AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
The following was received via email:
"On May 21, 2020, the Agency (Texas Department of State Health Services) was contacted by the licensee's radiation safety officer (RSO) and notified that a Humboldt 5000 EZ moisture/density gauge had been lost by one of its technicians. The gauge contained a 40 milliCuries americium-241 source and a 10 milliCuries cesium-137 source. The RSO stated the technician had completed a job and placed the gauge back in the transport case. After completing their paperwork, they got into the cab of their truck and drove off, leaving the tailgate down and the gauge on the tailgate. The gauge came off at the intersection which was at a farmers' market. The technician drove to the next job site and discovered the gauge was missing. The technician backtracked and started looking for the gauge. The technician found an individual at the farmers' market that saw the gauge fall off the truck and someone pull up, grab the gauge, and drive off. The individual took a picture of the vehicle and captured part of the license plate. The technician contacted the RSO who responded to that location. The licensee contacted local law enforcement. The RSO stated the cesium source rod was locked in the shielded position, but was not sure if the transport case was locked. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."
Texas event number I-9770
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf |