Radiation Monitoring

To complement our advisory service, CERT also provides a complete range of practical facilities including radiation and contamination monitoring, onsite gamma spectrometry, leak testing, risk assessment, contingency planning and monitor testing. We have significant 'hands on' practical experience and are able to provide qualified expert persons manpower such as Radiation Safety Technicians, Health Physics Supervisors and Surveyors. We can provide contaminated land surveys, building surveys and laboratory clearance surveys. Contaminated land surveys may consist of ground level surface measurements, identification/investigation of hotspots using portable gamma spectrometry and sub-surface sampling and analysis. Contaminated land surveys are carried out using industry best practice recommendations. Independent building surveys/laboratory clearance surveys will often be required by the regulators before allowing a change of use of a building/facility or closure of a Certificate of Registration issued under Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Act 19 of 1995. We have a wide range of analytical services for sample characterization including:

• High Resolution Gamma Spectroscopy
• Liquid Scintillation Counting
• Alpha Spectrometry
• Gross Alpha/Beta analysis

Radiation Protection Training Services

NiBIRR requires that employers provide adequate information, instruction and training related to work with Ionising Radiation.

Bespoke Radiation Protection Training

CERT can design a radiation protection course to your exact requirements. Our bespoke packages cover but are not limited to:

• Basic radiation awareness
• Monitoring techniques
• Selection and use of radiological instrumentation
• Emergency Response and contingency plans

• Transport of radioactive material
• Advice and assessment regarding Waste Characterisation

The aim in all cases is to ensure that trainees:

• understand the risks caused by exposure to ionizing radiation
• understand the precautions that should be taken
• understand the importance of complying with the technical and administrative arrangements of the regulations (and other radiation protection legislation)
• know what to do in an incident situation

CERT can also provide specific on-site training to meet client individual needs. 

RSO Training Courses (2-Week Residential)

The employer must ensure that the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO), as required by NiBIRR, is suitably trained and competent to supervise local rules and the radiation protection aspects of the work. CERT run 2-week residential Radiation Safety Officers (RSO) training course at CERT.

Our quarterly RSO training course covers all the core requirements specified by international best practices as well as supplementary requirements for each specific practice, where appropriate. We examine external radiation hazards (e.g. x-rays, sealed sources) and internal radiation hazards (e.g. radioisotope manipulations) on the same course. Our RSO training will ensure the trainee:

• knows and understands the requirements of NiBIRR (as appropriate) and local rules
• is able to feel confident that they can supervise the radiation protection aspects of the work
• understands the principles of restricting exposure (and its practical implementation)
• knows what to do in an emergency

We particularly concentrate on local rules and the duties of the RSO but will always cover the following:

• Nature of ionising radiations and their interactions
• Quantities (dose, dose rate, activity, half-life)
• Measurements (monitoring, dosimetry, techniques)
• Legal Requirements
• Control Principles (time, distance, shielding, containment)

The core learning objectives are supplemented with further material (as appropriate) including:

• Open sources (e.g. unsealed radioactive work in research and medicine)
• Closed sources (e.g. densitometry gauges, NDT, research)
• X-rays (e.g. diagnostic radiology, security scanners, QA, XRF, XRD, NDT, linacs)
• Construction (e.g. nuclear density gauges)