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Re: Field Data Logging Systems



Jim (and other interested radsafers):

I work for the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office of Atomic
Energy of Canada Limited.  Much of the work of our office involves gamma
radiation surveys of large sites, and so we have a lot of experience with
gathering, analyzing and reporting this data.  We used to do simple gridded
surveys, writing the results on paper, but over the last six or seven years
we have put a lot of effort into moving away from this inefficient,
error-prone method of surveying.

In order to make our own projects more cost-effective, our office has
developed what we call the "Large Area Gamma Survey System" (LAGSS).  We
have looked at commercially available systems, but none of them were
flexible enough or cost-effective enough for our particular applications.

The data collection hardware is based around a portable PC computer
connected to several instruments with 2x2" NaI scintillators (although just
about any type of instrument will work) and an (optional) high precision
(<2m) GPS.  All of this equipment is mounted on a backpack, push-cart, ATV
or tractor (depending on the application), and gamma radiation and location
data are collected continually while we move over the site.  We use custom
designed software to control the data collection process, as well as to
manage and analyze the data, and use commercially available software (ie.
Surfer) to generate high-quality maps.

We have found that using this automated system has increased our data
collection efficiency dramatically, allowing us to do much higher quality
surveys than ever before while reducing data collection time and costs.

I've written several papers on this system over the last few years, and
would be glad to send copies to anyone who is interested in more
information.  Unfortunately, they don't cover the most recent "innovations"
particularly with respect to the integration of the GPS and vehicle mounted
surveys.  If anyone is really interested, I'd be glad to discuss this
further by e-mail or phone.

Chris Clement, Scientific Specialist
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Office
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
clement@vaxxine.com
(416) 805-2707

>      I work in the Health Physics Planning section at a nuclear power 
>      station and we have state of the art radiological work management 
>      software. However, at this time we still manually write radiological

>      surveys on paper, which are subsequently entered into the survey 
>      system then scanned. I have a few questions for those in the Radsafe

>      community, not just those in Nuclear Power, who use Field Data
Logging 
>      and Mapping. We are studying integration of such a system into our 
>      routine survey and routine job documentation.
>      
>         I would appreciate your time in answering a few questions about 
>      your program.
>      
>      1. Please give a short summation of your system and use.
>
>
>      2. Is your system capable of mapping radiation and contamination
data?
>      
>      3. Were there any major hurdles to implementation? 
>      
>      4. Did it interface with your existing system, or did you get a
stand  
>         alone package?
>      
>      5. Do you feel it has made your program more efficient?
>      
>      6. Which company made your instrumentation/system?
>      
>      7. Do they have an Internet or E-Mail address?
>      
>      Thanks in advance to those who answer. Please do not send a reply to

>      Radsafe if it can be at all construed to be commercial. 
>      
>      Jim Austin
>      austinjd@songs.sce.com
>      Health Physics Dept.
>      Southern California Edison Co.
>          (714) 368 7769
>      fax (714) 368 7754