Crane-mounted radiation detector system enters second phase of testing

Crane-mounted radiation detector system enters second phase of testing The St. Helena-based developer of a crane-based radiation scanning system has moved into the second phase of a self-funded pilot test program at the Port of Oakland.
   VeriTainer Corp., which began the demonstration on March 30 and will run the test through the end of June, is testing its VeriSpreader equipment at the Matson Navigation Co.’s Howard Terminal. Equipped with radiation detecting sensors, the VeriSpreader works in conjunction with dockside gantry cranes as containers are offloaded from vessels.
   The equipment can scan the container for radioactive and nuclear material in about one minute — just about the time it takes for a modern gantry crane to unload a container.
   The first phase of the testing, successfully conducted last fall, determined the VeriSpreader equipment's ability to detect various forms of radiation. The firm's goal during the second phase is to test the equipment's robustness and sensitivity. A key capability of the system is its ability to differentiate between harmful and innocuous sources of radiation.