Common Procedures; Establishing The Background Count; Environmental Area Monitoring; Checking For Surface Contamination - Radiation Alert Inspector + Manuel D'instructions

wipe parallel to the detector window at a fixed distance of 1 cm. The WipeTest
Plate is designed to slide easily onto the back of the Inspector+.

4 Common Procedures

The following sections give instructions for several commonly-used procedures.
With any procedure, the user must determine the suitability of the instrument or
procedure for that application.

Establishing the Background Count

Normal background radiation levels vary at different locations, time, even in
different areas of the same room. To accurately interpret the readings you get on
the Inspector+, it is good to establish the normal background radiation count rate
for each area you plan to monitor. You can do this by taking a timed count. For
more information on using the timer, see "Taking a Timed Count" in Chapter 3.
A ten-minute average is moderately accurate. You can repeat it several times and
see how close the averages are. To establish a more accurate average, take a
one-hour timed count. If you need to determine whether there is prior
contamination, take averages in several locations and compare the averages.

Environmental Area Monitoring

You can keep the Inspector+ in CPM or mR/hr mode whenever you want to
monitor the ambient radiation, and look at it from time to time to check for
elevated readings.
If you suspect an increase in ambient radiation, use the timer and take a five or
ten minute count, and compare the average to your average background count. If
you suspect an increase that is too small to detect with a short timed reading, you
can take a longer count (for example 6, 12, or 24 hours).

Checking for Surface Contamination

CAUTION: Never touch the Inspector+ to a surface that may be contaminated.
You may contaminate the instrument. The rubber strips on the back
can be replaced if they become contaminated. Replacement strips
are supplied in this manual.
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