scope:

This document applies to installed dose equivalent rate meters, warning assemblies and monitors, as defined below. It covers equipment intended to measure neutron radiation in dose equivalent rates in the energy region between thermal and 20 MeV for the purposes of radiation protection.

Assemblies of this type are commonly defined as area radiation monitors. They are normally employed to determine continuously the radiological situation in working areas in which the radiation field may change with time, for example, nuclear power plants, particle accelerators, high-activity laboratories, fuel reprocessing plants, etc., and provide alarms when the radiation field goes outside predetermined limits.

The assemblies considered in this document comprise at least:

- a detector assembly, which may, for example, consist of a detector probe (for thermal neutrons such as BF₃ proportional counter, 3He proportional counter, ⁶LiI(Tl) scintillation detector, etc.) and a moderating and absorbing medium surrounding the detector;

- a processing assembly, which may be fitted into a centralized panel, which, in the case of warning assemblies and monitors, provides signal outputs and contacts capable of activating alarm or other trip circuits;

- alternatively, the case when all the processing electronics are placed within the detection unit (so called "smart blocks") may be considered. In this case the functions of the processing assembly will be composed of only the indication, the providing signal outputs and contacts.

This document specifies general characteristics, general test procedures, radiation characteristics, as well as electrical, mechanical, safety, and environmental characteristics, as well as the identification certificate for the assemblies defined in the scope.

Assemblies designed to perform combined functions comply with the requirements pertaining to each of these functions.

This document is not applicable to criticality monitors covered by IEC 60860, or to assemblies intended to give information about operational parameters of nuclear plants for control purposes. This document is not applicable to the operating characteristics of indicating or recording instruments as such (for instance, indicating meters, recorders, etc.). The characteristics of such instruments are in conformity with the general requirements appropriate to them.

This document does not cover hand-held neutron dose (rate) meters and instruments that are covered in IEC 61005.

No tests are specified in this document for performance requirements in pulsed radiation fields. It is understood that an assembly designed to meet this document may not be suitable for use in these fields.