Event Notification Report for August 15, 2022

EN Revision Imported Date: 8/8/2022

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - THEFT OF RADIOACTIVE GAUGE

The following information was provided by the licensee via email:
During an inspection on 7/26/22, the RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] of Advanced Geotechnical Solutions stated that on March 6, 2021, an Authorized User of radioactive gauges for Advanced Geotechnical Solutions discovered that his SUV had been broken into and the radioactive gauge Troxler, 3430, serial #70783 that he had checked out from the permanent storage site at [REDACTED], had been stolen. The Authorized User had transported the radioactive gauge to his personal residence and left it locked in his vehicle rather than transport it back to the permanent storage location in Escondido. The Authorized User reported the theft to his RSO, and to the San Diego Police Department, and the RSO reported the theft to Cal OES [California Governor's Office of Emergency Services] on 3/7/21, instead of to the Brea, CA office since it was a weekend. The report of the lost gauge apparently did not get to the Brea office, and consequently no investigation was conducted, nor was the theft reported to NRC.

The RSO had contacted local newspapers in an attempt to retrieve the stolen radioactive gauge, as well as notifying local servicing vendors of radioactive gauges to be alert for the serial number of the stolen gauge in case it turns up for service, but the gauge has not been recovered. The investigation is ongoing, including why the Cal OES report did not get to the Brea, CA, RHB [Radiologic Health Branch] inspection office.



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 REPORT - POTENTIAL OVEREXPOSURE TO EXTREMITY

The following information was received from the Massachusetts Radiation Control Program (the Agency) via email:

"Licensee reported employee weekly finger ring exposure exceeding 50 rem (67.569 rem for wear period, 7/4/22-7/10/22) a situation reportable within 24 hours per 105 CMR 120.282 (B) (1) (c). The other finger ring dosimeter worn by the subject employee received 31.509 rem exposure for same wear period. Exact cause of exposure not yet known. Licensee investigation ongoing. Licensee, a radiopharmaceutical manufacturer/distributer, stated that subject employee does perform work involved with F-18 radiopharmaceutical manufacturing operations.

"The Agency considers this matter still open."

MA Event Number: TBD

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED GAUGE

The following information was provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (The Agency) via email:

"The RSO for Cleveland-Cliffs Riverdale, LLC, contacted the Agency Operations Center on 8/7/22 to report a mold had failed during casting at their Riverdale, IL facility at approximately 0922 CDT that morning. The incident resulted in molten steel overflowing onto a radioactive source holder which contained a 46.5 mCi Co-60 source in a Berthold LB300MLT holder.

"Reportedly, the top of the source holder was sheared off and the shutter stuck open. Operators are routinely more than six feet away at the time of casting - and were further away during the accident - in large part due to the heat. Exposure rates were recorded at a maximum of 20 mR/hour directly above the source holder on the mold. Six inches above the mold, the exposure rate drops to 2 mR/hour. The area has been blocked off and boundaries surveyed at 0.1 mR/hour. A leak test is being collected, but the licensee is not capable/authorized to perform analysis.

"The manufacturer's representative, Radiametrics Technologies, will be on site tomorrow (8/8/22) to assess, remove from service, and properly package the source for transport. They are bringing a spare source holder. Agency inspectors will perform a reactive inspection to verify conditions did not result in any public or worker exposures and that the damage to the source did not result in any contamination."

Illinois reference number: IL220028

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT- LOST STATIC ELIMINATOR

The following summary was received from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment via email:

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported one NRD, LLC static eliminator, model number P-2021, containing 0.01 Ci of Po-210 was lost by the licensee [Service King #340]. The incident occurred July 11, 2022.

CO Event Report ID no.: CO220027

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 REPORT- LOST STATIC ELIMINATOR

The following summary was received from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment via email:

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported one NRD, LLC static eliminator, model number P-2021, containing 0.01 Ci of Po-210 was lost by the licensee [Service King #344]. The incident occurred July 11, 2022.

CO Event Report ID no.: CO220028

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