scope:

The object of this standard is to provide basic performance requirements and verification test methods for portable instruments used in normal environmental conditions for radiation protection of personnel.

As used in this standard, health physics instrumentation provides direct readout of, or readout related to, dose and dose-equivalent rate, or activity-per-unit area (i.e., effective probe area). Included are portable rate and integrating devices for beta, photon, and neutron radiation and monitors for surface contamination (alpha, beta, and photon). Instruments used to measure the presence of low-energy beta emitters (i.e., less than 200 keV maximum energy) are not addressed in this standard. Personnel dosimeters; instruments designed to be used as individual or personal monitors, or warning devices; environmental monitoring instruments; and air monitors are outside the scope of this standard. Special purpose instrumentation, such as emergency post-accident radiological monitors, may also fall under the scope of one or more related ANSI standards. This standard is intended to supplement rather than replace these.

This standard establishes the minimum performance criteria for health physics instrumentation for use in ionizing radiation fields. Testing methods are included to establish the acceptability of each type of instrumentation. This standard does not specify which instruments or systems are required, nor does it consider the number of specific applications of such instruments.