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Home NRC Library Document Collections Events, Reports Associated with Event Notification Reports 2021

Event Notification Report for September 21, 2021

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

EVENT REPORTS FOR
09/20/2021 - 09/21/2021

EVENT NUMBERS
55460 55461
Agreement State
Event Number: 55460
Rep Org: OK DEQ RAD MANAGEMENT
Licensee: Thunderhead Testing, LLC
Region: 4
City: Bixby   State: OK
County:
License #: OK-32153-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Michael Reid
HQ OPS Officer: Howie Crouch
Notification Date: 09/13/2021
Notification Time: 17:00 [ET]
Event Date: 08/30/2021
Event Time: 15:30 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 09/14/2021
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
AZUA, RAY (R4)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION, (EMAIL)
Event Text
EN Revision Imported Date: 9/21/2021

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following information was received from the state of Oklahoma via email:

"On August 30, 2021, [one] of Thunderhead Testing's portable density gauge operators was on a construction site near Vian, Oklahoma. At approximately 1530 CDT, after completing a density/moisture measurement, one of the contractor's employees struck the gauge with a pickup truck. The gauge operator claims he was instructed by the superintendent to do the density measurements in front of the job superintendent's truck. When the operator had completed the density measurements and retracted the probe safely back into home position in the gauge, he turned around to pack up the gauge to move to the next location. As he turned to open the transport case, the job superintendent moved his truck to go to the next location and ran over the gauge. The superintendent stopped and the technician immediately secured the area and notified his RSO [radiation safety officer]. The RSO stated that the survey meter measurements indicated a radiation level at the gauge of 0.02 mR/hr indicating no breach of the source capsules and no leakage. The operator photographed the gauge/incident area and then placed the gauge and gauge pieces into the case, properly secured it per standard transportation protocol and then transported it back to the storage location in Bixby, Oklahoma. Upon arrival at the lab in Bixby, the operator conducted a leak test and then shipped the completed test via expedited, next-day delivery to InstroTek (NC) for analysis. The leak test report [was provided to the NRC]. With the leak test results indicating the integrity of the sources had not been compromised, arrangements were made with InstroTek to ship the gauge to InstroTek's facility in NC for proper disposal."

The gauge was a Troxler Model 3430, serial number 16349, and contains 40 mCi Am241:Be and 8 mCi Cs-137.

Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is initiating a reactive inspection and is waiting for further details including date and time.


Agreement State
Event Number: 55461
Rep Org: KANSAS DEPT OF HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
Licensee: Transystems Corporation
Region: 4
City:   State: KS
County: Barton
License #: 22-B613-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Kimberly Steves
HQ OPS Officer: Brian Lin
Notification Date: 09/14/2021
Notification Time: 21:53 [ET]
Event Date: 09/14/2021
Event Time: 08:30 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 09/14/2021
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
AZUA, RAY (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION, (EMAIL)
Event Text
EN Revision Imported Date: 9/21/2021

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED TROXLER GAUGE

The following information was received from the state of Kansas via email:

"At approximately 0830 CDT on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, a Kansas licensee notified the state of Kansas of an incident involving a Troxler gauge, Model 3430, serial number 32617. The incident occurred in Barton County, Kansas, on US 156 highway where resurfacing work was occurring. The Troxler gauge was run over by a motorist when an employee of the general contractor overseeing the road surfacing project directed traffic down the lane on which the licensee was working. A tractor trailer hit the gauge and the device was dragged several hundred meters. It was recovered and isolated promptly after a short search. The source shutter was open and the device was in the back scatter mode. At 1300 CDT on September 14, 2021, a Kansas Radiation Control Program inspector arrived at the scene and conducted an on-site reactive inspection. The inspector interviewed the licensee and contacted the local law enforcement who were involved in the retrieval of the device. The inspector conducted radiological surveys of the device. Using the inspector's survey meter, Ludlum 2401-EC, it was determined that the device's shielding was intact. The exposure rate outside the shutter opening exceeded the capability of the survey meter, but all other areas read less than 20 mR/hr. Once the shutter was closed and device was surveyed again the readings decreased. The shutter opening was still the highest exposure rate at 10 mR/hr at approximately three inches away. It was possible to return the device to the fully shielded position with the shutter closed. The device was then placed back in the transport box and surveys showed the Transport Index was below [Department of Transportation] DOT requirements for transporting back to the licensee's office. At the office, a leak test will be performed.

"This report will be updated with additional information describing dose assessment, root cause analysis, corrective actions and possible citations when a full investigation is completed."