The IAEA calibration and measurement capabilities

One of the mandates of the IAEA is to provide assistance to Member States to enable them to use nuclear technologies safely and effectively. In support of this mandate, the IAEA provides traceable (dosimetry) standards, calibrations and audit services for medical applications of ionizing radiation and for radiation protection. The IAEA's Dosimetry Laboratory is the central laboratory of the IAEA/WHO Network of Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs). To fulfill its function as the central laboratory, the IAEA has to acquire and properly maintain dosimetry standards traceable to the international system of measurements (Systeme International, SI). These dosimetry standards are disseminated to the SSDLs in the Member States by calibrating to the SSDLs in the Member States by calibrating their reference standards through comparison with IAEA transfer standards. In this way, the members of the SSDL Network can be assured that each of their dosimetry standards has a calibration that is traceable to the SI. Follow-up programmes and dose quality audits are implemented to enable SSDLs to demonstrate their calibration and measurement capabilities