At the end of an F-18 injection session, a wipe of the counter beside the dose calibrator returns counts well above the lab's removable-contamination action level. A survey meter shows the dose rate there stays below the level that requires area posting. Under the lab's contamination-control procedure, which response is required for that bench?

The required response is to clean the bench, repeat wipes until results are below the lab’s removable-contamination action level, and document the findings. The dose rate staying below the area-posting threshold does not remove the need to control removable contamination; these measurements address different hazards. Cleaning, repeating wipes, and documenting only the final result leaves out the initial elevated finding and the corrective-action record. Cleaning, documenting the initial wipe, and returning the bench to service after one follow-up wipe regardless of its result fails because that wipe may still exceed the action level; wiping must continue until results are below it. Cleaning, repeating wipes, and documenting findings while posting the area based on the wipe result adds a posting decision that is not supported by the stated dose-rate survey: the dose rate is below the posting threshold, and the wipe result alone does not establish that posting is required under the conditions given. Exam caveat: a low dose-rate reading does not show that the removable-contamination action level has been met. Practical check: after each cleaning pass, use the lab’s approved wipe method and counting procedure, compare the result with the action level, and record the measurements and corrective actions in the required log.