Model 26

[peteshonkwiler]

Has anyone had any experiece with the Ludlum Model 26 Integrated Frisker?  I've been contacted by an Industrial Hygienist who is contemplating putting some on a site for non-HP type techs to use for incidental contamination detection on their equipment.  I haven't had the experience with this, but having read the company literature it doesn't appear to be a bad fit.  So, any and all opinions on this piece of equipment will be appreciated.

Yes, I agree, they should have an HP there.  They don't.  If they did, I'd probably have a different request in my email. 

[thenukeman]

More here on it.   http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,33648.0.html

[ArthurRyan]

I think it's a great idea.  I mean let's face it, most personnel contaminations can be simply remedied by the changing of a shirt or pants, scotch tape, or some scrub in bubbles.  If that doesn't work then you would ask for an HP's assistants.  It would free up the HP's for more imperative issues.

You also might want to do a meter qual refresher course for the individuals that will be working with out HP supervision.         

[peteshonkwiler]

Thenukeman,  Thanks.  I missed that during my intensive 60 second search.

[peteshonkwiler]

ArthurRyan,  Great points.  I'm thinking that if this job was posted, there wouldn't be a Sr HP that would want it.  No hours, bottom of the pay scale, and I don't think per diem is in the calculation.  BTW, I don't remember mentioning anything about personnal contamination being a reason to use this equipment.  Now, if you're the type to call in a journeyman electrician to tell you whether a D battery is good for your backyard flashlight instead of picking up your own probes and VO meter, then I guess I could see your point.
If I had my field glasses....
 

[ArthurRyan]

Sure I'd be glad to help.  HP's (Health Physics) technicians are simply there for a few things.  Swipe boxes in and out of the zone, change air sample's, play cards, send samples to the lab, dose rates, etc.  They make roughly $30.00 bucks an hour.  I have found that its funny to see companies pay their workers 10-11 dollars an hour and HP's so much.  The very definition "of under worked and over paid".  Don't even get me started on an Alara Engineer! But, that's just my jealousy talking!   They don't have to take the NEUT, just be related to someone, or maybe be lucky enough to have went to the same high school, or goes to the same church.

My company used to say that the qualification were as follows:

Meter Qualified, DOE Core Test ( Then the powers at be had to change the DOE Core into the NRRPT Exam).  The kicker is that you can't take the test unless you have at least 5 years of Health Physics experience.  Just another way in my opinion to give the existing HP's more significance in their current position.     
 
I think the Model 26's are great idea, but I'm confused as to why you are just now implementing them?   

[Old HP]

Thanks, Five Eleven for sharing the actual problems of working with management goals of reducing PCEs at the cost of endangering the workers safety. How many techs have had issues with dressing workers in double PCs, safety harness,PAPRs and headsets with beltpacks all at the same time. Then having management question why it takes so long to get workers into and out of a hot particle area. Anyway we are getting off topic.
 
The Model 26 would be a good straight forward meter for civilian use.

[peteshonkwiler]

ArthurRyan,
Oh, mercy! 
There isn't an area.
There isn't air sampling, at least not for radionuclides.  I would have to check with that IH to see if they sample for other things, but I am sincerely doubting it. 
There's no samples to go to the lab, there's no lab.
There's no dose rates due to the fact that there's no dose. 
There probably is card playing, but that would be during lunch.... maybe. 

There is a reason I said that I hadn't mentioned personnel contamination being mentioned.

Being contacted by an IH instead of a RSO, Rad Engineer, Nuclear Engineer, Atomic Foreman, or any other type of N stamped professional should have been a clue.

Thanks Old HP for keeping this on topic, I'll go pay my penance now. 
Barmaid!   

[ArthurRyan]

There's no dose rates due to the fact that there's no dose??

Then why would you post a comment about a Model 26 Frisker??  Model 26 Frisker-  is an alternative Geiger counter.  It's lightweight, which makes it idea for checking personnel or articles for radioactive surface contamination.  The Model 26 can be operated in three different modes (count rate- which displays activity is one). It can detect Alpha, Beta, and Gamma radiation. 

So why would you need one if there is not even a possibility to receive dose?

[GLW]

....So why would you need one if there is not even a possibility to receive dose?

Because it's a world wide marketplace and many custodians of radioactive materials are just sloppy with their controls,...

Rad metals are being processed through smelters all over the world,...

These metals are showing up in consumer products all too often,...

The metals are only the tip of the iceberg,...

Recycled transformers, diagnostic and industrial machinery, NARM, the list goes on,...

I get e-mails with pictures and questions, "Hey GLW, the smelter rejected this thing and sent it back to us, we hit it with our geiger count and it gave us 1,400 clicks, what is it?", "Hey GLW, the state inspector was in here and everything went normal, then his dosey thing started getting a response over a new piece of floor we poured just last week as he was walking back to his truck, our geiger counter gets some clicks too, whaddaya think?"

Those are hard questions to answer without some sort of standing agreement, retainer and the other notions that come with being billable. It requires site visits and portable gamma specs and the whole shebang. Folks want answers for free and they want the answers that do not compromise their unspecific licensed enterprise. The government folks are not nearly as keen to get involved as you might think either, because if it falls outside of NORM and NARM things get complicated for everybody.

And yet, in the back of their minds folks want to know what they are finding is no more "dangerous" than that granite outcropping or shale dropoff on the back forty. They even do the ole' show and tell for themselves and others, "See?!?! This here everyday rock shows 1,200 clicks just like that load of steel smelted in India does, no problem!"

That's the world we live in nowadays and lots of folks want a geiger-counter. Everybody wants to assure themselves stuff doesn't have 120,000 clicks.

Yup, they all want geiger counters, knowing what you're doing with it is another matter.

Lots of folks drive cars, scant few are competent mechanics. But almost all of them folks can recognize when a wheel falls off the car.

RTT,...the Model 26 performs and interfaces well, within it's limitations,...

ETD!!!!