Index to Overview: Introduction Radon Measurement Technicians Radon Measurement Specialists Radon Remediation Technicians Radon Remediation Specialists Accredited Radon Laboratories Accredited Radon Chambers Approved Measurement Devices Training and Continuing Education Exam Construction and Security Certification Application Certification Renewal Certification Revocation Appeals Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction
The National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) certification program offers independent certification, accreditation, and approval for five categories of radon service providers:
Some states have radon certification or registration programs. Please contact the state's radon program to get a complete listing of who is able to legally provide services in your area.
Radon Measurement Technician (RMT)
Radon Measurement Technicians are people who have been trained and certified in the fundamentals of radon testing. This requires a basic understanding of radon and the health risks associated with it, as well as a thorough knowledge of measurement techniques and testing protocols. Measurement Technicians must be qualified to place and retrieve measurement devices for the purpose of collecting radon data. This must be done in accordance with an active quality assurance program under the supervision of a certified Radon Measurement Specialist (RMS) or Accredited Radon Laboratory (ARL).
National Radon Safety Board Certification as a Radon Measurement Technician requires:
Radon Measurement Specialist (RMS) Certification by the National Radon Safety Board as a Radon Measurement Specialist requires demonstration of knowledge which goes significantly beyond that required of a technician. In addition to basic training in the rudiments of radon measurements, the certified RMS must demonstrate a basic knowledge of radiation physics, an understanding of risk assessment, the epidemiological evidence of radon health risks, and the differences between various devices and techniques for measuring radon and radon decay products. The NRSB certified Radon Measurement Specialist must also understand the importance of radiation safety and be capable of designing and implementing a quality assurance program. To be certified as an NRSB Radon Measurement Specialist a candidate must meet the following requirements: Radon Measurement Specialists are qualified to analyze -- rather than simply report -- radon measurements in a manner that is consistent with current knowledge.
Radon Remediation Specialist (RRS)
The NRSB requirements for certification as a Radon Remediation Specialist (RRS) are essentially the same as those established by the Environmental Protection Agency Radon Proficiency Program for radon mitigators. To be certified a candidate must have a working knowledge of radon measurement techniques and health risks, and must demonstrate a broad knowledge in all aspects of residential radon remediation. This includes the ability to evaluate the quality of radon measurements, assess alternative mitigation strategies, and properly install effective control systems.
The requirements for certification as a Radon Remediation Specialist are:
Accredited Radon Laboratories (ARL)
To be accredited by the National Radon Safety Board, laboratories will be required to demonstrate that they have thorough quality assurance programs (QAPs) and clearly defined standard operating procedures (SOPs). Such QAPs and SOPs must cover all aspects of laboratory operations and must:
Pending adoption of formal, detailed criteria for laboratory accreditation, the NRSB will accept applications for interim laboratory accreditation based upon state accreditation or listing by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
Accredited Radon Chambers (ARCs)
The purpose of accrediting radon chambers is to establish criteria to assure that measurement devices are capable of performing predictably under a wide range of environmental conditions. To do this a chamber must be able to consistently and reliably simulate conditions similar to those encountered in actual radon tests. The basic criteria for chamber accreditation include:
Approved Measurement Devices
To assure consumers and the public that radon measurement devices are accurate and reliable, the National Radon Safety Board has created a panel for device evaluation and approval. This panel will establish procedures and protocols for the performance of proficiency tests by NRSB accredited chambers. The criteria used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for radon proficiency – the Draft Instrument Evaluation Program -- will be used as the basis for these criteria, and recommendations will be made to the USEPA regarding proposed changes. Devices which have met USEPA requirements will be accepted without further evaluation or testing.
Training and Continuing Education
The purpose of the continuing education program is to assure that all professionals continue to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the radon profession and keep abreast of new developments within this program field. The NRSB continuing education program provides a means of documenting this continuing professional education for state, federal and professional agencies, as well as the public at large.
In general, it is anticipated that courses and activities appropriate for continuing education credit will fall into two categories: Category 1, including traditional classroom lecture courses and hands' on courses, correspondence courses, video based courses, and other types of distance learning courses, and Category 2, including Symposium/Conference attendance, the presentation of technical papers, published articles in professional journals, and public outreach presentations, instruction, technical service, attendance at professional meetings, and apprenticeship . Category 1 credits are likely to be given on an "hour for hour" basis, and credits for Category 2 on the basis of a published schedule which acknowledges the different levels of participation and education associated with the various recognized activities.
Each year, prior to the anniversary of the participants' initial certification, a reminder will be sent by the administrative staff that applicants for renewal must submit proof of continuing education training during the year. Individuals may submit information regarding approved course completions throughout the year, and may also submit evidence of courses taken which are pending approval.
