The everyday adjective for anything radiologically significant: a hot tool is contaminated, a hot job carries high dose, a hot side of a step-off pad is the contaminated side and a hot particle is a tiny intense source. Because hot also means high temperature in a plant full of hot legs and hot water, careful speakers say rad-hot or specify dose rates when there could be confusion. The opposite is clean.
Is that wrench hot or clean? Frisk it before it goes back in the cold tool room.
On the plant floor, 'hot' almost always means radioactive; if you mean temperature, say the number in degrees.
Also heard as
- rad-hot
- dirty
Related terms
Hot spot
A small spot on piping or equipment with a much higher dose rate than its surroundings.
Hot tool crib
A tool room inside the controlled area that stores and issues contaminated tools for reuse on radiological jobs.
Contamination
Radioactive material in a place it is not wanted, such as on surfaces, skin, clothing or inside the body.
Hot particle
A tiny, highly radioactive fragment that can deliver a large localised skin dose if it lands on someone.