Event Notification Report for August 12, 2022
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
08/11/2022 - 08/12/2022
Agreement State
Event Number: 56043
Rep Org: Texas Dept of State Health Services
Licensee: Acuren Inspection Inc
Region: 4
City: La Porte State: TX
County:
License #: L 01774
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Randall Alex Redd
HQ OPS Officer: Lloyd Desotell
Licensee: Acuren Inspection Inc
Region: 4
City: La Porte State: TX
County:
License #: L 01774
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Randall Alex Redd
HQ OPS Officer: Lloyd Desotell
Notification Date: 08/13/2022
Notification Time: 15:11 [ET]
Event Date: 08/12/2022
Event Time: 20:30 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 08/13/2022
Notification Time: 15:11 [ET]
Event Date: 08/12/2022
Event Time: 20:30 [CDT]
Last Update Date: 08/13/2022
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
O'Keefe, Neil (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
O'Keefe, Neil (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - UNABLE TO RETRACT SOURCE INTO RADIOGRAPHY EXPOSURE DEVICE
The following information was provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services via email:
"On August 13, 2022, licensee reported that they were unable to retract a radiography source on the evening of August 12 at around 2030 CDT. The incident occurred north of the city of Stanton, TX. The two radiographers reported the issue to the site Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) who was at their work site. A barrier was set up and a case of water was placed over the source. The site RSO got another licensee employee to assist and they uncrimped the guideline and successfully retracted the source. The site RSO and second source retrieval employee are both authorized for source retrievals on the Texas license. The two radiographers did not receive significant dose from this event. The site RSO and second source retrieval employee received 1.1 mR and 0.6 mR, respectively. The two took turns going up to the source and uncrimping the guideline. The camera was a QSA Delta 880 and the source was 40 Ci Ir-192. Further information will be provided per SA-300."
Texas Incident #: 9947
The following information was provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services via email:
"On August 13, 2022, licensee reported that they were unable to retract a radiography source on the evening of August 12 at around 2030 CDT. The incident occurred north of the city of Stanton, TX. The two radiographers reported the issue to the site Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) who was at their work site. A barrier was set up and a case of water was placed over the source. The site RSO got another licensee employee to assist and they uncrimped the guideline and successfully retracted the source. The site RSO and second source retrieval employee are both authorized for source retrievals on the Texas license. The two radiographers did not receive significant dose from this event. The site RSO and second source retrieval employee received 1.1 mR and 0.6 mR, respectively. The two took turns going up to the source and uncrimping the guideline. The camera was a QSA Delta 880 and the source was 40 Ci Ir-192. Further information will be provided per SA-300."
Texas Incident #: 9947
Agreement State
Event Number: 56068
Rep Org: SC Dept of Health & Env Control
Licensee: Lowcountry Medical Group
Region: 1
City: Port Royal State: SC
County:
License #: 648
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Leland Cave
HQ OPS Officer: Ian Howard
Licensee: Lowcountry Medical Group
Region: 1
City: Port Royal State: SC
County:
License #: 648
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Leland Cave
HQ OPS Officer: Ian Howard
Notification Date: 08/25/2022
Notification Time: 15:14 [ET]
Event Date: 08/12/2022
Event Time: 08:30 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 09/12/2022
Notification Time: 15:14 [ET]
Event Date: 08/12/2022
Event Time: 08:30 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 09/12/2022
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
Lally, Christopher (R1DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
Lally, Christopher (R1DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
EN Revision Imported Date: 9/13/2022
EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - UNPLANNED CONTAMINATION
The following information was received from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control [the Department] via email:
"At 0905 [EDT] on August 12, 2022, the Department received a call from a representative of the Lowcountry Medical Group to report a contamination event. At about 0830 that same day, the certified nuclear medicine technician (CNMT) prepared to administer a dose to a patient on a treadmill to perform a stress test. While inserting the dose into the IV [intravenous], the cap loosened and the dose was sprayed onto the CNMT. Drops were released onto the treadmill handrails, track, and side. The CNMT decided to complete the treatment rather than to stop the treatment and perform radiation cleanup procedures as listed for the office. The CNMT, while still contaminated, left the room, went down the hall, and grabbed a replacement dose for the patient. This contaminated a hallway that was otherwise an unrestricted area. The CNMT successfully injected the patient with the second dose and completed the test then put the patient on a table to measure his shoes. The CNMT put booties on the patient and released them to go home. The CNMT changed clothes, went home, showered, and returned to the office afterward. The other CNMT remained at the office and cancelled the remaining patients.
"Inspectors from the Department arrived at the location at approximately 1215 to investigate the situation. At the time the inspectors arrived, no cleanup had begun and the contaminated hallway had not been blocked off. The inspectors surveyed the hallway and instructed the CNMTs to block the hallway and begin cleanup procedures. They reviewed the procedures with the staff and made sure that they had the right equipment to perform the cleanup.
"The radioactive material used was Tc-99m [technetium-99m]. The amount of material was 30.7 mCi. The treatment being performed was a nuclear stress test. The office reported that both CNMTs were 0.03 mR/hr (background) after the event. The results of the surveys pre-cleanup were as follows: Treadmill: 20 mR/hr, Floor: 20 mR/hr, Floor behind treadmill: 20 mR/hr."