The Administrative Service Provider will review all documentation submitted by applicants and notify applicants in writing if any questions arise regarding the approval of continuing education credits which have been submitted. If no questions arise, the notification of approval will be sent to the applicants and posted on the NRSB Website.
Exam Construction and Security
The construction and security of National Radon Safety Board exams is based on established procedures for professional examinations and involves several layers of security.
First; exams are constructed by panels of professionals and are constructed solely and specifically for use by the NRSB in its certification activities. They are the property of the National Radon Safety Board which maintains complete control of all examination questions and materials. Neither fees nor royalties are paid for construction of exams and copyright is maintained solely by the NRSB. Secondly; all exams are constructed through a process of cross-review so that all questions are subject to blind peer review of content and construction, and to final review to provide a balanced range of questions in all exams. Thirdly; all exams are administered and graded by the NRSB administrative service provider. No one involved in the construction of the exam or the submission of exam questions is involved in any way in the administration or grading of the exams.
All exam booklets and answer sheets shall be identified with serial numbers, starting with the month and the year booklets and answer sheets were produced. Exam materials, including computer disks, will be stored in a secure location in the office of the exam administrator (administrative service provider). Exams will be shipped certified mail/return receipt to the approved exam proctor. The proctor will be required to check all materials against the inventory control sheet and initial the inventory control sheet. All exam participants shall sign in and present one photo ID to the proctor. Exams administered to less than twenty people may be administered by a single proctor; exams administered to twenty or more people at the same time must be proctored by two people, at least one of whom is unaffiliated with the trainees. At least one of these two individuals must remain in the room at all times with the examinee. Once an individual has completed the exam, he or she must return the exam booklet and answer sheet to the proctor and the proctor must verify the return of both the exam booklet and answer sheet. All materials are returned to the exam administrator using the shipping materials provided with the exam package.
After an exam is scored by the exam administrator, a validity check is performed. This validity check includes determining the number of participants that answered each question correctly. Any question which is answered incorrectly by more than 50% of the participants is returned to the NRSB for review. If a question is determined to be invalid it is voided from the exam and the final score recalculated.
Each exam participant with an exam score of 70% or higher is mailed an exam certificate indicating exam passage. All exam participants with an exam score below 70% will receive a letter informing them of their exam score and information on the NRSB policy on re-examination.
Certification Applications
The basic process through which an application is reviewed for certification of radon measurement and remediation technicians and specialists and is shown below:
Step 1: Application for Certification
The application for RMT, RMS, and RRS certification is a simple, one page form (see the following page), and is accompanied by three information documents: 1) a guidance document which explains the application process in detail, 2) a list of NRSB approved training and education courses, and 3) a list of examination options.
Step 2: Applicants may arrange to meet the educational and exam requirements through any of the approved training providers. Exams may be taken either in conjunction with many training programs, or through a system of individual proctors which the NRSB has provided for. It is expected that computerized exams will be available in the future.
Step 3: Upon completion of the training requirements and successful completion of the requisite exam, the applicant sends documentation of the training and exam to the NRSB administrative office with the fee for certification.
The National Radon Safety Board administrative office reviews all applications for certification and, if the documentation is in order, issues the appropriate certification. The candidate is notified by mail and the certification is posted on the NRSB Website.
If an application is incomplete or otherwise not in order, the applicant is notified by phone and in writing. If the deficiencies in the application are corrected, the certification is awarded.
Similar procedures for laboratory and chamber accreditation are under development.
Certification Renewal
To ensure that NRSB certified professionals remain current in their knowledge and the practices of their field, a biennial renewal will be required for testers and mitigators, with similar renewal processes required of laboratories, chambers, and device manufacturers.
Renewals will be fast and simple. Notice will be sent out approximately 60 days in advance of expiration; follow-up notification will be sent out approximately 30 days in advance of expiration; and renewal processing should occur quickly and in the same manner as initial application processing. In the case of radon testers and mitigators, it is anticipated that renewals will be based on demonstration of the following facts:
Each renewal application will be reviewed by the appropriate panel for compliance with the requirements of the panel.
Certification Revocation
Revocations and denials of certification, accreditation and device approvals may be made by the Board at any time and for any reason determined to be in violation of requirements of the Board for such certification. Any person for which revocation is contemplated by the Board will be notified prior to such action and shall have a right to appeal modeled on the existing EPA procedures. Certificates for radon measurement devices may be revoked for failure to meet performance requirements. Radon testing programs may lose certification for failure to use a certified test device or failure to meet quality assurance requirements.
Accredited radon laboratories and radon chambers may lose accreditation for failure to demonstrate performance requirements or to maintain an effective quality assurance program.
Appeals of Certification Denial and Renewal
The appeal processes for denials of certification will be modeled on established USEPA procedures.