Abstract: An electret ion chamber for monitoring radon comprises a housing having an electret holder and a cover. The cover is attached to a plunger which closes over the electret when the cover is in place and is removed from the electret when the cover is opened. The plunger effectively turns "on" and "off" the radon monitor with the opening and closing of the cap. In very short term and very long term radon monitors, this turn on and off feature is not needed.

Abstract: A resilient transverse partition for a substantially cylindrical body such as a drum or a pipe, wherein a plurality of narrow elongated leaves of thin resilient material and equal length are co-joined in an overlapping fanned array about a common center with their ends slideable with respect to one another and congruent with a circle of slightly greater diameter than said body, so that the array of leaves can be forced into the body transversely and coaxially therewithin and deformed into a concavo-convex domes partition resilient to axial displacement from forces acting on its convex side.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for gently holding, lifting and rotating a drum which may contain hazardous waste and may be likely to rupture, characterized in that an open-ended overpack is lowered around the drum and held fixed in relation to the floor while a platform slides beneath the overpack and drum, the overpack then being clamped by a lid against the platform and then elevated and rotated so that the drum therewithin is disposed in an upside-down position.