TNAG-1776-FCO40-2530-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-station-project-safety-concerns-in-Ho-1988 — Page 174

Treatment of Monitoring and Sampling Results

It is important that all monitoring and sampling results are treated in a consistent and appropriate manner. In order to do this an 'Emergency Monitoring Results Form' should be developed together with aide memoires on how to treat the results. Simple examples of the type of forms, etc., which may be useful are given in Appendix V. There are however other ways of treating the raw data which will lead to the results being presented in a different, but equally useful, format. It is of limited value if the MAC staff produce results in a format which is not the most useful to the Incident Assessor and the decision makers in the CCC. It is therefore important that, at an early stage in the development the Contingency Plan, the designated key staff from the MAC and the CCC discuss how the data should be treated and presented. These methods will almost certainly be developed and refined following emergency exercises, (see Chapter 13).

Following any accident it is likely that a great deal of pressure will be placed upon the assessor to produce quick results. It is important therefore that the assessor is located in a quiet office, but with easy access to the main body of the MAC. Calculational methods should be kept as simple as possible and important calculations should be rechecked by the assessor's assistant.

Finally, in the early stages of the assessment the potential margins of error should be known and borne in mind.

Calibration of Radiation Monitoring Equipment and Quality Assurance

Consideration should be given to the calibration of all monitoring and counting equipment used in the Emergency Monitoring Programme. Portable survey meters should be calibrated at least annually and also if any repair has been made to the instrument or if damage to the instrument is suspected. Laboratory equipment such as beta/gamma counting equipment, and gamma spectrometers should have their calibration checked with a suitable standard source daily. Where practical equipment should be calibrated using sources which are traceable to national standards.

Consideration should also be given to other aspects of quality assurance, for example, training and assessment of operating staff, equipment maintenance, inter-laboratory comparison checks, etc.

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