This guide is intended for use by field personnel for the rapid evaluation of the presence of and type of radioactive materials, based on information obtained from available field instrumentation. Guidance is offered for actions which may be taken to better understand the instrument indications for various scenarios, and guidance is offered for personnel protection and consultation with additional appropriate authorities.

This guide does not include policy or procedures for radiation health protection. Such policy and procedures are determined locally by the organization(s) involved (site, city, county, state, federal). The policies and procedures may vary between organizations and may be dependent on the type of radiological incident. Users of this guide should be familiar with the policies of their local organizations.

1.1 The objective of this guide is to provide useful information for the interpretation of radiological instrument responses in the event of a radiological incident or emergency.

1.2 For the purposes of this guide, a radiological incident or emergency is defined as those events that follow the indication of the presence of radioactive material outside of a Department of Energy (DOE) or Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) defined radiological area. The event may be triggered by a law enforcement officer wearing a radiation pager during the course of his routine duties, a first responder at the scene of an accident wearing a radiation pager, a HAZMAT team responding to the scene of an accident known to involve radioactive material surveying the area, etc.

This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.