ENS 44699
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
22:15 Dec 5, 2008 | |
| Title | Damaged Troxler Moisture Density Gauge |
| Event Description | [The following narrative describes a damage event to [a] Troxler 3440 (SN 37660) which occurred at about 4:15PM (CST) on 12/5/08. The event occurred in Greene County, Missouri, on Route J approximately 4 miles North of US 60 Hwy, approximately 4 miles east of US 65, SE of Springfield, Missouri.
The project is a roadway reconstruction. [The licensee] employee was in the process of performing a compaction test with the gauge when an inattentive scraper operator nearly ran [the licensee] over, but did run over the gauge. The employee cordoned off the area and ceased all work in the area. An initial visual assessment of the gauge indicated that both the Americium and Cesium sources were intact. A field wipe test is being performed to verify whether or not the sources have been damaged. No results are available at the time of this report. What is currently known is that the gauge sustained such damage that the base plate was dislodged from the bottom of the gauge and that the tungsten sliding block/source shield also became dislodged. If the sources are not damaged, attempts will be made to remove a portion of the probe (with the Cesium source intact), re-insert it in the top of the source shield, re-insert the source back into the gauge, wrap the gauge with duct tape to secure the sources, put the gauge back into the carrying case, and transport the gauge back to the office storage location for further processing instructions. [Licensee] additional updates will follow. Typical Troxler gauges of this series contain a source of 8 mCi Cs-137 and 40 mCi Am/Be.
At around 7:00PM (CST) a field wipe test indicated that there was no damage/contamination of either radioactive material source. The gauge was put back into the storage case and transported back to the office storage location. The top portion of the handle had to be sawed off in order to retract the probe source back into the tungsten/sliding block housing. The base cover plate was hammered back into shape and was screwed back onto the base of the gauge. [The licensee office Radiation Safety Officer] will be traveling to Springfield, MO tomorrow to assess the situation. Pictures will be taken and another wipe test will be performed and sent to Troxler Electronics in preparation of shipping the gauge back to them for decommissioning. Notified R3DO (Mike Kunowski) and FSME (Rebecca Tadesse). 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 | |
|---|---|
| Olsson Associates Missouri (NRC Region 3) | |
| Organization: | Olsson Associates |
| Reporting | |
| 10 CFR 30.50(b)(2), Licensed Material Protection Equipment Failure | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+-4.03 h-0.168 days <br />-0.024 weeks <br />-0.00552 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Curt Mader 18:13 Dec 5, 2008 |
| NRC Officer: | Vince Klco |
| Last Updated: | Dec 5, 2008 |
| 44699 - NRC Website | |
Olsson Associates with 10 CFR 30.50(b)(2) | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 446992008-12-05T22:15:0005 December 2008 22:15:00
[Table view]10 CFR 30.50(b)(2) Damaged Troxler Moisture Density Gauge 2008-12-05T22:15:00 | |