We [licensee] are writing to notify the NRC that W.L. Gore in Wall, NJ has lost a NUCLECEL ion air gun cartridge (P2021- 8000 NIJCLECEL Ionizing cartridge S/N A2FR150) manufactured by NRD,
LLC. We [licensee] use these devices to eliminate static from our finished medical product components. The device is a fully contained sealed source alpha emitter sealed in
gold and
silver for maximum protection and risk minimization. The Source is
Po-210 at a 10 milliCuries level. This letter is being written to comply with the requirements of
10 CFR 20.2201.
The static eliminator was lost on approximately March 9, 2008. Theft of the device is highly unlikely with no breaks on record during the period. While associates had been trained on safe care and use of the device, someone accidentally disposed of the device, and it could not be recovered. Follow-up safety training on safe use and return of the devices was conducted again in March 2008. A thorough department-wide search, including trash containers and dumpsters, was coordinated.
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.