ENS 42338
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
06:00 Feb 14, 2006 | |
| Title | Agreement State Report - Damaged Troxler Gauge |
| Event Description | The State provided the following information via email:
Received notification on 2-14-06 from Newcomb Engineering Company that their Troxler Model 3430 moisture/density gauge [8 millicuries Cesium-137 and 40 millicuries Americium-241:Be] was run over by a bulldozer at a job site. The company RSO stated that the device was smashed in the dirt and they were not getting any abnormal survey readings. He stated that the technician was performing soil densities at the job site facing away from the bulldozer driver. The bulldozer driver was going forward and did not see the technician. The bulldozer driver hit the technician also but he was not injured. The source was not in the shielded position. By his description of the device, DRH [Mississippi Division of Radiological Health] responded to the job site that was approximately 230 miles away with a shielded container. The RSO stated that they would secure the area around the gauge until DRH arrived. DRH responded to job site. On arrival, it was apparent that Cs-137 source rod was not shielded. Inspector performed leak tests on sources and did not detect any removable contamination. Gauge was in many pieces. Cesium-137 source rod was placed in shielded container. The base plate of the gauge, that contained the Americium-241:Be source was put in a box and placed in the inspectors toolbox. All other parts of the gauge were put in the box also. Gauge was returned to DRH office for storage until disposal could be arranged. Highest reading was 300 mR/hr at 6" from end of source rod. 2 mR/hr at 1 meter from gauge. After putting gauge in shield, highest reading was 0.5 mR/hr at the surface of the top of the shielded container. Surveys [of the area where it was run over] were conducted after the gauge was secured . No readings above background were detected. Newcomb Engineering was told that they would have to submit a written report to DRH describing the incident. DRH is going to store the gauge until Newcomb Engineering can arrange disposal. 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. |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Newcomb Engineering Corinth, Mississippi (NRC Region 1) | |
| License number: | MS-967-01 |
| Organization: | Mississippi Div Of Rad Health |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+30.28 h1.262 days <br />0.18 weeks <br />0.0415 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | B.J.Smith 12:17 Feb 15, 2006 |
| NRC Officer: | Bill Huffman |
| Last Updated: | Feb 15, 2006 |
| 42338 - NRC Website | |
Newcomb Engineering with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 423382006-02-14T06:00:00014 February 2006 06:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Agreement State Report - Damaged Troxler Gauge 2006-02-14T06:00:00 | |