How To Build Codebe Beryllium Detection Wipes Into A Beryllium Contamination Screening Procedure

Rapid screening is most useful when it forms part of a clear procedure.

It is not enough to provide personnel with a CodeBe wipe and tell them that a colour change may indicate beryllium. They need to know when screening should be used, where to screen, who is responsible for the decision, how results should be recorded and what happens next.

This article provides a practical framework that organisations can use when developing an implementation procedure or standard operating procedure (SOP) for CodeBe. It is intended as an example starting point only. The final procedure should be approved by the organisation's appropriately qualified health and safety or industrial hygiene personnel and aligned with its own regulatory, operational and waste-management requirements.

Colorimetric Detection of Beryllium (CodeBe) is a qualitative test for the presence of beryllium, designed to reduce uncertainty to support operational decision-making across defense, nuclear, aerospace, emergency response, occupational hygiene, manufacturing, customs, and critical infrastructure environments. The core technology was developed at Y-12 (an NNSA facility) in the USA. With the capability specifically designed to facilitate:

• Reduced failed laboratory cycles and spending
• Improved decontamination efficiency
• Improved workflow management and increased uptime
• Practical deployment within existing frameworks
• Ensure duty of care for fiduciary risk management

Our logic is simple - if you are not CodeBe clean, there is little operational logic in beginning expensive laboratory testing cycles. Our products do not replace the analytical laboratory, they complement them.

Performance Specifications

• Detects beryllium metal, oxide and/or hydroxide, nitrate, sulphate, copper alloy and fluoride
• Limit of detection (LoD) ~0.04 µg per 100 cm2
• Wet wipes: wipe suspected area then observe color change
• Dry wipes: wipe suspected area, spritz with water then observe color change
• The more soluble a sample is, the faster and more distinctive the results will be
• Wait up to 15 minutes for results

1. Define the purpose of screening

The procedure should begin by stating exactly what CodeBe will be used to do.

CodeBe is a rapid, qualitative go/no-go screening tool for potential beryllium contamination on equipment, materials, tools, PPE and facility surfaces. It provides immediate contamination awareness and support operational decisions onsite.

Colour intensity should not be used to estimate how much beryllium is present, and conventional sampling and accredited laboratory analysis remain necessary whenever a definitive concentration is required.

A procedure should also distinguish surface screening from exposure assessment.

2. Decide when CodeBe should be used

CodeBe can be incorporated into both routine and investigative screening.

Routine screening may include scheduled checks of work areas, equipment, tools, PPE, changing facilities and other locations where contamination could accumulate or migrate.

Investigative screening may follow maintenance work, a spill, an unexpected process event, suspected contamination transfer, receipt of used equipment or an initial positive finding.

It be used to support decisions about whether an item requires controls, further sampling, cleaning, classification, transfer or disposal. The procedure should define the decision being supported before screening begins.

3. Establish a screening strategy

Before collecting any wipes, review the available information about the item or area. This may include its history, previous beryllium results, known or suspected beryllium use, work activities, cleaning history and the likely routes by which contamination could have moved.

For equipment and materials, purposive screening is often more useful than selecting locations at random. The objective is to target the places where transferable contamination is most likely to be found, including:

• Areas where dust accumulates
• Hidden or infrequently cleaned surfaces
• Accessible internal components
• Joints, recesses and irregular geometry
• Oily, greasy or wet areas where particulate may adhere, provided chemical interference is not suspected
• Contact points or pathways through which contamination may have transferred

The number and distribution of screening locations should reflect the size and complexity of the item, differences between surface types, likely contamination pathways, expected variability and the decision that will be made from the results.

The following can provide a starting point when developing an internal procedure:

Item or area	Illustrative minimum screening approach
Entire surface smaller than 100 cm²	One wipe; screen the entire item where practical
Object larger than 100 cm² but only a few square feet	One to four wipes; if using one, select the location with the highest anticipated contamination potential
Object or area larger than a few square feet	Four to six wipes, adjusted for geometry, variability and the intended decision
Multiple distinct but internally consistent surface areas	Three to eight wipes for each distinct surface area, unless professional judgement supports a different number

These are not universal release rules. Each organisation should determine and approve the number of wipes required for its own application. A negative result applies to the sampled location; confidence in a wider item or area depends on whether the screening strategy adequately represents it.
Any detectable color change should be treated as a positive result (NO GO).

4. Confirm that the surface is suitable

CodeBe should generally be used on relatively clean surfaces where the wipe can make effective contact and collect transferable material.

Substantial loose dust or debris, sludge, oil or grease may obstruct contact, overload the wipe or make the result difficult to interpret. Strong acids and strong alkaline substances may interfere with the chemistry and reduce performance.

