A hand survey for contamination, usually with a large-area Geiger-Mueller probe held about a centimetre from the surface and moved at a few centimetres per second over hands, feet, face and clothing. Moving too fast or too far away misses small spots, so technique is drilled in rad worker training. Frisking is required at step-off pads and contaminated area exits, and anything above the alarm level, often around 100 counts per minute over background, stops the worker.
Frisking is two inches a second, half an inch off, start at your hands and finish with your feet.
Most missed contamination is missed by moving the probe too fast; slow down over hands, knees and the soles of the feet.
Also heard as
- frisk
Related terms
Frisker
The count-rate meter and probe kept at exits for checking hands, feet and clothing for contamination.
Pancake probe
A flat, wide-window Geiger-Mueller detector used for frisking because it picks up beta and alpha contamination well.
PCM
Personnel contamination monitor: a walk-in booth that scans the whole body for contamination at exits.
Step-off pad
The marked clean spot at the exit of a contaminated area where workers remove protective clothing and step out.