This International Standard establishes a system of classifica-tion of sealed radioactive sources based on performance specifications.
It provides a set of tests by which the manufacturer of sealed radioactive sources can evaluate the safety of his products under working conditions, and by which the user of such sources can select types which suit the application he has in mind, especially where protection against the release of radioactive material, with consequent exposure to ionizing radiations, is concerned. This International Standard may also be of guidance to regulating authorities.
The tests fall into several groups including, for example, exposure to abnormally high and low temperatures, and a variety of mechanical tests. Each test can be applied in several degrees of severity. The criterion of pass or fail depends on leakage of the contents of the source. Methods of testing sources for leakage after testing are set out in ISO/TR 4826.
Annex C of this International Standard includes a list, which is not intended to be comprehensive, of typical applications of sealed radioactive sources with a suggested test schedule for each application. These schedules are minimum requirements corresponding to the applications in the broadest sense. Fac-tors to be considered for applications in specially severe condi-tions are listed in 5.2 and 5.3.
This International Standard makes no attempt to classify either the design of sources and their method of construction or their calibration in terms of the radiation emitted. Radioactive materials inside a nuclear reactor and fuel elements are specifically not covered by this International Standard.
General requirements for sealed radioactive sources are given in ISO 1677.