Surface roughness, porosity, texture, oxidation, coatings and irregular geometry can also affect material pickup. These factors are not unique to CodeBe; they can affect conventional surface-wipe sampling as well. The procedure should identify conditions that require professional review, conventional wipe sampling or bulk sampling instead of relying on a rapid go/no-go screen.

5. Select the appropriate wipe

Wet CodeBe wipes are generally preferred for smoother or less porous surfaces where strong surface contact and material pickup are required.

Dry CodeBe wipes may be more appropriate for rugged industrial surfaces, oxidised surfaces, PPE checks or field conditions where a more durable substrate is preferred. Water is applied to the dry wipe after sample collection in accordance with the product instructions.

The selected wipe type should be documented with the result.

6. Standardise the collection method

Consistency matters. Differences in contact pressure, coverage, wiping technique and sample area can influence material pickup.

A practical procedure may use the following sequence:

1. Put on clean disposable gloves. Change gloves between wipes or whenever cross-contamination may occur.
2. Remove the wipe without allowing it to contact unintended surfaces.
3. Wipe the selected area thoroughly, maintaining surface contact and applying enough pressure to collect transferable material without damaging the wipe.
4. For a dry wipe, apply clean water after collection as directed in the product instructions.
5. Begin observing the wipe immediately. Continue observation for the full period specified in the approved procedure before recording a final negative result.
6. Record the result and dispose of the used wipe in accordance with the organisation's waste requirements and area controls.

Some forms of beryllium may produce a faster or more distinctive response than others. Any detectable relevant colour change during the observation period should be handled consistently under the organisation's decision rules.

7. Define the decision rules before testing

The procedure should prevent personnel from improvising after seeing a result.

Result	Interpretation	Example required action
Any detectable relevant colour change	NO GO: potential beryllium contamination is indicated. Colour intensity is not used to assign a concentration.	Either treat the item or surface as beryllium contaminated and apply the relevant controls, or collect conventional surface or bulk samples and use laboratory results for the final decision.
No detectable colour change after the full observation period	GO for the sampled location under the conditions of the procedure. CodeBe's manufacturer-reported limit of detection is approximately 0.04 µg/100 cm².	Record the negative screen. Any wider decision should only be made when the approved number and distribution of wipes adequately represent the item or area and no other information indicates contamination.
Questionable, interfered with or invalid result	The wipe cannot be interpreted reliably because of uncertain colour, damage, suspected chemical interference, excessive surface loading or a collection problem.	Treat as NO GO. Repeat only if the cause can be corrected; otherwise use conventional sampling or manage the item as potentially contaminated.

A positive CodeBe result should not be treated as a quantitative measurement. It creates a decision point: either manage the item as contaminated or obtain conventional laboratory evidence for its final classification or disposition.

8. Set out the response to a positive result

The procedure should state who has authority to interpret the result and select the follow-on action.

Depending on the application, this may include controlling access, preventing further transfer, labelling or segregating an item, applying handling controls, cleaning and rescreening, collecting conventional samples or arranging appropriate disposal.

If cleaning is permitted, the procedure should define the cleaning method, who may perform it, how waste will be managed and how the item or surface will be rescreened. Persistent or significant findings should be escalated through the organisation's industrial hygiene or beryllium-management programme.

9. Record enough information to make the result useful

A qualitative result still requires a defensible record. The procedure should specify the format and retention requirements for recording the date, item or area, precise screening location, wipe type, product lot number where available, operator, surface condition, relevant observations, result, possible interferences, follow-on action and any conventional sample reference.

Photographs or a marked equipment drawing can help demonstrate exactly where each wipe was collected, particularly for large or complex items.

From a rapid test to an operational capability

The technology is the easy part. The value comes from building it into a clear, repeatable and properly documented process.

A well-designed CodeBe procedure establishes the purpose of screening, targets the right locations, standardises collection, defines go/no-go decisions and connects rapid results to the organisation's existing controls and laboratory programme.

That is what turns a colour change into useful operational information.

Color Tech Holdings can provide product instructions and supporting technical information to help qualified personnel develop an implementation procedure or SOP appropriate to their organisation.

Important notice: This article is provided for general information and illustrates one possible framework only. It is not an approved implementation procedure or SOP, a site-specific risk assessment, or professional, regulatory or legal advice. Any procedure must be developed, reviewed and approved by appropriately qualified health and safety or industrial hygiene professionals, taking account of the specific site, activities, materials, applicable laws and regulations, internal requirements and current manufacturer instructions. This article should not, by itself, be relied upon to clear or release any item, material or area. Responsibility for the sampling strategy, interpretation of results and all resulting decisions remains with the user. Color Tech Holdings makes no representation or warranty that this example is complete or suitable for any particular application and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, disclaims liability arising from reliance on or use of this article.