packages 
and vehicles to detect illicit radioactive material transportation, or 
for emergency response to an event that releases radioactive material.  


...ODP issued a requirement that emergency responders could not purchase
Portals, Survey Meters, and Dosimetry with ODP money unless the equipment
met New ANSI Standards....

Any devices that is tested will be placed on the DHS list regardless of 
its performance. Devices simply have to be tested.   DHS is to take the 
test data and format it in a "Consumer Report" type table.  that table 
should be available soon after the second round of testing..

There are problems with some of the standards as written that are too 
much to go into here. That said, I think that for a first cut the 
standard and testing  went ok for N42.34 the standard for radionuclide 
identifiers.  I expect that a revision of some of the standards will be 
considered after the testing is completed and any shortcommings are 
uncovered. 

Contact Pete Chiaro at NIST for additional input.

Tom Hazlett
XRF Corp.



sandyfl at earthlink.net wrote:

>Hi Tony,
>
>Yes, there is some contradictory policies in play here.
>
>The ANSI N42 Committee is not under the HPS Secretariat, and as such, 
>is not within my direct involvement in my capacity as Chair, HPS 
>Standard Committee.
>
>Here is the ANSI N42 website, that may shed some light:
>
>http://standards.ieee.org/getN42/
>
>For additional information, I suggest contacting Morgan Cox for 
>answers to some of your questions, since Morgan is significantly 
>involved with these Standards morgancx at swcp.com
>and also Mike Unterweger, NIST, also significantly involved
>michael.unterweger at nist.gov
>
>Good luck on finding rationale behind the scenes!
>-------------------------------------
>Sandy Perle
>Senior Vice President, Technical Operations
>Global Dosimetry Solutions, Inc.
>2652 McGaw Avenue
>Irvine, CA 92614 
>
>Tel: (949) 296-2306 / (888) 437-1714  Extension 2306
>Fax:(949) 296-1902 
>
>E-Mail: sperle at dosimetry.com
>E-Mail: sandyfl at earthlink.net 
>
>Global Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com/ 
>Personal Website: http://sandy-travels.com/ 
>
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