Alarm checks on PED's

["Merritt, Kim D 7526 M" <KDMERRI@sandia.gov>]

Let me relate an additional reason to have the workers test the alarm 
function.  Several years ago I had to do some work in a High Rad area that 
was several R/hr general area.  I had never used a PED before but it had 
alarms set for dose rate as well as dose limit so I figured it was fool 
proof.  What I was not told was that it also chirped as it accumulated 
exposure.  This was a little unnerving at first but I was told that it was 
normal and that the frequency of the chirps would be relative to the dose 
rate.  well , when we entered the multi-R/hr area the alarm was chirping at 
an almost continuous tone and it was also alarming for dose limit. 
 Unfortunately, could not distinguish between the two, of course it did not 
help that we were wearing respirators and there was a high flow rate of air 
through the space.  As it ended up I exceeded my dose limit (administrative) 
by a factor of 2 and my coworker by 3, in the seven minutes we were in 
there.  Had we known all of the different sounds the PED could make, perhaps 
we could have avoided this.  Food for thought.