Event Notification Report for March 13, 2022

EN Revision Imported Date: 4/15/2022

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST AND FOUND DENSITY GAUGE

The following information was received from the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Agency) via email:

"On March 14, 2022 the Agency received information from the gauge manufacturer that a call had come to their 24-hour number at approximately 1830 (CDT) on March 13, 2022 that Troxler moisture/density gauge (Model 3430: 8 milliCurie cesium-137, 40 milliCurie americium-241/beryllium) had been found in the parking lot of an apartment complex in San Antonio, Texas. The finder did not want to call the police so the manufacturer contacted them. The gauge was inside its unlocked transport case and the finder kept watch on it until the police arrived and took it between 2100 and 2200 (CDT). The gauge was placed in their impound. After receiving the information, the Agency contacted the police department but was only able to get limited information. Attempts to contact the police impound were unsuccessful. A radioactive materials inspector was dispatched but by the time he got there the gauge had been picked up by the owner licensee. The impound staff had called the manufacturer, provided the serial number, and the manufacturer contacted the licensee's corporate office who notified the San Antonio office. The Agency contacted the licensee, their radiation safety officer (RSO) is out of the office and the individual handling the incident is in the process of investigating until the RSO returns mid-week. The licensee confirmed that there were no locks on the case and the insertion rod did not have a lock when they retrieved it. More information will be provided as it is obtained in accordance with SA-300."

Texas incident no.: I-9923

* * * UPDATE FROM KAREN BLANCHARD TO DONALD NORWOOD AT 1848 EDT ON 3/17/2022 * * *

The following information was received via E-mail:

"On March 17, 2022, the licensee notified the Agency that its investigation had revealed that on February 14, 2022, one of its technicians had taken the gauge to their residence at the end of the workday and the gauge was stolen from the vehicle, which was parked at the technician's apartment complex, during the overnight hours. The technician stated that the transport case was secured with two chains in the bed of the pickup and that there was a lock on the insertion rod. The technician did not report the theft to the licensee's radiation safety officer (RSO) when he discovered it on February 15, 2022. The technician did make a statement to the RSO that day that the gauge was not in its storage location at their facility. The RSO presumed another technician had it out on a job. Since neither the technician nor any of the other technicians brought up to the RSO that the gauge was not there after that, the RSO did not follow up. Any additional information will be provided as it is obtained in accordance with SA-300."

Notified R4DO (Drake) and NMSS Events Notification E-mail group.

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