Office for Domestic Preparedness 

Washington, D.C. 20531 

 

ODP Information Bulletin 

No. 133 September 15, 2004 

TO: All State Administrative Agency Heads 

 All State Administrative Agency Points of Contact 

 All State Homeland Security Directors 

FROM: C. Suzanne Mencer 

 Director 

SUBJECT: Updated Information on Radiation Detector Standards 

In February 2004, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) adopted four radiological 

and nuclear detector standards. The standards are designed to assist federal agencies, state and 

local officials, and manufacturers in procurement decisions related to radiological and nuclear 

detection equipment. The standards were developed in partnership with DHS Science and 

Technology Directorate; the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and 

Technology (NIST); the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories; the Institute of 

Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE); and the American National Standards Institute 

(ANSI). The guidelines provide performance standards and test methods, as well as minimum 

characteristics for four classes of radiation detection equipment ranging from hand-held alarming 

detectors to radiation portal monitors for cargo containers. Brief descriptions of the four 

standards appear below. 

ANSI N42.32 

Performance Criteria for Alarming Personal Radiation Detectors for Homeland 

Security

This standard describes design and performance criteria along with testing methods for 

evaluating the performance of instruments for homeland security that are pocket sized 

and carried on the body for the purpose of detecting the presence and magnitude of 

radiation. This standard specifies the performance criteria for radiation detection and 

measurement instruments that may be used in a variety of environmental conditions. The 

performance criteria contained in this standard are meant to provide a means for verifying 

the capability of these instruments to reliably detect significant changes above 

background levels of radiation and alert the user to these changes. 

ANSI N42.33 

Radiation Detection Instrumentation for Homeland Security 

This standard establishes design and performance criteria, test and calibration 

requirements, and operating instruction requirements for portable radiation detection 
instruments. These instruments are used for detection and measurement of photon 

emitting radioactive substances for the purposes of detection and interdiction and hazard 

assessment. The informative annexes of this standard provide reference information. 

The standard covers portable instruments used for: 

• Detection of radioactive substances on or in people, containers, and vehicles, 

including: 

o Photon (gamma- and x-ray) emitting radionuclides 

o Other types of radiation and radionuclides will be considered in other

standards 

• Determination of exposure rate with alarming capability for Homeland Security 

personnel including: 

o Fire fighters 

o Police 

o Customs and border officials 

o Additional emergency personnel 

This standard also includes: 

• Design and performance requirements for specific instrument types and 

applications; 

• Type testing and certification requirements for these instruments; 

• Calibration and test intervals;

• Required calibration standards; and 

• Required documentation, including the instrument instruction manual. 

ANSI N42.34 

Performance Criteria for Hand-Held Instruments for the Detection and 

Identification of Radionuclides 

This standard addresses instruments that can be used for homeland security applications 

to detect and identify radionuclides, for gamma dose rate measurement, and for indication 

of neutron radiation. This standard specifies general requirements and test procedures, 

radiation response requirements, and electrical, mechanical, and environmental 

requirements. Successful completion of the tests described in this standard should not be

construed as an ability to successfully identify all isotopes in all environments. 

ANSI N42.35 

Evaluation and Performance of Radiation Detection Portal Monitors for Use in 

Homeland Security 

This standard provides the testing and evaluation criteria for Radiation Detection Portal 

Monitors to detect radioactive materials that could be used for nuclear weapons or

radiological dispersal devices. Portal monitors may be used in permanent installations, in

temporary installations for short-duration detection needs, or as a transportable system. 

These systems are used to provide monitoring of people, packages and vehicles to detect 

illicit radioactive material transportation, or for emergency response to an event that 

releases radioactive material. 

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The four standards are available for review and download at no charge from the following 

webpage: http://standards.ieee.org/getN42/index.html. 

Although manufacturers may have conducted self-testing of their products, independent

third-party laboratory testing of equipment against these standards is not yet complete. 

Third-party testing is currently underway and should be complete in fall 2004. Following 

completion of these tests, ODP anticipates limiting allowable equipment under these standards to

items that successfully meet test requirements. As a result, grantees should consider delaying 

procurement of items covered by the above-referenced standards until testing is complete and the 

results are published. Test results will be posted on the Responder Knowledge Base as soon as 

they are available at http://www.rkb.mipt.org. 

If grantees procure these types of equipment before testing is complete, design and performance

requirements identified by the standards cannot be verified. 

Grantees who choose to procure such equipment prior to completion of the third-party testing 

should consider including provisions within their equipment procurement contracts whereby 

vendors/manufacturers must retrofit or replace equipment that fails to meet requirements of the

standards currently undergoing testing. Furthermore, grantees should be aware that no additional 

ODP money will be forthcoming to replace non-standard equipment. 

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