Event Notification Report for September 02, 2026

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following information was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Radiation Protection (the Department), via email:

"A Troxler model 3430 (S/N 28741) nuclear density gauge containing an 8 mCi Cs-137 source and a 40 mCi Am-241/Be source was run over by a passing vehicle on a dead-end road, where it was dragged several feet. A flagger attempted to stop the vehicle but could not. The gauge was stuck under the front bumper of the car. The plastic casing and electronics were clearly damaged, however, the rod and handle were not affected. The technician immediately pulled the gauge out from the car, retracted the source from the backscatter position (still in the gauge body) to the shielded position, and moved it to the side of the road before calling the field manager. The licensee field manager then arrived onsite with a meter. Surveys were performed of the gauge outside the transportation case, inside the case, and the areas where the gauge was struck and then moved to after impact. A wipe of the outside of the gauge where the shutter is located was taken, and no external contamination was present. The gauge outside the case was reading 4 mR/hr on contact; the case with the gauge inside was reading 2 mR/hr on contact and 0.4 mR/hr at 1 meter. The road and roadside were background. The gauge was transported back to the company headquarters to be sent to Troxler for repair.

"The Department performed a reactive inspection on August 24, 2026. More information will be provided as received."

Event report ID number: PA260017

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STUCK RADIOGRAPHY SOURCE

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

On August 24, 2026, at approximately 1400 MDT, a radiography crew experienced a source disconnect. During the first crank-out of the day, the radiographer encountered unusual resistance and needed multiple attempts to position the source. When retracting the cable, initial resistance was followed by free movement, but the locking mechanism failed to engage, indicating that the source had not fully returned. Survey measurements showed elevated radiation levels, and personnel withdrew and notified the radiation safety officer (RSO). The RSO, who is authorized to perform recoveries, retrieved the disconnected source with an estimated dose of 50 mrem. Dosimetry for all involved individuals was sent for emergency processing.
The recovered source passed the go/no-go test. The source cranks were sent for evaluation, the guide tube was removed from service, and the licensee's initial assessment identified human error as the probable cause.

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - OVEREXPOSURE

The following is a summary of information provided by Alabama Office of Radiation Control (the Agency) via email:

Agency staff received a preliminary report of an overexposure to an industrial radiographer assistant. The radiation safety officer (RSO) reported discovering the overexposure when the monthly personnel dosimetry report indicated the individual received a dose in excess of 5 rem.

Investigation by the licensee determined that the assistant radiographer had been performing the setup function for multiple exposures on a job. The assistant radiographer apparently did not verify source retraction with a survey meter before performing setup activities for the next exposure and, upon returning to the exposure device after setup, noticed it was unlocked. The assistant radiographer did not report the incident to the responsible radiographer or the RSO and waited until the end of the monitoring period to turn in their dosimeter.

The date and location of the incident were not provided by the licensee in their preliminary report. The licensee is preparing a detailed report with planned corrective actions.

Alabama incident: 26-13