Shown at the DOELAP accreditation document presentation (left to right): Steve Frey (OHP), John Muhlestein (DOE SSO), Henry Tran (OHP) and Greg Loew (DO). (Photo by Diana Rogers)

By Tom Mead

The DOE Office of Worker Protection Policy and Programs granted accreditation last December to the SLAC external dose-monitoring program in accordance with the DOE Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP) for Personnel Dosimetry. That accreditation is now in hand. The accreditation is due to the efforts of the SLAC Operational Health Physics Department (OHP), with administrative support from OAK/NNSA.

The accreditation process includes stringent performance testing and assessment of dosimeter performance, quality assurance, and calibration programs.

The new dosimeter uses a laser-based technology that yields a much clearer reading of the radiation that produced the dose, clearer than any other dosimeter. The Luxel can be re-read up to 50 times and is more accurate, rugged, and lighter than the old dosimeter. It also provides a durable photon dose record and a permanent neutron dose record, both of which are improvements over the dosimeter it replaces here at SLAC.

"The Luxel not only reports dose, it helps tell how the dose was acquired and from what direction it came." said Steve Frey, SLAC Radiological Control Manager.