| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
05/06/2015 - 05/07/2015 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | Agreement State | Event Number: 51000 | Rep Org: TEXAS DEPT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
Licensee: DESERT NDT LLC
Region: 4
City: ABILENE State: TX
County:
License #: L06462
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ARTHUR TUCKER
HQ OPS Officer: VINCE KLCO | Notification Date: 04/22/2015
Notification Time: 00:18 [ET]
Event Date: 04/21/2015
Event Time: 21:45 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 04/22/2015 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
JAMES DRAKE (R4DO)
NMSS EVENTS NOTIFICA (EMAI)
WILLIAM GOTT (IRD)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - RADIOGRAPHY TRUCK ACCIDENT RESULTING IN A FATALITY
The following information was received by the State of Texas via email:
"On April 21, 2015 at 2209 [CDT] hours, the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] was contacted by Andrews County Emergency Management (ACEM). They informed the Agency that an accident had occurred 12 miles south of Andrews, Texas, on highway 385, which involved a radiography truck. The Agency contacted ACEM chief who stated he was at the scene of a three vehicle accident which included a truck from Desert NDT. The driver was killed in the accident and the truck cab had separated from the frame. He stated the dark room had separated from the truck bed. He stated a person from the Andrews County WCS [Waste Control Specialist] was there and had performed a radiation survey and measured a dose rate of 15 millirem 10 feet from the truck. He stated the licensee had been contacted. He stated they had taken care of the survivors and had backed out of the area until the licensee's radiation safety officer arrived on the scene. He stated they had not seen the shipping papers, only the radiation symbol on the truck. I asked him to have the licensee contact the Agency as soon as they arrived on site.
"The licensee's (Desert NDT) RSO arrived at the scene at 2223 hours and contacted the Agency. He stated his priority was to locate the source. He agreed to call the Agency as soon as he had control of the source.
"At 2240, the RSO contacted the Agency and stated he had control of the source. The iridium source was inside a INC 100 radiography camera and the RSO believed the activity was between 20 and 26 curies. He stated the camera did not appear to be damaged. He stated the dark room had separated from the truck and split into two pieces. The camera was located still in its transport box in a section of the darkroom. He stated the dose rate on contact with the camera was 16 millirem an hour and 0.4 millirem at 1 foot. The dose rate at 1 meter was not distinguishable from background. He stated no individual at the scene would have received an exposure to radiation that would have exceeded any limits. The RSO stated he was taking the source back to the licensee's office for storage. The RSO stated they would send the exposure device to the manufacturer for inspection.
"Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."
Texas Incident: I-9305
* * * UPDATE FROM ARTHUR TUCKER TO VINCE KLCO ON 4/22/15 AT 1014 EDT * * *
The following information was received by the State of Texas via email:
"The licensee's corporate radiation safety officer contacted the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] and informed them that two radiographers were killed in this event. He stated the source activity was only 13 curies. He stated that local law enforcement in Andrews, Texas will not release any details of the accident until their investigation is completed.
"Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."
Notified the R4DO (Drake), IRD MOC (Gott) and the NMSS Events Notification via email. |
| Non-Agreement State | Event Number: 51019 | Rep Org: FEDERAL AGROMAN
Licensee: FEDERAL AGROMAN
Region: 1
City: SAN JUAN State: PR
County:
License #: 52-31107-01
Agreement: N
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MIGUEL RAEVERA
HQ OPS Officer: JEFF ROTTON | Notification Date: 04/28/2015
Notification Time: 11:00 [ET]
Event Date: 04/28/2015
Event Time: 10:45 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 04/28/2015 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
20.2201(a)(1)(i) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X
| Person (Organization):
MEL GRAY (R1DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICA (E-MA)
ILTAB (EMAI)
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3 " level of radioactive material. | Event Text STOLEN MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE IN CARJACKED VEHICLE
A Federal Agroman truck was transporting a moisture/density gauge. The driver stopped at the side of the road and the truck was carjacked. The licensee contacted the Puerto Rico State Police.
Gauge: Troxler model 3430 with serial number 37246. The sources are 8 mCi Cs-137 and 40 mCi Am-241.
