Anazao Health contacted [the
Florida Bureau of Radiation Control] Licensing and Materials Office by fax concerning an over exposure to two individuals on 28 January 2008. Initial determination was on 27 December 2008. During routine facility audit on 6 February 2008 inspector found documentation concerning over exposure. No verbal communication was sent by Anazao Health to state officials. One individual received 105.3 [REM] to right extremity
TLD finger ring, and 82.3 [REM] to his left extremity
TLD finger ring. Both are shallow dose equivalent for calendar year 2007. Second individual received 53.186 [REM] to right extremity
TLD finger ring, and 80.066 [REM] to his left extremity
TLD finger ring.
Florida is investigating.
Florida Incident number FL08-018
- * * UPDATE AT 1423 EST ON 02/07/08 FROM STEVE FURNACE TO S. SANDIN * * *
The following information was received as an update via email:
Anazao Health compounds radiopharmaceutical drugs. The company makes capsules of concentrated doses normally one quarter the size of standard capsules. The company primarily accomplishes these tasks by hand.
Both employees worked with I-131 liquid in the preparation of nuclear medicine capsules. The I-131 stock contained up to 3 Curies and the individuals removed stock liquid into other vials for diagnostic or therapy capsule production. Operations were conducted within a fume hood. A buffer solution was added to vials in order to dilute the I-131 to required activity levels. The individuals removed liquid from these vials to make capsules.
The individuals stood outside the flume hood behind lead shielding, while the forearms and hands were placed inside the fume hood in order to manually work with I-131 liquid vials and to prepare capsules of required activity. Employees wore double latex gloves, plastic sleeves and a disposable lab coat.
Manually working with significant amounts of I-131 in the preparation of diagnostic and therapy capsules from liquid inside a fume hood caused both employees extremity finger rings to exceed State of Florida limits. Syringe shields were not used by the individual when extracting liquid I-131 from vials. There are no written procedures for this operation for the individual to follow. No remote tools were used during the preparation process.
Florida is investigation this incident.
Notified R1DO (Cahill) and
FSME (Burgess).