ENS 44150
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
05:00 Mar 13, 2008 | |
| Title | Agreement State - Broken Tritium Exit Sign |
| Event Description | The State provided the following information via email:
On April 17, 2008, the agency received written notification from the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO), reporting that during their routine inventory check they, accompanied by two of their health physics consultants, found the one tritium (H-3) exit signs in a non-public receiving area in their Cypress, Texas store, had a missing face plate, frame and label, red 'EXIT' cover and several H-3 tubes. The RSO reported that the remaining H-3 tubes were intact. The RSO reported that they conducted informal interviews with store managers and associates that revealed no additional information as to the date or circumstances of the damage to the sign. The RSO and their consultants stated that because available information does not suggest that the H-3 exit sign (TES) was recently damaged, Wal-Mart believes that no significant contamination currently exists at the site. Additionally, he stated that Wal-Mart reached this conclusion in consultation with consultant Certified Health Physicists (CHPs). The RSO stated that their long term corrective actions included: implementing protocols, which have been communicated to employees, for the proper handling of TES to ensure public health and safety and the protection of its employees. They report that they are in the process of inventorying all of the TES at its sites across the country to re-establish the accuracy of its records and to track the current locations of the TES, with the intent of ensuring that all TES are accounted for and handled properly. The RSO stated that the damaged TES will be packaged for shipment according to protocols established by their consultants and consistent with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) guidelines. Wal-Mart anticipates shipping the remnants of the damaged TES to a specific licensee or arranging for a waste broker to ship the TES to a specific licensee authorized to receive it within thirty-days of their report to the agency, which was dated April 10, 2008. Texas report I-8507
On 04/22/08: The agency received written notifications each dated April 17, 2008 that three more exit signs were found damaged at the following locations: 1) 4700 East Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock, Texas 78665-2580; Store # 5480 - Damaged exit sign discovered on 03/19/08 - approximately 11.5 Ci; Serial # unknown - one damaged exit sign with the tubes in the letter "T" broken. 2) 620 S IH-35, Georgetown, Texas 78628-4157; Store # 1303 - Damaged exit sign discovered on 03/18/08 - 20 Ci; Serial #289930 - one damaged exit sign uninstalled and stored in the manager's office, missing it's face plate, it's red "EXIT" cover and all H-3 tubes. 3) 1030 Norwood Park Blvd., Austin, Texas 78753-6600; Store # 1185 - Damaged exit sign discovered on 03/19/08 - 20.0 Ci; Serial #274828 - one damaged exit sign with broken tubes, installed in the non-public receiving section of the store. Notified R4DO (Cain), FSME EO (Hsueh).
The State provided the following information via email: The State of Texas received notification of nine additional exit signs which had either damaged (4) or missing (5) vials containing tritium (H-3.) The RSO for Wal-Mart stated that the information gather in the inspections conducted throughout the United States was being entered into a database and that they would supply the State of Texas with the results of their inspections conducted in Texas as soon as it was available. No estimate of the number of vials involved or the total activity released has been determined as of today's date. He also stated that he had been in contact with the NRC. Notified R4DO (Pick), FSME (Burgess). 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. This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Walmart Cypress, Texas (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | GLA |
| Organization: | Texas Department Of Health |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+870.83 h36.285 days <br />5.184 weeks <br />1.193 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Latischa Hanson 11:50 Apr 18, 2008 |
| NRC Officer: | Jason Kozal |
| Last Updated: | Apr 30, 2008 |
| 44150 - NRC Website | |
Walmart with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 508282015-02-12T08:00:00012 February 2015 08:00:00
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