A professional who monitors personnel, plant facilities, and work environment to detect radio-active contamination, using radiation detectors and other instruments. Responsibilities include:

• Measures intensity and identifies type of radiation in working areas, using devices, such as beta-gamma survey meter, gamma-background monitor, and alphabeta-gamma counter.
• Collects air samples to determine airborne concentration of radioactivity, and collects and analyzes monitoring equipment worn by personnel, such as film badges and pocket detection chambers, to measure individual exposure to radiation.
• Takes smear test of suspected contaminated area by wiping floor with filter paper and placing paper in scaler to obtain contamination count.
• Informs supervisors when individual exposures and area radiation levels approach maximum permissible limits.
• Recommends work stoppage in unsafe areas, posts warning signs, and ropes off contaminated areas.
• Calculates amount of time personnel may be exposed safely to radiation in area, taking into account contamination count and health physicist'S determinations concerning exposure limits of personnel.
• Instructs personnel in radiation safety procedures and demonstrates use of protective clothing and equipment.
• Monitors time and intensity of exposure of personnel working in radiation-waste disposal areas.
• Inspects shipments for contamination, using counter, and tags shipments in which radiation count exceeds specifications.
• May make periodic urinalyses of personnel and notify supervisors when overexposure to radiation is indicated.
• Logs data, such as status of areas being decontaminated, rate of radiation exposure to personnel, and location and intensity of radioactivity in contaminated areas.
• Tests detection instruments against standards to ensure their accuracy.
• May recommend decontamination procedures.