Event Notification Report for October 10, 2011
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
10/09/2011 - 10/10/2011
Agreement State
Event Number: 47358
Rep Org: NC DIV OF RADIATION PROTECTION
Licensee: MARION L SHEPARD CANCER CENTER
Region: 1
City: WASHINGTON State: NC
County:
License #: 0311-2
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: SHEILA NELSON
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN SHOEMAKER
Licensee: MARION L SHEPARD CANCER CENTER
Region: 1
City: WASHINGTON State: NC
County:
License #: 0311-2
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: SHEILA NELSON
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN SHOEMAKER
Notification Date: 10/20/2011
Notification Time: 09:55 [ET]
Event Date: 10/10/2011
Event Time: 00:00 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 10/20/2011
Notification Time: 09:55 [ET]
Event Date: 10/10/2011
Event Time: 00:00 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 10/20/2011
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
BLAKE WELLING (R1DO)
ANGELA MCINTOSH (FSME)
BLAKE WELLING (R1DO)
ANGELA MCINTOSH (FSME)
LOSS OF CONTROL OF AN I-125 BRACHYTHERAPY SEED
On October 10, 2011, North Carolina Radiation Protection (NCRP) received a call from the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) at Marion L. Shepard Cancer Center in Washington, NC, informing them that on September 26, 2011, while working with I-125 brachytherapy seeds for calibration, they had discovered the loss of one of the seeds. The lost seed was a 0.346 mCi brachytherapy seed that had been received on September 23, 2011. According to the RSO, they had made every effort to locate the seed but could not find it. At that time, it was believed that the seed must have gone behind an un-movable counter in the hot lab at the hospital nuclear medicine department. The well counter they use is kept at the cancer center and taken to the hospital's nuclear medicine department when needed to assay the seeds.
According to North Carolina section .1645 of the rules, this amount did not require immediate phone notification but does require notification within 30 days by phone and a written report within 30 days of the phone notification.
On October 19, 2011, NCRP received a call from the State of Wisconsin to notify them that a licensee at the University of Wisconsin had received a well counter from NC that contained a brachytherapy seed.
It has not been the policy of the Cancer Center licensee to survey a well counter prior to shipment, since it should not contain any radioactive material, but in the future, well counters will be surveyed. The well counter belonging to the licensee was sent to Wisconsin for calibration and will be shipped back to the Marion L Shepard Cancer Center.
No personnel exposures occurred during this event.
North Carolina Incident: 11-56
Wisconsin Item Number: WI 110066 (This item received via North Carolina)
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 October 10, 2011, North Carolina Radiation Protection (NCRP) received a call from the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) at Marion L. Shepard Cancer Center in Washington, NC, informing them that on September 26, 2011, while working with I-125 brachytherapy seeds for calibration, they had discovered the loss of one of the seeds. The lost seed was a 0.346 mCi brachytherapy seed that had been received on September 23, 2011. According to the RSO, they had made every effort to locate the seed but could not find it. At that time, it was believed that the seed must have gone behind an un-movable counter in the hot lab at the hospital nuclear medicine department. The well counter they use is kept at the cancer center and taken to the hospital's nuclear medicine department when needed to assay the seeds.
According to North Carolina section .1645 of the rules, this amount did not require immediate phone notification but does require notification within 30 days by phone and a written report within 30 days of the phone notification.
On October 19, 2011, NCRP received a call from the State of Wisconsin to notify them that a licensee at the University of Wisconsin had received a well counter from NC that contained a brachytherapy seed.
It has not been the policy of the Cancer Center licensee to survey a well counter prior to shipment, since it should not contain any radioactive material, but in the future, well counters will be surveyed. The well counter belonging to the licensee was sent to Wisconsin for calibration and will be shipped back to the Marion L Shepard Cancer Center.
No personnel exposures occurred during this event.
