Event Notification Report for April 01, 2019

LOST THEN FOUND CATEGORY 2 RADIOGRAPHY EXPOSURE DEVICE

The following information was received via E-mail:

"The licensee RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] reported that a Mistras technician lost an INC IR-100 radiography camera, serial number 6744, on April 1, 2019, between approximately 0000 and 0100 PDT. The camera contained an Ir-192 sealed source, number 159E, with 85.3 curies.

"The radiography camera was left unsecured on the tailgate of a company darkroom vehicle upon departing the licensee's Long Beach office. The camera was being transported to the Chevron refinery in El Segundo for radiographic operations during the night. The lost camera was reported to the Long Beach office (at approximately 0110 PDT) by the technician upon arrival at the El Segundo refinery, and a radiography crew was sent from the Long Beach office to search the route taken by the first individual. The camera was found and recovered by the radiography crew approximately 0130 PDT on the breakdown lane of limited-access CA Hwy 91 westbound, approximately 4 miles from the Long Beach facility (near Wilmington Ave).

"The recovered radiography camera was returned to the Long Beach facility, where a leak test was performed, showing no leakage. The radiography camera was sent to a repair facility for further inspection. RHB [Radiation Health Branch] will investigate the cause of the incident, take appropriate enforcement action, and ensure appropriate corrective actions by the licensee."

California 5010 Number: 040119

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 and/or FAX: 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

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - POSSIBLE INTERNAL OVEREXPOSURE

The following was received from the State of New York via fax:

"The Radiation Safety Officer [RSO] of NRD, LLC, called to report an incident in which three individuals may have been exposed to Americium-241. NRD, LLC has a specific radioactive material license with the NYS [New York State] Department of Health to Manufacture Radioactive Products. Below is a brief description of the information reported so far.

"On Monday [4/1/19] evening an individual (Person1) was trying to clean up a 'small rusty contamination' in the change area using a HEPA vac. The vacuum was previously used in a different area (Silver Recovery) area to clean up Americium-241 metal. He turned on the vacuum and noticed it was blowing stuff out. He turned it off and told a second individual (Person 2) to shut the doors. After doing so, Person 2 went into another room. During this time the RSO (Person 3) was notified. Person 3 'stuck his head in the room for a minute.' Person 1 and person 2 were in the area for about a minute. Person 1 was in the area for approximately 20 minutes.

"The reading on a nose swab done on Person 1 read 6600 dpm [see update below]. After his clothing was removed and he took a shower and blew his nose, a second swab was done. The reading on the those swabs were 4884 dpm (right nostril), 1729 dpm (left nostril). On day 2 a third set of swab were done with the following reading: 67 dpm (right nostril), 36 dpm (left nostril).

"The lab remains closed and there is no work being done. They are trying to set up an access control point to enter the lab.

"The RSO indicated he was in communication with REACTS [Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site]. They suggested the Person 1 and Person 2 see their medical doctors. The bioassays collected were going out today, Wednesday, April 3, 2019.

"Based on the results reported for the initial nose swab, this incident is reportable under 10 CFR 20.2202(a)(1). NYSDOH [New York State Department of Health] Incident No. 1278 has been assigned to track this event."

New York Event Report ID No.: NY-19-04

Exposure to person 1 may have resulted in an intake five times the occupational Annual Limit on Intake (ALI).

* * * UPDATE ON 4/4/19 AT 1055 EDT FROM DESMOND GORDON TO BETHANY CECERE * * *

The initial report was incorrect for the nose swab done on person 1 - it read 66,000 dpm, not 6,600 dpm.

Notified R1DO (Young), and NMSS_Events_Notification email group.