Event Notification Report for July 19, 2007
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
07/18/2007 - 07/19/2007
!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED !!!!!
!!!!! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RETRACTED !!!!!
General Information or Other
Event Number: 43507
Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: I Q DISTRIBUTORS/DIVERSIFIED MATERIALS SERVICES/DIVERSIFIED
Region: 4
City: HOUSTON State: TX
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: LATISCHA HANSON
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON
Licensee: I Q DISTRIBUTORS/DIVERSIFIED MATERIALS SERVICES/DIVERSIFIED
Region: 4
City: HOUSTON State: TX
County:
License #:
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: LATISCHA HANSON
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON
Notification Date: 07/19/2007
Notification Time: 17:08 [ET]
Event Date: 07/19/2007
Event Time: 14:32 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 09/04/2007
Notification Time: 17:08 [ET]
Event Date: 07/19/2007
Event Time: 14:32 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 09/04/2007
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
LINDA SMITH (R4)
E. WILLIAM BRACH (FSME)
LINDA SMITH (R4)
E. WILLIAM BRACH (FSME)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS
EVENT: Radioactive Material (RAM) found - sealed
License Number: "Unlicensed"
"The agency received a call at 2:15 p.m. today (7/19/07) from DSHS Food & Drug Inspector, (DELETED) inquiring about four radiation devices found with 1994 inspection stickers on each of them. She said there appears to be some concern as of what company owns them and the facility they are located at. She gave me three names of possible companies, or owners:
"I Q Distributors
"Diversified Materials Services
"Diversified Medical Services Inc.
"The facility is located at: 2400 Central Parkway, Suite LP in Houston, Texas 77092. She is currently on location.
"Agency Action Taken: Region 6 RAM Inspector to go to the facility as soon as possible to conduct incident investigation & identify sources."
Texas Incident Number: I-8428
* * * RETRACTION FROM L. HANSON TO P. SNYDER AT 1657 ON 9/4/07 * * *
The NRC received the following information from the Agreement State of Texas via facsimile:
"On 08/23/07, the Agency received a telephone call from the individual who received the gauges from Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc. (KBR) & was given the following information:
"The individual stated that on 03/03/06, he purchased a portion of the building at 2400 Central Parkway, Ste. L, Houston, Texas. The purchaser reported to the Agency that he was not aware that the portion of the building he just bought, Suite L, contained the alloy analyzers found by DSHS inspectors until he was recently contacted by the agency. He stated he thought he bought lab equipment only & was unaware that the building purchase included the alloy analyzers. The other suite, Suite P, is not owned by him & overseen by the initial individual contacted at the site by the agency's inspectors. He is not sure why this individual did not make the suite distinction with the inspectors nor contact him to let him know the building was being inspected.
"He contacted the agency's general licensing acknowledgement (GLA) division & was given the following information: These devices with Fe-55 and Cd-109 sources and no longer issued a GLA so anyone can possess these devices if transferred by manufacturer/distributor. A transfer is allowed if the devices are transferred in their physical location, which occurred when he bought the building.
"Additionally, the agency received documentation from the manufacturer that they removed the RAM sources from the two empty analyzers & shipped the analyzers back to KBR in 1997. The two analyzers which had very low-strength RAM sources were transferred in accordance with the above stated allowance.
"The purchaser asked if the agency could give him information on how he could dispose of the analyzers. The agency responded by forwarding information to the purchaser for possible contacts who could assist him with disposal.
"BASED ON THE ABOVE INFORMATION, THE AGENCY IS REQUESTING A RETRACTION OF THIS INCIDENT, SINCE IT IS NOW DEEMED NON-REPORTABLE."
Notified R4DO (T. Pruett) and FSME (J. Davis).
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.
This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source
EVENT: Radioactive Material (RAM) found - sealed
License Number: "Unlicensed"
"The agency received a call at 2:15 p.m. today (7/19/07) from DSHS Food & Drug Inspector, (DELETED) inquiring about four radiation devices found with 1994 inspection stickers on each of them. She said there appears to be some concern as of what company owns them and the facility they are located at. She gave me three names of possible companies, or owners:
"I Q Distributors
"Diversified Materials Services
"Diversified Medical Services Inc.
"The facility is located at: 2400 Central Parkway, Suite LP in Houston, Texas 77092. She is currently on location.
"Agency Action Taken: Region 6 RAM Inspector to go to the facility as soon as possible to conduct incident investigation & identify sources."
Texas Incident Number: I-8428
* * * RETRACTION FROM L. HANSON TO P. SNYDER AT 1657 ON 9/4/07 * * *
The NRC received the following information from the Agreement State of Texas via facsimile:
"On 08/23/07, the Agency received a telephone call from the individual who received the gauges from Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc. (KBR) & was given the following information:
"The individual stated that on 03/03/06, he purchased a portion of the building at 2400 Central Parkway, Ste. L, Houston, Texas. The purchaser reported to the Agency that he was not aware that the portion of the building he just bought, Suite L, contained the alloy analyzers found by DSHS inspectors until he was recently contacted by the agency. He stated he thought he bought lab equipment only & was unaware that the building purchase included the alloy analyzers. The other suite, Suite P, is not owned by him & overseen by the initial individual contacted at the site by the agency's inspectors. He is not sure why this individual did not make the suite distinction with the inspectors nor contact him to let him know the building was being inspected.