North Carolina Incident: 11-56
Wisconsin Item Number: WI 110066 (This item received via North Carolina)
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: 47339
Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: METCO
Region: 4
City: Houston State: TX
County:
License #: 03018
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ART TUCKER
HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA
Licensee: METCO
Region: 4
City: Houston State: TX
County:
License #: 03018
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ART TUCKER
HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA
Notification Date: 10/12/2011
Notification Time: 08:30 [ET]
Event Date: 10/10/2011
Event Time: 07:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 10/12/2011
Notification Time: 08:30 [ET]
Event Date: 10/10/2011
Event Time: 07:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 10/12/2011
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
CHUCK CAIN (R4DO)
ANGELA MCINTOSH (FSME)
CHUCK CAIN (R4DO)
ANGELA MCINTOSH (FSME)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - MISALIGNMENT IN THE CRANKOUT DEVICE
The following was received via fax:
"On October 11, 2011, the Agency [state] was notified by the licensee that on October 10, 2011 while performing radiography operations in one of their shooting bays, they were unable to retract an 89 Curie Iridium - 192 source into a SPEC model 150 camera. The licensee used their video surveillance cameras to verify that nothing had fallen on the guide tube to prevent movement of the source. No obstructions were observed. A technician approved for source retrieval inspected the camera and associate equipment and determined that the crankout being used was not working correctly. The crankout was disassembled and the drive cable was pulled by hand until the source returned to the fully shielded and locked position. The licensee inspected the crankout device and found that there was a slight misalignment between the drive cable and the gear. The device was adjusted, tested and operates smoothly. The crankout device will be sent to the manufacturer for further evaluation. No
additional exposure was received by any individual during this event."
Texas Incident No. I-8890
The following was received via fax:
"On October 11, 2011, the Agency [state] was notified by the licensee that on October 10, 2011 while performing radiography operations in one of their shooting bays, they were unable to retract an 89 Curie Iridium - 192 source into a SPEC model 150 camera. The licensee used their video surveillance cameras to verify that nothing had fallen on the guide tube to prevent movement of the source. No obstructions were observed. A technician approved for source retrieval inspected the camera and associate equipment and determined that the crankout being used was not working correctly. The crankout was disassembled and the drive cable was pulled by hand until the source returned to the fully shielded and locked position. The licensee inspected the crankout device and found that there was a slight misalignment between the drive cable and the gear. The device was adjusted, tested and operates smoothly. The crankout device will be sent to the manufacturer for further evaluation. No
additional exposure was received by any individual during this event."
Texas Incident No. I-8890
Power Reactor
Event Number: 47336
Facility: LASALLE
Region: 3 State: IL
Unit: [1] [2] []
RX Type: [1] GE-5,[2] GE-5
NRC Notified By: JOHN KEENAN
HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA
Region: 3 State: IL
Unit: [1] [2] []
RX Type: [1] GE-5,[2] GE-5
NRC Notified By: JOHN KEENAN
HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA
Notification Date: 10/10/2011
Notification Time: 13:52 [ET]
Event Date: 10/10/2011
Event Time: 11:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 10/10/2011
Notification Time: 13:52 [ET]
Event Date: 10/10/2011
Event Time: 11:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 10/10/2011
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
26.719 - FITNESS FOR DUTY
10 CFR Section:
26.719 - FITNESS FOR DUTY
Person (Organization):
MONTE PHILLIPS (R3DO)
MONTE PHILLIPS (R3DO)
| Unit | SCRAM Code | RX Crit | Initial PWR | Initial RX Mode | Current PWR | Current RX Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation |
| 2 | N | Y | 100 | Power Operation | 100 | Power Operation |
FITNESS FOR DUTY - NON-LICENSED EMPLOYEE HAS A POSITIVE CONFIRMED TEST FOR AN ILLEGAL DRUG
A non-licensed employee supervisor had a confirmed positive test for illegal drugs during a random fitness-for-duty test. The employee's access to the plant has been suspended. Contact the Headquarters Operations Officer for additional details.
The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified.
A non-licensed employee supervisor had a confirmed positive test for illegal drugs during a random fitness-for-duty test. The employee's access to the plant has been suspended. Contact the Headquarters Operations Officer for additional details.
The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified.