[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10988-10990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5289]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No.: 040225071-4071-01]


Radiation Detection Instrument Evaluations

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is coordinating 
performance tests, supporting the ANSI N42.32, N42.33, N42.34 and 
N42.35 standards, of commercially available equipment for the DHS by 
various National laboratories. The tests are designed to determine the 
effectiveness of radiation detection instruments that may be used by 
first responders in a radiological incident. The participating National 
laboratories are: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Pacific 
Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory 
(LANL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).

DATES: Manufacturers who wish to participate in the program must 
contact NIST for shipping instructions, request and submit an executed 
Letter of Understanding by April 8, 2004, 5 p.m. eastern standard time.

ADDRESSES: Letters of Understanding may be obtained from and should be 
submitted to Dr. Leticia Pibida, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Physics Laboratory, Ionizing Radiation Division, 100 Bureau 
Drive, Mail Stop 8462, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8462. Letters of 
Understanding may be faxed to: Dr. Leticia Pibida at (301) 926-7416.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For shipping and further information, 
you may telephone Dr. Leticia Pibida at (301) 975-5538 or Dr. Michael 
Unterweger at (301) 975-5536 or e-mail: [email protected] or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On behalf of the Department of Homeland 
Security, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is 
coordinating performance tests of commercially available equipment 
based on the ANSI N42.32, N42.33, N42.34 and N42.35 standards as well 
as on the test and evaluation protocols for the Department of Homeland 
Security (DHS) by various National laboratories. The tests are designed 
to determine the effectiveness of radiation detection instruments that 
may be used by first responders in a radiological incident. The 
participating National laboratories are: Oak Ridge National Laboratory 
(ORNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Los Alamos 
National Laboratory (LANL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 
(LLNL).
    Interested manufacturers should contact NIST at the address given 
above. NIST will supply a Letter of Understanding, which the 
manufacturer must execute and send to NIST. NIST will then assign the 
manufacturer's equipment to the National laboratory conducting the 
testing for that type of device and will provide the manufacturer with 
shipping instructions for their equipment. All equipment tested under 
this program must meet the

[[Page 10989]]

