Event Notification Report for September 15, 2011
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
09/14/2011 - 09/15/2011
EVENT NUMBERS
47552
Non-Agreement State
Event Number: 47552
Rep Org: NIKE IHM, INC.
Licensee: NIKE IHM, INC.
Region: 3
City: ST CHARLES State: MO
County:
License #: GL-704113-15
Agreement: N
Docket:
NRC Notified By: RON WEISS
HQ OPS Officer: DONALD NORWOOD
Licensee: NIKE IHM, INC.
Region: 3
City: ST CHARLES State: MO
County:
License #: GL-704113-15
Agreement: N
Docket:
NRC Notified By: RON WEISS
HQ OPS Officer: DONALD NORWOOD
Notification Date: 12/24/2011
Notification Time: 20:36 [ET]
Event Date: 09/15/2011
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 12/24/2011
Notification Time: 20:36 [ET]
Event Date: 09/15/2011
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 12/24/2011
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
20.2201(a)(1)(i) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X
10 CFR Section:
20.2201(a)(1)(i) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X
Person (Organization):
PATTY PELKE (R3DO)
BRIAN McDERMOTT (FSME)
PATTY PELKE (R3DO)
BRIAN McDERMOTT (FSME)
LOSS OF CONTROL OF GENERAL LICENSED MATERIAL
On August 1, 2011, the licensee removed an Ohmart Measurex Thickness Gauge from service. The gauge contained a Strontium-90 source which had an activity level in 1995 of 100 millicuries. On August 9, 2011, the radioactive source was removed from the gauge by Industrial Maintenance Engineering, Inc., an NRC licensed company. The source was then secured in a DOT-specification steel drum and sealed with a tamper-indicating device placed over the closure ring on the drum lid. The gauge was sold to HGR Industrial Surplus, Inc., a used industrial equipment vendor, who arranged for pick-up at Nike's facility and transportation to its warehouse in Euclid, Ohio. HGR Industrial Surplus, Inc. does not hold an NRC or an agreement state radioactive material license. On September 15, 2011, the gauge and containerized source were transported to HGR's warehouse.
During the week of December 19, 2011, it was discovered that the source was not at the Nike facility. It was determined that the containerized source had been shipped with the gauge to HGR. HGR was immediately contacted by telephone. HGR confirmed that it had the containerized source and that the container had not been opened. The tamper indicating device was still on the closure ring and was still intact. HGR was instructed to not open the container and to place the container in a controlled access area until Nike could arrange return transportation to its facility.
Nike has arranged for RM Wester and Associates, an NRC-licensed company, to retrieve the containerized source. RM Wester representatives will go to the HGR warehouse, prepare the source container for shipping and arrange shipping back to their facility where it will be recycled or disposed of appropriately. This is expected to occur during the week of December 25, 2011.
Nike is conducting an investigation of this incident to determine root causes and will implement appropriate corrective actions to ensure that this does not happen again.
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
On August 1, 2011, the licensee removed an Ohmart Measurex Thickness Gauge from service. The gauge contained a Strontium-90 source which had an activity level in 1995 of 100 millicuries. On August 9, 2011, the radioactive source was removed from the gauge by Industrial Maintenance Engineering, Inc., an NRC licensed company. The source was then secured in a DOT-specification steel drum and sealed with a tamper-indicating device placed over the closure ring on the drum lid. The gauge was sold to HGR Industrial Surplus, Inc., a used industrial equipment vendor, who arranged for pick-up at Nike's facility and transportation to its warehouse in Euclid, Ohio. HGR Industrial Surplus, Inc. does not hold an NRC or an agreement state radioactive material license. On September 15, 2011, the gauge and containerized source were transported to HGR's warehouse.
During the week of December 19, 2011, it was discovered that the source was not at the Nike facility. It was determined that the containerized source had been shipped with the gauge to HGR. HGR was immediately contacted by telephone. HGR confirmed that it had the containerized source and that the container had not been opened. The tamper indicating device was still on the closure ring and was still intact. HGR was instructed to not open the container and to place the container in a controlled access area until Nike could arrange return transportation to its facility.
Nike has arranged for RM Wester and Associates, an NRC-licensed company, to retrieve the containerized source. RM Wester representatives will go to the HGR warehouse, prepare the source container for shipping and arrange shipping back to their facility where it will be recycled or disposed of appropriately. This is expected to occur during the week of December 25, 2011.
Nike is conducting an investigation of this incident to determine root causes and will implement appropriate corrective actions to ensure that this does not happen again.
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