Personal Dosimetry Performance Testing in the United States

摘要

The basis for personal dosimetry performance testing in the United States is ANSI/HPS N13.11.Now in it's fourth edition, this standard has been in place since 1983. Testing under this standard isadministered by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), and accreditation ofdosimetry processors under this program is required by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)regulations. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) also maintains a testing program for its laboratories andcontractors, administered by the Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP). One ofthe goals of this current revision was the modification of ANSI/HPS N13.11 to allow acceptance by bothtesting programs in order to bring harmonization to U.S. personal dosemeter performance testing. The testingphilosophy of ANSI/HPS N13.11 has always combined elements of type testing and routine performancetesting and is thus different from the testing philosophy used in the rest of the world. In this paper, the historyof performance testing in the U.S. is briefly reviewed. Also described is the revision that produced the fourthedition of this standard, which has taken place over the last three years (2005-2008) by a working grouprepresenting national standards laboratories, government laboratories, the military, dosimetry vendors,universities and the nuclear power industry.