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 |
| Agreement State | Event Number: 51020 | Rep Org: LOUISIANA RADIATION PROTECTION DIV
Licensee: QUALITY INSPECTION & TESTING
Region: 4
City: NEW IBERIA State: LA
County:
License #: LA-11238-L01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: JOSEPH NOBLE
HQ OPS Officer: MARK ABRAMOVITZ | Notification Date: 04/28/2015
Notification Time: 11:16 [ET]
Event Date: 04/06/2015
Event Time: 16:15 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 04/28/2015 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
GEOFFREY MILLER (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICA (EMAI)
|
| This material event contains a "Category 2 " level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - RADIOGRAPHY CAMERA LOST AND RETRIEVED
The following report was received via e-mail:
"A radiography exposure device was found by a citizen in some weeds on the side of a road. The citizen called the New Iberia Fire Department who contacted the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Department. The Fire Department then contacted QIT [Quality Inspection & Testing, LLC] by the information posted on the side of the radiography exposure device, (I R Camera). The camera was discovered in some weeds in a parking lot located at 1000 Parkview Dr., New Iberia, LA. A company official for QIT was contacted by the Fire Department who relayed the information to the Business Manager for QIT and the Assistant RSO.
Background:
"The on April 6, 2015, two 'trained and trustworthy individuals' were preparing a 'crew' truck to perform radiography work at a temporary jobsite. [The first Radiographer] was preparing the documentation while [the Assistant Radiographer] was equipping and securing the truck with a Category II radiography source. [The Assistant Radiographer] got distracted and placed the exposure device on the vehicle's rear bumper. Before leaving QIT's office, [The first Radiographer] questioned [the Assistant radiographer] about securing the exposure device for transport.
"The crew left QIT in route to the temporary job. They passed up the jobsite and did a U-turn where the exposure device was later discovered. They arrived at the temporary jobsite and began to setup for the job. They became aware that they did not have the exposure device that [the Assistant Radiographer] stated he had placed in the truck's 'vault.' The crew decided to back-track their route in an attempt to locate the missing exposure device. They did not locate the device because [the QIT RSO] had already retrieved the device from the lot at 1000 Parkview Dr. and returned it to QIT's office.
"The RSO and the assistant RSO began their investigation into this incident. It began with interviewing and getting statements from both individuals directly involved in this incident.
"The next morning April 7, 2015, approximately 11:00 AM, [the QIT RSO] called in a preliminary notification to LDEQ's [Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality], Assessment, Radiation Licensing Section. The incident was assigned to an investigator/inspector in our Acadiana Regional office.
"At this time, LDEQ considers this incident still open. The incident is still under investigation and review by the staff. Enforcement and corrective actions will be determined by the out-come of the investigation. The incident was considered under control by QIT and reported after the exposure device was back at the QIT office.
"The equipment was a S.P.E.C., Model 150 exposure device, S/N 1114 device loaded with approximately 79 Ci of Ir-192. The device was surveyed, secured, placed in the QIT vault and labelled 'NON-USE'."
Louisiana ID Number: LA150008
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "CATEGORY 2" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Category 2 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for a short time (minutes to hours). It could possibly be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of hours to days. These sources are typically used in practices such as industrial gamma radiography, high dose rate brachytherapy and medium dose rate brachytherapy. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf |
| Agreement State | Event Number: 51023 | Rep Org: OK DEQ RAD MANAGEMENT
Licensee: SGS NORTH AMERICA
Region: 4
City: BARTLESVILLE State: OK
County:
License #: OK-32124-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: KEVIN SAMPSON
HQ OPS Officer: MARK ABRAMOVITZ | Notification Date: 04/29/2015
Notification Time: 12:09 [ET]
Event Date: 04/01/2015
Event Time: [CDT]
Last Update Date: 04/29/2015 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
GEOFFREY MILLER (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICA (EMAI)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - RADIOGRAPHY SOURCE STUCK OUTSIDE THE CAMERA
The following report was received via e-mail:
"[The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality was] notified by SGS North America, Inc. Industrial Division (OK-32124-01) that one of their crews experienced an equipment failure on April 1, 2015 while working at a temporary job site in Oklahoma. The failure, a drive cable break, made it impossible for the crew to retract the source. The RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] was called to the site and was able to cut the drive cable sheath and successfully retract the source. SGS is licensed for source recoveries. Investigation is ongoing." | |