ENS 42927
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
20:00 Oct 20, 2006 | |
| Title | Agreement State Report from Ohio: Contamination Incident in Source Handling Facilities |
| Event Description | Agreements State report received via e-mail
Event Cause: Inadequate Procedure The Bureau was notified at approximately 4:00 PM on Friday, 10/20/06 that the licensee experienced a contamination incident in their source handling facilities. The licensee stated that a 10 mCi Cesium-137 source had been breached during source disposal operations. The source was breached when a source holder was being cut or drilled to remove the source. Contamination was detected on the individual conducting the source removal operations, throughout the source storage room, and outside in the source handling area. Note that these are all controlled access/restricted areas within the facility. The contamination on the individual was located on the clothing, hair, arms and hands. The individual underwent onsite decontamination and was sent to a local hospital as a precautionary measure. As of today (10/23/06) there is still some residual contamination on the individual's finger tips; however, further scrubbing to remove this contamination may cause breakdown to the skin in that area. The individual is currently wearing gloves in an attempt to sweat out the residual cesium contamination. The individual is scheduled for a whole body scan on Wednesday, 10/25/06. The source handling area was secured and closed to all personnel over the weekend. A decontamination contractor has been retained by the licensee to arrive on site on Monday, 10/23/06. A Bureau of Radiation Protection inspector will arrive on site on Wednesday, 10/25/06 to assess the contractor's decontamination efforts and to further investigate the circumstances that caused the contamination event. This information is current as of 10:00 AM on Monday, 10/23/06. Corrective Actions: Not Reported Contamination to person: 0.010 Curies, 0.37 GBq of Cs-137 (Personnel Contamination) Surface Contamination: 0.01 curies, 0.37 GBq of Cs-137 (Temporary Rad. Controls) Form of Radioactive: Sealed Source Source Used: Fixed Gauge Reporting Requirement: 20.2203 30 day report - Reports of exposures, radiation levels, and concentrations of radioactive material exceeding the constraints or limits. Mode Reported: Telephone Reference Number: H 2006-092 Entry Date: 10/23/2006 Coder Initials: SMJ Reference Type: Agreement State Event Report.
Two separate Cs-137 sources were involved in the incident. Both were in TN model 5178/5178A source holders. The licensee's employee could not open the holders to remove the sources for disposal. The employee misunderstood where the sources were located in the holders and cut one holder (containing a 11 mCi source) with a bandsaw while drilling into the other holder (containing a 26 mCi source). The saw cut into the source and the drill bit broke and stuck in the source capsule. The contamination was contained to the secure source handling area. A contractor is on site to perform the facility decontamination. Notified the R3DO (Ring) and NMSS EO (Wastler)
The State provided the following information via email: Bureau staff visited the site on Wednesday, 10/25/06 to meet with the licensee and the decontamination contractor to review the circumstances which led to the contamination of the facility and the licensee's worker, as well as the decontamination efforts taken to date. Further investigation will be conducted by the Bureau. The contaminated employee underwent a whole body count on Thursday, 10/26/06. The results of that scan indicated the presence of 3.61 nanocuries in the lungs. The count will be repeated in two weeks. Note that the individual has been described by the licensee as a 'heavy smoker.' The individual is scheduled to undergo two 24-hour urine collections over the coming weekend for analysis on Monday, 10/30/06. Dose estimates will be prepared by the licensee and their medical consultant after the urine samples have been analyzed. Notified the R3DO (Ring) and NMSS EO (C. Flannery) |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Ohmart/Vega Corporation Cincinnati, Ohio (NRC Region 3) | |
| License number: | 03214310020 |
| Organization: | Ohio Bureau Of Radiation Protection |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+63.43 h2.643 days <br />0.378 weeks <br />0.0869 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Stephen James 11:26 Oct 23, 2006 |
| NRC Officer: | John Mackinnon |
| Last Updated: | Oct 27, 2006 |
| 42927 - NRC Website | |
Ohmart/Vega Corporation with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 440082008-02-22T05:00:00022 February 2008 05:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Ohio Agreement State Report - Two Contaminated Individuals ENS 429272006-10-20T20:00:00020 October 2006 20:00:00 Agreement State Agreement State Report from Ohio: Contamination Incident in Source Handling Facilities 2008-02-22T05:00:00 | |