What is BS IEC 60860-Requirements for radiation warning equipment for criticality accidents about?
BS IEC 60860 is an International Electrotechnical Commission standard on radiation protection instrumentation that discusses the requirements for radiation warning equipment to ensure protection from criticality accidents.
BS IEC 60860 applies to equipment intended to provide warning of a criticality accident by the detection of gamma radiation, neutrons, or both from such an event.
BS IEC 60860 is primarily intended to apply to equipment design and, therefore, does not address the need for the placement of such equipment.
The object of BS IEC 60860 is to prescribe general, radiation detection, environmental, mechanical, electromagnetic and documentation requirements and to specify acceptance criteria for criticality accident warning equipment.
Note1: BS IEC 60860 is not applicable to photon or neutron dose equivalent (rate) meters or monitors.
Note2: BS IEC 60860 is not applicable either to equipment or assemblies used in the control and safety systems of nuclear reactors.
Who is BS IEC 60860-Requirements for radiation warning equipment for criticality accidents for?
BS IEC 60860 on the requirements for radiation warning equipment for criticality accidents is useful for:
- Radiation warning equipment manufacturers
- Radiation warning equipment test personnel
- Occupational health and safety departments
- Risk assessment authorities
- Quality assurance departments
Why should you use BS IEC 60860-Requirements for radiation warning equipment for criticality accidents?
A criticality alarm system is used to detect radiation from criticality accidents and warn personnel. Suitable alarms shall be provided so that personnel present in the area involved and in adjacent affected areas (often the complete facility) can be warned in the event of a criticality accident occurring. These alarms are intended to activate an evacuation alarm to reduce the probability of serious exposure to personnel.
BS IEC 60860 provides you with guidance on general requirements, safety classification, alarm signals unit, general test procedure, radiation detection requirements, alarm threshold of detection, method of test, variation of response with the angle of incidence, environmental requirements, temperature tests without source or injected electrical signal, mechanical requirements, electromagnetic requirements, etc.
The requirements and test methods provided by BS IEC 60860 assist you in improving the performance and quality of the radiation warning equipment and ensure protection against severe health issues due to accidentally produced self-sustained or divergent neutron chain reactions.
With obedience and compliance to BS IEC 60860, you can enhance radiation warning equipment’s effectiveness and efficacy and manufacture a standardized high-quality product.
What is changed since the last update?
BS IEC 60860:2014 supersedes BS IEC 60860:1987, which is withdrawn. BS IEC 60860:2014 has made some technical changes compared to the previous editions BS IEC 60860:1987. These include:
- Introducing the requirement for the alarm sound level (90 dBA and 115 dBA at 1 m from the alarm source)
- Energy response requirement changes from (–35 %, +35 %) to (–35 %, +50 %)
- Time period of 1 min is specified for the overload requirement (1 kGy∙h–1 during a period of at least 1 min)
- Updated EMC, mechanical and environmental requirements