Suitability testing of non-electronic devices that measure radon in the workplace

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) regularly carries out suitability tests for non-electronic measuring devices used to measure radon at workplaces.

If you provide devices for the measurements of radon activity concentration or exposure at workplaces prescribed by radiation protection law as a recognized body or officially designated measuring point and evaluate the measurements, you must regularly participate in proficiency tests of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) for non-electronic radon measuring devices.

The proficiency tests are offered on the basis of comparative tests of non-electronic radon measuring instruments and in combination with calibration exposures. Those recognized bodies that do not operate their own measurement laboratory and whose measurement laboratory already regularly participates in the comparison test take part in calibration exposures.

If your institution participates in a proficiency test, send a set of non-electronic radon measuring instruments to the BfS. If necessary, you will be asked in advance to label each measuring device with an individual identification code, which you will receive from the BfS.

The exposure of the measuring devices is carried out in the BfS radon calibration laboratory. After the devices have been evaluated, you send the results to the BfS and receive an individual report. The BfS is obliged to treat the data obtained or determined in the course of the proficiency tests confidentially. Results will only be passed on to third parties in anonymized form.

You can register your participation online via the federal portal or by e-mail.

• If applicable, device description with information on the device type

Regular participation is mandatory for

• officially designated measuring stations that issue measuring devices for monitoring occupational radiation exposure due to radon
• recognized bodies that have been recognized by the BfS for the measurement of radon-222 activity concentration or institutions in the recognition procedure

No legal remedies are provided for.

You can register for an aptitude test online or by e-mail with the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS).

Online registration:

• Go to the website of the federal portal verwaltung.bund.de and call up the online registration.
  • Note: To register online, you need an ELSTER My Business account.
• The online registration will guide you step by step through the required information.
• Submit the registration.
• The BfS will check your registration and send you a confirmation of receipt.
• In the case of the comparative test, the BfS will send you stickers to be attached to the devices (identification code) once participation has been approved. Send the devices to the BfS radon calibration laboratory in Berlin. After completion of the exposures, the devices will be returned to you.
• If you are participating in a calibration exposure, please assign your own identification codes to the individual devices. Send the devices to the BfS radon calibration laboratory in Berlin. After completing the exposure, please arrange for your devices to be collected from the BfS.
• You evaluate the devices and send the results digitally to the BfS. You will receive a form for this purpose after completing the exposure.
• You will receive the individual report by e-mail.
• You will receive the notification of costs by e-mail or via your Elster organization account. You then pay the costs.

Submit registration by e-mail:

• Request the registration form from the BfS by e-mail.
• Complete it in full digitally or on a paper printout.
• Sign the registration form digitally or on a paper printout, which you then scan.
• Send the registration form with all the required documents to the BfS by e-mail.
• The next steps are the same as for online registration.

Participation in the suitability tests as a quality assurance measure is required every 2 years for recognized bodies that use non-electronic measuring devices.

For officially designated measuring bodies, participation is prescribed by the responsible state authority.

The comparative test is offered once a year, the calibration exposure usually twice a year. The registration deadlines are announced in December of the previous year.

The duration of participation up to the final aptitude test is up to 6 months.

The costs for participation per device type can be found in the current fee schedule of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) (Section 10.2). The relevant date is not the date of registration, but the date on which the service is provided.