* * * UPDATE ON 9/12/2022 AT 1736 EDT FROM LELAND CAVE TO ERNEST WEST * * *
"The individuals did not perform any cleanup on [August 12, 2022], preferring to allow the contents to decay over the weekend. They documented post cleanup numbers on Monday, [August 15, 2022], as follows: Treadmill: 0.03 mR/hr, Floor: 0.03 mR/hr, Floor behind treadmill: 0.03 mR/hr."
Notified R1DO (Young) and NMSS Events Notification via email.
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
EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - UNPLANNED CONTAMINATION
The following information was received from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control [the Department] via email:
"At 0905 [EDT] on August 12, 2022, the Department received a call from a representative of the Lowcountry Medical Group to report a contamination event. At about 0830 that same day, the certified nuclear medicine technician (CNMT) prepared to administer a dose to a patient on a treadmill to perform a stress test. While inserting the dose into the IV [intravenous], the cap loosened and the dose was sprayed onto the CNMT. Drops were released onto the treadmill handrails, track, and side. The CNMT decided to complete the treatment rather than to stop the treatment and perform radiation cleanup procedures as listed for the office. The CNMT, while still contaminated, left the room, went down the hall, and grabbed a replacement dose for the patient. This contaminated a hallway that was otherwise an unrestricted area. The CNMT successfully injected the patient with the second dose and completed the test then put the patient on a table to measure his shoes. The CNMT put booties on the patient and released them to go home. The CNMT changed clothes, went home, showered, and returned to the office afterward. The other CNMT remained at the office and cancelled the remaining patients.
"Inspectors from the Department arrived at the location at approximately 1215 to investigate the situation. At the time the inspectors arrived, no cleanup had begun and the contaminated hallway had not been blocked off. The inspectors surveyed the hallway and instructed the CNMTs to block the hallway and begin cleanup procedures. They reviewed the procedures with the staff and made sure that they had the right equipment to perform the cleanup.
"The radioactive material used was Tc-99m [technetium-99m]. The amount of material was 30.7 mCi. The treatment being performed was a nuclear stress test. The office reported that both CNMTs were 0.03 mR/hr (background) after the event. The results of the surveys pre-cleanup were as follows: Treadmill: 20 mR/hr, Floor: 20 mR/hr, Floor behind treadmill: 20 mR/hr."
* * * UPDATE ON 9/12/2022 AT 1736 EDT FROM LELAND CAVE TO ERNEST WEST * * *
"The individuals did not perform any cleanup on [August 12, 2022], preferring to allow the contents to decay over the weekend. They documented post cleanup numbers on Monday, [August 15, 2022], as follows: Treadmill: 0.03 mR/hr, Floor: 0.03 mR/hr, Floor behind treadmill: 0.03 mR/hr."
Notified R1DO (Young) and NMSS Events Notification via email.
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
Agreement State
Event Number: 56049
Rep Org: Florida Bureau of Radiation Control
Licensee: Yoder and Frey Auctioneers
Region: 1
City: Jacksonville State: FL
County:
License #: N/A
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Mark Seidensticker
HQ OPS Officer: Howie Crouch
Licensee: Yoder and Frey Auctioneers
Region: 1
City: Jacksonville State: FL
County:
License #: N/A
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Mark Seidensticker
HQ OPS Officer: Howie Crouch
Notification Date: 08/16/2022
Notification Time: 15:26 [ET]
Event Date: 08/12/2022
Event Time: 00:00 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 08/16/2022
Notification Time: 15:26 [ET]
Event Date: 08/12/2022
Event Time: 00:00 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 08/16/2022
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
Jackson, Don (R1DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
Jackson, Don (R1DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION (EMAIL)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - IMPORTED EQUIPMENT TRIPPED RADIATION ALARM AT PORT OF ENTRY
The following information was received from the state of Florida via email:
"Bureau of Radiation Control (BRC) in Tallahassee received an email this morning from Customs and Border Control (CBP), Jacksonville Seaport, Blount Island Terminal, regarding an excavator imported from Yokohama, Japan on Friday, August 12th, which they received a radiation alarm on. After the alarm, CBP isolated the radiation to an area towards the front passenger side of the excavator where they identified Cs-137 and Cs-134. The average dose rate was 21.5 microR/hr. at approximately 3 feet away (about 4x background) during a 10 minute acquisition using a handheld NaI [sodium iodide] 2x2 [inch] RadSeeker detector. BRC determined the excavator poses minimal risk, if any, to the general public and is safe to release for transport to Kissimmee, FL for auction. BRC will follow up once it arrives at end destination."
The following information was received from the state of Florida via email:
"Bureau of Radiation Control (BRC) in Tallahassee received an email this morning from Customs and Border Control (CBP), Jacksonville Seaport, Blount Island Terminal, regarding an excavator imported from Yokohama, Japan on Friday, August 12th, which they received a radiation alarm on. After the alarm, CBP isolated the radiation to an area towards the front passenger side of the excavator where they identified Cs-137 and Cs-134. The average dose rate was 21.5 microR/hr. at approximately 3 feet away (about 4x background) during a 10 minute acquisition using a handheld NaI [sodium iodide] 2x2 [inch] RadSeeker detector. BRC determined the excavator poses minimal risk, if any, to the general public and is safe to release for transport to Kissimmee, FL for auction. BRC will follow up once it arrives at end destination."