Event Notification Report for April 06, 2020

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST MATERIAL IN TRANSIT

The following is summarized from an e-mail received from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:

The licensee reported on 4/6/20 that three UN2915 White I label packages, shipped from Germany via common carrier, each containing 21.14 Ci Sulfur-35, did not arrive on 3/29/20 as expected. Upon inquiry on 3/31/20, the common carrier informed the licensee that the packages arrived at JFK Airport, NY, and had not yet been forwarded. The common carrier informed the licensee on 4/6/20 that the three packages could not be located within its system, all flights were cancelled from JFK to Boston due to the COVID-19 situation, and affected freight would be forwarded via ground. The licensee continues to work with the common carrier to locate the packages. There is no significant public health and safety concern due to the package radiation levels being at background.

* * * UPDATE ON 4/9/2020 AT 1410 EDT FROM ANTHONY CARPENITO TO JEFFREY WHITED * * *

The following was received from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts via email:

"The licensee (PerkinElmer) on 4/9/2020 reported to this Agency [the Massachusetts Radiation Control Program] that three packages previously reported as missing were found in [the common] carrier's warehouse at JFK Airport in NY. The licensee stated that the packages were reportedly intact, unopened and undamaged. The licensee stated that the packages are expected to be ground transported to licensee in Boston for arrival on 4/10/2020. The licensee stated that a comprehensive incoming package survey will be performed on packages upon arrival at licensee facility. This Agency considers this event to still be OPEN until licensee confirmation of package arrival in regulatory-acceptable condition."

Notified R1DO (Lilliendahl), NMSS Event Notifications, and ILTAB via email.

* * * UPDATE ON 4/10/2020 AT 1635 EDT FROM ANTHONY CARPENITO TO OSSY FONT * * *

The following was received from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts via email:

"The licensee (PerkinElmer) on 4/10/2020 reported to this Agency that three subject packages were received at the licensee's facility on the afternoon of 4/10/20. The licensee performed an incoming package survey and determined the outside of the packages were not radioactively contaminated, there was no physical damage to the packages, and the inner packaging and contents remained intact. The Agency expects this event to remain OPEN until all details, including action docket numbers, are compiled and relevant documentation is completed."

Notified R1DO (Lilliendahl), NMSS Event Notifications, and ILTAB via email.

* * * UPDATE ON 4/23/2020 AT 1435 EDT FROM ANTHONY CARPENITO TO CATY NOLAN * * *

The following was received from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts via email:

"Carrier corrective action includes retraining of employees. Agency considers this event to be CLOSED."

Massachusetts Event Number: 16-4134. NMED Item Number: 200171

Notified R1DO (Arner), NMSS Event Notifications, and ILTAB via email.

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 REPORT - IMPROPER CONTROL OF A SEALED SOURCE


The following information is a summary received from the state of North Dakota via telephone:

On April 5, 2020, one of the licensee's sealed sources was temporarily in the possession of a non-authorized user. One of the owners, who is not an authorized user, took possession of four of the company's radiography vehicles and a sealed source was still in one of the vehicles. The source was subsequently retrieved, verified not to have been tampered with, and is back in storage.

The source contains 88 Ci of Ir-192.

North Dakota has notified their R4 Agreement State Officer (Erickson).

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