Event Notification Report for January 9, 2018

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
01/08/2018 - 01/09/2018

** EVENT NUMBERS **


53139

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Agreement State Event Number: 53139
Rep Org: TEXAS DEPT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
Licensee: VERSA INTEGRITY GROUP INC
Region: 4
City: HOUSTON State: TX
County:
License #: 06669
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ARTHUR TUCKER
HQ OPS Officer: DONALD NORWOOD
Notification Date: 12/29/2017
Notification Time: 12:13 [ET]
Event Date: 12/29/2017
Event Time: [CST]
Last Update Date: 12/29/2017
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
Person (Organization):
MARK HAIRE (R4DO)
GRETCHEN RIVERA-CAPE (NMSS)
JEFFERY GRANT (IRD)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICA (EMAI)
DESIREE DAVIS (ILTA)

This material event contains a "Category 2 " level of radioactive material.

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST CATEGORY 2 RADIOGRAPHY EXPOSURE DEVICE

The following information was received via E-mail:

"On December 29, 2017, the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] received a call from the licensee's corporate radiation safety officer (CRSO) reporting a lost exposure device. The CRSO stated one of the licensee's radiographers at one of their licensed storage locations had placed a QA model D880 exposure device (serial # D15021) containing a 40.9 curie iridium-192 source on the tailgate of the truck at the licensee's Beaumont location. The radiographer left the licensee's location and headed to their work location. When the radiographer reached Groves, Texas, they realized they had not secured the device and pulled over. The device was not on the tailgate. The radiographer contacted the radiation safety officer and a search was begun. The CRSO stated at least two teams are searching the route looking for the device. The distance to be searched is about 20 miles based on the current information. The CRSO stated the device did have both storage caps on the device. The CRSO stated the dose rate on the device was 17 millirem on contact with a TI [Transportation Index] of 0.4. The CRSO stated they have contacted local law enforcement who are responding to the licensee's location. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."

Texas Incident #: I-9528

Notified External: DHS SWO, FEMA Ops Center, USDA Ops Center, HHS Ops Center, DOE Ops Center, DHS NICC Watch Officer, and EPA EOC.

Notified External via E-mail: Mexico, FDA EOC, NuclearSSA, FEMA National Watch Center, DNDO-JAC.


* * * UPDATE FROM ART TUCKER TO DONALD NORWOOD AT 1638 EST ON 12/29/2017 * * *

The following information was received via E-mail:

"The missing device has been found. Additional information will be provided in accordance with SA-300."


* * * UPDATE FROM ART TUCKER TO DONALD NORWOOD AT 1700 EST ON 12/29/2017 * * *

The following information was received via E-mail:

"The Agency received the following information on the event. The radiographers did not go to Grove Texas, but only made it to Nederland, Texas making the search area between 8 and 10 miles. At the time the device was recovered approximately 40 people were searching for it on foot. The searchers included firefighters, emergency response personnel, and licensee personnel. Pictures of the device show the outer coating was scratched, but the device itself did not appear damaged. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance wit SA-300."

Notified Internal NRC: R4DO (Haire), NMSS Regional/INES Coordinator (Rivera-Capella), IRD MOC (Grant), ILTAB (Davis), and NMSS Events Notification.

Notified External: DHS SWO, FEMA Ops Center, USDA Ops Center, HHS Ops Center, DOE Ops Center, DHS NICC Watch Officer, and EPA EOC.

Notified External via E-mail: Mexico, FDA EOC, NuclearSSA, FEMA National Watch Center, DNDO-JAC.

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

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 25, 2021