Type testing of the Siemens Plessey electronic personal dosemeter

Area of Science:

• Health Physics
• Radiation Detection and Measurement

Background:

• Personal dosimeters are crucial for monitoring radiation exposure.
• New electronic personal dosemeters (EPDs) require rigorous performance evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a laboratory assessment of a new Electronic Personal Dosemeter (EPD) from Siemens Plessey Controls Limited.
• To evaluate the EPD's radiological and environmental performance against industry standards.

Main Methods:

• Tested radiological performance (accuracy, linearity, response times, etc.).
• Assessed environmental factors (temperature, humidity, electromagnetic fields, impacts).
• Compared results against Ontario Hydro and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards.

Main Results:

• The EPD generally met most standard requirements.
• Identified deficiencies: slow response time, high-frequency electromagnetic field sensitivity, poor drop resistance, and inadequate alarm volume.
• Observed potential under-response to low-energy beta rays and reliability issues with pre-production units.

Conclusions:

• The EPD shows promise but requires improvements for widespread adoption.
• Specific areas for enhancement include response speed, electromagnetic compatibility, physical robustness, and audibility.
• Further validation is needed, especially concerning low-energy beta response and pre-production unit reliability.