Frequently Asked Questions - Services

1. Which service package best suits my needs?
2. What is 'account management'?
3. Can I change my dosimetry services?
4. Can I get more dosimeters between wearing periods?
5. Why do additional (add-ons) dosimeters cost extra?
6. Does the discount apply retroactively if I upgrade my service package?
7. How does pre-loading work?
8. Why are you offering postage for returning dosimeters?
9. Can I get exposure reports electronically?
10. What is a consultation with a health physicist?
11. What are customer-controlled fees?
12. Someone just lost their dosimeter. What do I do?
13. When am I charged a late dosimeter fee?
14. Why is there a lost fee?
15. Why do I only get partial credit when I return a lost dosimeter?
16. Will you supply us with a dosimeter holder if evidence shows that the package has been damaged during shipment?
17. Is there a charge for a damaged dosimeter?
18. When would I need an individual or group rapid response?
19. What is a group accelerated dosimeter reading?
20. What is the National Dose Registry (NDR)?
21. What is an NDR reject?
22. What is a certificate of NDS participation?
23. Can I pay by credit card?
24. Can I pay my account online?
25. Can I prepay my account?
26. When do you send invoices?
27. When do I return my dosimeters and how?
28. How do I tell you about assignment and group changes?
29. Do I need to give Social Insurance Numbers (SIN) for every user and if so, why?
30. Are Social Insurance Numbers secure?
31. How do I contact NDS?

1. Which service package best suits my needs?

   A Customer Service Representative is pleased to help you identify the appropriate service level.

2. What is 'account management'?

   Account management is the administration of customer accounts by a designated customer service representative. If you want to have a designated representative manage your account, you must subscribe to the Gold service package.

3. Can I change my dosimetry services?

   Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade your dosimetry services throughout the subscription year. Simply contact our Customer Service Representatives

   After this, we'll send an invoice or credit for the difference to your billing address.

4. Can I get more dosimeters between wearing periods?

   Yes, You can get more dosimeters by calling a Customer Service Representative.

5. Why do additional dosimeters (add-ons) cost extra?

   There is a labour expense associated with issuing additional dosimeters outside of your regularly scheduled shipment. As a cost recovery "not for profit" organization we must charge for these services to recover the costs.

6. Does the discount apply retroactively if I upgrade my service package?

   No. We don't reimburse costs for services rendered under a previous dosimetry service to reflect the lower cost of the service upgrade.

7. How does pre-loading work?

   If you ask, our staff can load the dosimeter cards into the holders. They will label the name of the assigned user on the front of the holder. We highly recommend the pre-loading service to prevent foreign material or radioactive contamination and excessive light exposure during loading and unloading of dosimeters and other handling or storage of bare dosimeter cards.

8. Why are you offering postage for returning dosimeters?

   Our three service levels include the cost of returning dosimeters to us for processing for the complete year of service. The postal service we use can track packages in transit.

9. Can I get exposure reports electronically?

   Yes. We can send electronic exposure reports to you upon request for a small fee. We consider this request a customized report.

10. What is a consultation with a health physicist?

    This is when our health physicist spends some time giving expert advice on protecting yourself from radiation and/or on dosimetry services. For example, they may explain and analyze reports on your exposure to radiation with you on a one-on-one basis. This personalized consultation is good if you have specific needs for scientific information.

    You can arrange a consultation by contacting a Customer Service Representative. They coordinate the consultation on your behalf.

11. What are customer-controlled fees?

    These are fees that you can avoid by:

    • being thorough and attentive to the information that we need to fulfill dosimetry services;
    • being careful not to mishandle or misplace the dosimeters;
    • not losing or damaging dosimeters
12. Someone just lost their dosimeter. What do I do?

    Contact a Customer Service Representative. They will send you a replacement dosimeter (if applicable) and record the lost dosimeter as part of the account management service.

13. When am I charged a late dosimeter fee?

    You will be charged a late fee if you don't return a dosimeter to us within a reasonable time, following the end of the specified wearing period. We charge an overdue fee three months after the end of the assigned wearing period. We then charge a late fee if you still haven't returned a dosimeter to us six months after the end of the assigned wearing period.

14. Why is there a lost fee?

    You will be charged this fee when a dosimeter is not returned to NDS and is considered "lost".  This fee covers the replacement cost of the unit lost, as well as the administration services for reporting a lost dosimeter. You must inform NDS of any dosimeters that are considered "lost".

15. Why do I only get partial credit when I return a lost dosimeter?

    Re-calibrating and re-circulating lost dosimeters that are returned to us impacts our inventory levels. We have to introduce more dosimeters into the inventory to ensure availability and meet delivery standards. This impacts on our costs. The funds that we withhold cover the costs of keeping track of lost dosimeters and introducing a new one into service.

