Establish and document

2. Current conditions

Always include a wide discussion with the workers in the area under investigation.

Ask:

• Which radionuclides are present and what type of radiation do they emit?

• Are the sources sealed or unsealed? If unsealed what are their chemical forms?

• What activity levels are expected?

• Are the sources solid, liquid or gas?

• What is their toxicity – radiological, chemical, biological?

• Is the source a machine, such as an X-ray set?

• Are there any unusual aspects of the work?

For example:

• Low temperature treatment of sealed sources in Mossbauer work.

• Radionuclides that may be difficult to monitor (low energy beta emitters, alpha emitters, electron capture radionuclides).

 

Good practice online modules

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• Practical radiation monitoring
  
• Practical radiation monitoring units
• Radiation monitoring strategy
• Choice of radiation instrument
• Radiation monitoring techniques
• Estimating surface radioactivity
• Radiation instrument calibration
• Uncertainties in radiation measurement
• Troubleshooting in radiation monitoring