The State provided the following information via email:
On September 8, 2005, we received a call from the RSO that their [Troxler] gauge had been run over by a front loader. The gauge user was standing approximately 3' away from the gauge when this occurred. Although the gauge handle had originally been in the shielded position, the front loader drove the rod down into the ground when it ran over the gauge. The RSO met the gauge user at the site of the incident (Dooley Elementary in Long Beach). The RSO contacted Kent Prendergast, Senior HP for RHB-Richmond, who directed them to try to retract the source, which they were able to do. They placed the gauge in the gauge transport case and brought it directly to Maurer Technical Services (6163-30) in Laguna Hills. Maurer Technical are CPN manufacturer representatives who repair, leak test, and calibrate gauges. The gauge was a Troxler, model 3430, #35001.
At 8:10 A.M, September 12, 2005*, Maurer reported the source rod was not able to be locked, the gauge was not repairable, but the sources appeared to be intact and was in the shielded position when it was brought in by the licensee. A leak test was performed. The gauge will be shipped to Troxler Labs once it is confirmed that the leak test is negative. There was no exposure to the workers at the site from this incident since the Cs-137 source ended up being extended into the soil and the soil shielded the source. I estimate the gauge user and RSO received from 5-10 millirem during the retrieval of the source. There are no corrective actions required because of this event.
This event is also reportable within
24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> by
California Code of Regulations, title 17, Section 30295(b).