"He contacted the agency's general licensing acknowledgement (GLA) division & was given the following information: These devices with Fe-55 and Cd-109 sources and no longer issued a GLA so anyone can possess these devices if transferred by manufacturer/distributor. A transfer is allowed if the devices are transferred in their physical location, which occurred when he bought the building.
"Additionally, the agency received documentation from the manufacturer that they removed the RAM sources from the two empty analyzers & shipped the analyzers back to KBR in 1997. The two analyzers which had very low-strength RAM sources were transferred in accordance with the above stated allowance.
"The purchaser asked if the agency could give him information on how he could dispose of the analyzers. The agency responded by forwarding information to the purchaser for possible contacts who could assist him with disposal.
"BASED ON THE ABOVE INFORMATION, THE AGENCY IS REQUESTING A RETRACTION OF THIS INCIDENT, SINCE IT IS NOW DEEMED NON-REPORTABLE."
Notified R4DO (T. Pruett) and FSME (J. Davis).
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.
This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source
General Information or Other
Event Number: 43509
Rep Org: NE DIV OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
Licensee: BECTON-DICKINSON INFUSION THERAPY SYSTEM, INC
Region: 4
City: BROKEN BOW State: NE
County:
License #: 04-01-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: DEFRAIN
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON
Licensee: BECTON-DICKINSON INFUSION THERAPY SYSTEM, INC
Region: 4
City: BROKEN BOW State: NE
County:
License #: 04-01-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: DEFRAIN
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON
Notification Date: 07/20/2007
Notification Time: 17:28 [ET]
Event Date: 07/19/2007
Event Time: 12:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 07/20/2007
Notification Time: 17:28 [ET]
Event Date: 07/19/2007
Event Time: 12:00 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 07/20/2007
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
ANTHONY GODY (R4)
E. WILLIAM BRACH (FSME)
ANTHONY GODY (R4)
E. WILLIAM BRACH (FSME)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT FROM THE STATE OF NEBRASKA
On 07/20/07 at 1445 CDT the Radiation Safety Officer for Becton-Dickinson Infusion Therapy System, Inc Pool Irradiator located in Broken Bow reported a component failure at the Pool Irradiator.
The irradiator was operating on 07/19/07 when one of the totes carrying medical supplies to be sterilized became jammed in the irradiator. The alarm sounded as expected. The source of the Pool Irradiator went back to its shielded position, lowered back into the pool. The Control Panel for the pool irradiator did not indicate, light did not come on, that the source had gone back into the pool. The licensee went to the penthouse, above the irradiator pool, and found that there was no extra cable in the penthouse which indicated the source had gone to its safe position, entered the pool. Radiation readings taken in the penthouse also indicated that the source was in the pool.
The licensee tried to unlock the door to enter the maze to unjam the tote but they were unable to unlock the door because the control panel indicated that the source had not gone to its safe position.
The licensee then called MDS Nordion, manufacturer of the irradiator and owner of the irradiator fuel, and informed them of the problem. MDS Nordion informed them how to over ride the access system. After three tries they successfully over rode the access system, required 3 people at 3 different locations at the same time to over ride the system. After opening the access door 2 people with 2 separate radiation survey meters entered the maze. Normal background radiation levels were detected. It was found that the control switch indicating that the source was in its safe position was not in its correct position, down. The switch was replaced.
As of 07/20/07 the Pool Irradiator is operating.
On 07/20/07 at 1445 CDT the Radiation Safety Officer for Becton-Dickinson Infusion Therapy System, Inc Pool Irradiator located in Broken Bow reported a component failure at the Pool Irradiator.
The irradiator was operating on 07/19/07 when one of the totes carrying medical supplies to be sterilized became jammed in the irradiator. The alarm sounded as expected. The source of the Pool Irradiator went back to its shielded position, lowered back into the pool. The Control Panel for the pool irradiator did not indicate, light did not come on, that the source had gone back into the pool. The licensee went to the penthouse, above the irradiator pool, and found that there was no extra cable in the penthouse which indicated the source had gone to its safe position, entered the pool. Radiation readings taken in the penthouse also indicated that the source was in the pool.
The licensee tried to unlock the door to enter the maze to unjam the tote but they were unable to unlock the door because the control panel indicated that the source had not gone to its safe position.
The licensee then called MDS Nordion, manufacturer of the irradiator and owner of the irradiator fuel, and informed them of the problem. MDS Nordion informed them how to over ride the access system. After three tries they successfully over rode the access system, required 3 people at 3 different locations at the same time to over ride the system. After opening the access door 2 people with 2 separate radiation survey meters entered the maze. Normal background radiation levels were detected. It was found that the control switch indicating that the source was in its safe position was not in its correct position, down. The switch was replaced.
As of 07/20/07 the Pool Irradiator is operating.