DIN EN 62327:2012-02

Illicit and inadvertent movement of radioactive materials in the form of radiation sources and contaminated metallurgical scrap have become a problem of increasing importance. Radioactive sources out of regulatory control, so-called "orphan sources", have frequently caused serious radiation exposures and wide spread contamination. Although illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive materials is not a new phenomenon, concern about a nuclear "black market" has increased in the last few years particularly in view of its terrorist potential. In response to the technical policy of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) related to the detection and identification of special nuclear materials and security trends, nuclear instrumentation companies are developing and manufacturing radiation instrumentation to assist in the detection of illicit movement of radioactive and special nuclear materials. This type of instrumentation is widely used for security purposes at nuclear facilities, border control posts, and international seaports and airports. However, to ensure that measurement results made at different locations are consistent it is imperative that radiation instrumentation be designed to rigorous specifications based upon agreed performance requirements stated in this standard. This standard applies to hand-held instruments used for the detection and identification of radionuclides, the detection of neutron radiation and the indication of the ambient dose equivalent rate from photon radiation. It takes into account that front line law-enforcement officers, who are generally not radiation experts, may use those instruments. This requires user-friendly instrument design and operation with a high degree of inherent safety. ((Figure) Figure 1 - Hand-held instruments according to EN 62327 (source: Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH, Erlangen)) Regarding the monitoring of materials, the following standards of the series VDE 0493 apply or are intended: - DIN EN 62022 (VDE 0493-3-1):2008-01, "Installed monitors for the control and detection of gamma radiations contained in recyclable or non-recyclable materials transported by vehicles" (IEC 62022:2004, modified); German version EN 62022:2007 - DIN EN 62244 (VDE 0493-3-2):2011-x, "Radiation protection instrumentation - Installed radiation monitors for the detection of radioactive and special nuclear materials at national borders" (IEC 62244:2006, modified); German version EN 62244:2011 - DIN EN 62327 (VDE 0493-3-3):2011-x, "Radiation protection instrumentation - Hand-held instruments for the detection and identification of radionuclides and for the indication of ambient dose equivalent rate from photon radiation" (IEC 62327:2006, modified); German version EN 62327:2011 - DIN IEC 62401 (VDE 0493-3-4):2009-01, "Radiation protection instrumentation - Alarming personal radiation devices (PRD) for detection of illicit trafficking of radioactive material" (IEC 62401:2007) - DIN IEC 62484 (VDE 0493-3-5):201x "Radiation protection instrumentation - Spectroscopy-based portal monitors used for the detection and identification of illicit trafficking of radioactive material" (IEC 62484:2010) - DIN IEC 62533 (VDE 0493-3-6):201x, "Radiation protection instrumentation - Highly sensitive hand-held instruments for photon detection of radioactive material" (IEC 62533:2010) - DIN IEC 62534 (VDE 0493-3-7):201x "Radio protection instrumentation - Highly sensitive hand-held instruments for neutron detection of radioactive material" (IEC 62534:2010). The responsible committee is Joint Subcommittee GUK 967.2 "Aktivitätsmessgeräte für den Strahlenschutz" ("Activity meters for radiation protection") of the DKE (German Commission for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies) at DIN and VDE, Joint Committee with the Radiology Standards Committee (NAR) at DIN.