How should you determine that a hand tool is free of contamination for an Orange 1 worker?

• A. Visual inspection
• B. Wipe test
• C. Use a SAM
• D. Magnetic test

Answer: (C)

To ensure a hand tool is free of contamination, you need a direct, on-the-spot measurement of surface activity. A surface activity monitor (SAM) is designed for this purpose. You run the SAM over the tool’s surfaces and get an immediate reading. If the result is at background levels and below the allowed limit, the tool is considered clean. If the reading is higher, you decontaminate the tool and re-check until it passes.

Visual inspection only catches obvious dirt and can miss invisible contamination. A wipe test can quantify contamination, but it requires taking a sample and analyzing it elsewhere, which takes time. A magnetic test only detects magnetic materials and does not reveal most contaminants.