Event Notification Report for December 10, 2024

AGREEMENT STATE - SOURCE FAILED TO RETRACT

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

"The Agency was contacted on 12/2/24 by radiation oncology staff at Advocate Christ Hospital to advise a 4.3 Ci Ir-192 source for a high dose rate afterloader (HDR) was stuck in the exposed position. The source was extended for daily quality assurance checks and is within a shielded vault. There were no staff or patient exposures. The manufacturer has been contacted to dispatch a service technician to the site and is expected 12/3/24. Agency staff conducted a reactive inspection on 12/2/24 to verify public exposure rates were within limits, verify adequate room security could be maintained, and determine the resources made available by the licensee to prevent any radiation exposures. After investigation, inspectors found the licensee had effectively restricted access by installing a secondary key-pad controlled door outside the vault door. Appropriate signage had been installed and survey readings in all areas were confirmed to be below public exposure limits (max 40 microrem per hour). The fault appears to be electrical and updates will be provided once obtained from Varian staff."

Equipment information:
Device name: Remote afterloader HDR
Model number: GammaMed Plus iX
Serial number: H641313
Manufacturer: Varian

Illinois item number: IL240030

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST EXIT SIGNS

The following is a summary of information provided by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment via email:

Eight tritium exit signs were determined to be lost by the licensee.

Manufacturer: Safety Light Corp.
Number of signs: 2
Model: 2040
Activity = 11.5 Ci each, H-3

Manufacturer: Best Lighting Products
Number of signs: 6
Model: SLXTU1GB10
Activity: 7.03 Ci each, H-3

Notifications: Colorado Regulations Section 4.51.1.1 (10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(i))

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