16. Will you supply us with a dosimeter holder if evidence shows that the package has been damaged during shipment?

    Yes. We give you a free replacement dosimeter holder if it is evident that the dosimeter holder was damaged as a result of mishandling during shipment.

17. Is there a charge for a damaged dosimeter?

    Yes. We charge for damaged dosimeters. Please contact your Customer Service Representative for more details.

18. When would I need an individual or group rapid response?

    If you think that you or your staff have been exposed to a higher than normal amount of radiation, you should have a reading done quickly to determine radiation levels, rather than waiting until the end of the current wearing period. The rapid response processing will allow you to have a preliminary report within 1 business day.

19. What is a group accelerated dosimeter reading?

    A group accelerated dosimeter reading is a service for returning a group exposure report within 72 hours of receipt of dosimeters. This service is useful if you need rapid processing for dosimeters worn by workers suspected of receiving an over-exposure.

20. What is the National Dose Registry (NDR)?

    The National Dose Registry (or NDR) is a centralized system for recording ionizing radiation doses. It contains records of the doses of radiation received in the workplace from all workers monitored for radiation in Canada from the 1940s to now. The Radiation Protection Bureau of Health Canada operates it.

    Data stored within the NDR helps regulatory authorities, organizations, and workers compare exposure to radiation incurred in the workplace with:

    • national or provincial/territorial averages; and
    • trends in similar jobs.

    Personal dose histories are routinely supplied to the employer upon the written consent of the person to:

    • help plan for control of exposures

    They are also reported each year in "Occupational Radiation Exposures in Canada." Moreover, authorities use the Registry to help regulate workers' exposure to radiation. The records are also used for information and legal purposes.

21. What is an NDR reject?

    An NDR reject is a dose record that is rejected due to:

    • missing mandatory information
22. What is a certificate of NDS participation?

    An annual certificate of NDS participation confirms that you, the customer, have taken the necessary safety precautions available to monitor levels of ionizing radiation by subscribing to our services. This certificate can also serve as a promotional tool to inform your clientele that your organization/office is committed to providing workers with a healthy and safe work environment.

23. Can I pay by credit card?

    Yes. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

24. Can I pay my account online?

    No. Online payment services are not available at this time.

25. Can I prepay my account?

    Yes. You may prepay your account at any time.

26. When do you send invoices?

    We send invoices based on your wearing schedule throughout the year on or about the 15th of the month. Most groups have a quarterly service. Therefore, they get an invoice every three months.

27. When do I return my dosimeter and how?

    You should return your dosimeters after your scheduled wearing period ends. Your wearing period is listed on the top front of your Name List. We automatically send a replacement shipment about 10 working days before your next scheduled wearing period. If you don't receive your replacement shipment by your new start date, please keep using your dosimeters and contact us immediately.

    We provide a prepaid return mailing label that you can use to return your shipment. Please keep the alphanumeric tracking number that is at the bottom of the label (barcode) in case you need to track the package through Canada Post.

    Clients who choose to return their dosimeter shipments using a method other than the one provided by NDS (prepaid return label) can do so at their own expense.

28. How do I tell you about assignment and group changes?

    Tell us about changes by phone, fax, e-mail, or by completing your Name List and returning it to us by mail or fax. To avoid more processing fees, ask for a detailed wearing schedule from a Customer Service Representative.

29. Do I need to give Social Insurance Numbers (SINs) for every user and if so, why?

    No, you do not need to provide a SIN number for each user. If you want the users dose history to be registered with the National Dose Registry, then you must provide a SIN number. We use the unique SIN as an identifier for us and with the National Dose Registry. The Registry uses SINs to record and maintain dose history. Without this information, dosimeters would be reported as visitor, and no historical records would be available.

30. Are Social Insurance Numbers (SIN) secure?

    As part of the government, we follow the strictest security standards, as outlined in the Privacy Act (http://www.privcom.gc.ca). All personal information collected is secure, confidential, and protected against misuse or wrongful disclosure.

31. How do I contact NDS?

    You can speak to a customer service representative from Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm (EST) by calling:

    • our toll-free number at 1-800-261-6689; or
    • if you're in the Ottawa area, call (613) 954-6689.

    You may leave a voicemail if there is no answer.

    You can also contact us through our:

    • email at NDS-SND@hc-sc.gc.ca;
    • toll-free fax number at 1-800-252-6272; or
    • fax number for those in the Ottawa area at (613) 957-8698.

Need more information? Speak to a Customer Service Representative