minimum specifications stated in ANSI Standards N42.32 ``Performance 
Criteria for Alarming Personal Radiation Detectors for Homeland 
Security,'' N42.33 ``Portable Radiation Detection Instrumentation for 
Homeland Security,'' N42.34 ``Performance Criteria for Hand-held 
Instruments for the Detection and Identification of Radionuclides,'' 
and N42.35 ``Evaluation and Performance of Radiation Detection Portal 
Monitors for Use in Homeland Security,'' as detailed below.
    The instruments provided will be tested according to the provisions 
in the standards and will be returned to the manufacturer after the 
tests by the National laboratory that performed the tests. 
Manufacturers should be aware that some of the testing protocols may 
damage or destroy the equipment. At the conclusion of the testing, the 
equipment will be returned to the Manufacturer, c.o.d., in the 
condition the equipment is in at the conclusion of the testing. Neither 
NIST, the Department of Homeland Security, nor any National laboratory 
will be responsible for the condition of the equipment when returned to 
the manufacturer. As a condition for participating in this testing 
program, each manufacturer must agree in advance to hold harmless all 
of these parties for the condition of the equipment.
    The information acquired during the tests will be compiled by the 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and will be copied to the 
manufacturer for their instruments. A summary of the results of 
equipment testing will be made publicly available. Manufacturers who do 
not want the results of the testing of their equipment to be made 
publicly available should not participate in this program.
    Participating manufacturers must provide three units of each 
instrument model. For portal monitors, two units of each instrument 
model are required. Manufacturers will pay all shipping costs, but 
there is no cost to the manufacturer for the testing. For the results 
to be valid two out of three submitted instruments per model must be 
operational for all tests. No modifications to the instruments are 
permitted during the testing process.
    Only calibrated instruments will be accepted for the testing 
program.
    The types of instruments and preliminary specifications for each 
type are as follows:
    Type A Instruments: Alarming personal radiation devices designed to 
detect low levels of radiation and alert the wearer with a visible, 
audible or vibratory alarm. They are not to be electronic dosimeters, 
radiation survey meters or other instruments designed for health 
physics use. If submitted for testing under this category, electronic 
dosimeters, survey meters, and similar health physics instruments will 
be returned to the manufacturer without testing.
    Preliminary Specifications for Type A:
     Personal sized (less than 20 x 10 x 5 cm and 
less than 400 g).
     Capable of detecting photon exposure rates from 
approximately 10 to 3000 micro R/h.
     Capable of detecting photon energies from 
approximately 10 to 1000 keV.
     Capable of photon exposure rate measurements 
with 30% accuracy.
     Audible, visible and/or vibratory alarm less 
than 2 s after detection.
     Optional response to neutrons.
     Mean time to false alarm greater than 1 h.
     Capable of normal operation over temperature 
range from -20 +50C and humidity from 40% 
to 93%.
     Unaffected by RF from 20 MHz to 1000 MHz, 
magnetic fields of 1 mT and electrostatic discharges of 6-8 kV.
    Type B Instruments: Portable radiation detection instrumentation 
equipped with gamma- and x-ray detectors. The instruments shall be able 
to determine exposure rate and be equipped with alarming capabilities. 
The survey meters should be submitted either as a Type 1 or a Type 2 
instrument according to standard N42.33 specifications. If submitted 
for testing under this category, electronic dosimeters, and personal 
radiation devices instruments will be returned to the manufacturer 
without testing.
    Preliminary Specifications for Type B:
    Type 1: Detection and Interdiction.
     Storage space less than 1 ft\3\ excluding 
extendable probes.
     Weight less than 10 pounds (4.55 kg).
     Outer instrument case shall be rigid, shock 
resistant, splash proof and dust resistant.
     Capable of detecting photon exposure rates from 
approximately 1 to 1000 micro R/h (that can be achieved with several 
probes).
    Type 2: Hazard Assessment.
     Storage space less than 0.12 ft\3\ excluding 
extendable probes.
     Weight less than 6 pounds (2.7 kg).
     Outer instrument case shall be rigid, 
shockproof, waterproof (blowing rain) and dust proof.
     Capable of detecting photon exposure rates from 
approximately 100 micro R/h to 1000 R/h (that can be achieved with 
several probes).
    For both Type 1 and 2.
     Displays and alarm indications shall be oriented 
towards the user.
     The instrument case shall be constructed of 
materials that provide easy decontamination for radioactive materials 
and other potential surface contaminants.
     Capable of photon exposure rate measurements 
with 30% accuracy.
     Instruments shall allow the user to set exposure 
rate alarm levels.
     Instruments shall indicate at least the 
following faults: low battery supply; detector failure; and high 
exposure rate level.
     Batteries shall provide at least 12 hours of 
continuous use under standard test conditions, i.e., the response of 
the instrument shall remain unchanged.
     Response time to increase or decrease in 
exposure rate display (indication of less than 20% from actual exposure 
rate value) shall be within 4 seconds.
     Instruments readout shall remain ``off-scale'' 
for exposure rates greater than the maximum value of the instrument 
range.
     Capable of normal operation over temperature 
range from--20C to +50C and humidity from 
40% to 93%.
     Instruments shall be unaffected by RF 
interference from 20 MHz to 1000 MHz, magnetic fields of 1 mT, and 
electrostatic discharges of 6-8 kV.
    Type C Instruments: Hand-held instruments for the detection and 
identification of radionuclides. These instruments shall provide gamma 
exposure or dose rate measurements, radionuclide identification, and be 
equipped with indication of neutron radiation. If submitted for testing 
under this category, instruments that are not equipped with gamma-ray 
and neutron detectors will be returned to the manufacturer without 
testing.
    Preliminary Specifications for Type C:
     Equipped with neutron detector.
     Capable of detecting photon energies from 
approximately 25 to 3000 keV.
     The instrument shall have the ability to 
transfer data to an external device, such as a computer.
     The instrument shall include: a display that is 
easily readable over the required temperature range and under different 
lighting conditions, controls that are user-friendly for routine 
operation, a menu structure that is simple and easy to be followed 
intuitively, and a user-definable radionuclide library with access via 
the restricted mode. The instrument shall have at least two different 
operating modes, one mode for routine operation and the other as a 
restricted (password

[[Page 10990]]

protected) mode. The instrument shall be capable of operation if the 
user is wearing gloves or if the instrument is enclosed in anti-
contamination protection (e.g., plastic bag).
     Instruments shall be designed to prevent water 
ingress from rain, condensing moisture, or high humidity.
     Batteries shall be such that they provide 
operation for a minimum of 2 hours of continuous use.
     Capable of normal operation over temperature 
range from 20%C to +50%C and humidity from 40% to 93%.
     Unaffected by RF from 20 MHz to 1000 MHz, 
magnetic fields of 1 mT and electrostatic discharges of 6-8 kV.
    Type D Instruments: Fixed or Transportable portal monitor systems. 
These types of monitors include fixed or transportable systems used for 
detection of radioactive materials concealed in people, packages and 
vehicles (including rail vehicles). These systems shall be capable of 
detecting gamma-rays emitted from radioactive sources; neutron 
detection is optional for all models except for vehicle monitoring. If 
portal monitors for vehicles are submitted for testing without neutron 
detection capabilities, instruments will be returned to the 
manufacturer without testing.
    Preliminary Specifications for Type D:
     Pedestrian, vehicles, rail vehicles and package 
monitors equipped with gamma-ray detection are accepted for testing.
     Vehicle monitors shall be equipped with neutron 
detectors.
     Instruments shall communicate, save and store 
time history data for later retrieval including background readings 
prior to and/or after an alarm, alarm information shall include time 
and date.
     Monitor shall be capable of providing local 
indication and alarm signals (these signals should be available at a 
remote station at a distance of at least 50 m).
     Monitors shall continuously indicate its 
operational or non-operational condition.
     Capable of normal operation over temperature 
range from `` 30C +55C and humidity from 
10% to 93%.
     Unaffected by RF from 20 MHz to 1000 MHz, 
magnetic fields of 1 mT and electrostatic discharges of 6-8 kV.

    Dated: March 2, 2004.
Hratch G. Semerjian,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 04-5289 Filed 3-8-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P