REPORT VISIT SAPHYMO Dorothea Pfeiffer GIF++ Project Meeting

SAPHYMO Company Information  Core business: Detection and monitoring of ionizing radiation for radioprotection purpose, environment process control and monitoring  Visit of site in Thiron-Gardais (A. Errahhaoui, R. Guida, S. La Mendola, D. Pfeiffer, Y. Pira)  Small building with two floors (bunker with irradiator on ground floor)  Around 40 employees are working there Dorothea Pfeiffer

Procurement of irradiator  Irradiator ordered from Leipzig/Germany based company GSM (Gamma Service Medical GmbH)  Sources of Russian origin acquired by GSM via Eckert & Ziegler Nuclitec GmbH  GSM also took old irradiator and sources back  Sources were delivered in Type B container on July 25 th 2012  Installation and commissioning took 2 days (3 GSM technicians)  Several preparatory meetings, verification of dimensions of doors Dorothea Pfeiffer

Specification of irradiator and sources  Multi-source irradiator that can contain up to 8 sources  5 positions filled with 137 Cs sources of different activities  In garage position one of the sources can be selected (source wheel rotates)  Then the selected source is lifted into the irradiation position with the help of pressured air  Irradiator has three lead attenuators (factor 2, 10, 50) which are not used Dorothea Pfeiffer

Irradiator, lead attenuators and console Dorothea Pfeiffer

Console and connections 6 Dorothea Pfeiffer

Bunker, irradiation zone and safety  Bunker with 40 cm concrete walls  Movable table for irradiation tests (small irradiation zone ca. 10 cm x 10 cm, no lenses for field uniformity)  Safety and monitoring devices: video surveillance, movement sensor, dose monitor, acoustical and optical irradiation warning, door locking system  Only two operators work with the sources  Irradiation tests take only between seconds and minutes (just calibration, no ageing) 7 Dorothea Pfeiffer

Irradiation zone with isotropic source  Second irradiation zone for dosimeter tests  Flat vertical irradiator with 137 Cs source (115 GBq)  Round table to place dosimeters  Irradiator similar to the 60 Co horizontal irradiator R2E would like to order Dorothea Pfeiffer

Fire Safety remarks (S. La Mendola) Dorothea Pfeiffer 9  Fire Extinguishers in place  EI 120 fire resistant door in both bunkers  Fire emergency procedure available BUT  Heating appliances in the bunkers  Electric cables not fire-rated  Other combustible materials are present in the bunker  No smoke detection and general alarm system, no ventilation, opening system of escape doors not compliant, etc.

Resume from EN/PH perspective  Different type of irradiator: Only one collimation window, multiple sources, lead attenuators not used  Different irradiation scenario: Small radiation zone, only calibration, short duration of tests (cost effectiveness)  Safety and access system less restrictive  Some important fire safety measures missing  Old GIF facility better example for new GIF++ (R. Guida will organize visit)  For PH and EN less educational due to differences than for RP sources service Dorothea Pfeiffer

RP radioactive sources resume (A. Errahhaoui)  Radioactive sealed sources according to ISO 2919 with special form certificate  Leak test performed on the radioactive source (200 Bq is the maximum tolerated contamination per year )  The sources was shipped inside the irradiator, irradiator inside a shipping Type B(u)  Transport, stowage, handling of the irradiator was made by GSM  40 cm of concrete shielding would be good enough for GIF++ source as well  Sources of SAPHYMO: The incertitude of activity is 15 % but I already contacted GSM to know if we can receive a source with incertitude less than 10 % (for M. Brugger)  Recommended working life for these sources is 15 years Dorothea Pfeiffer

RP Operational resume (Y. Pira)  No specific new ideas learned during the visit  Similar safety measures used at CERN (monitoring, beam imminent warning system, movement sensor)  SAPHYMO facility is less restrictive than CERN GIF++ project concerning these points: Dorothea Pfeiffer SpecificationsSaphymo irradiatorGIF++ facility Controlled entrance and exit of each single person. No (only 2 operators work with the sources)Yes (with PAD) Entrance granted only allowed after badging with a DIS dosimeter. No (active and passive dosimeter mandatory but no barrier, no PAD, simple interlocked access door) Yes Patrol before operation with irradiator.No (small bunker with simple geometry)Yes Access door equipped with a radiation veto lock. No (simple key lock)Yes