ENS 44898
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
04:00 Mar 6, 2009 | |
| Title | Missing Static Eliminator Containing Polonium-210 |
| Event Description | This report is in reference to a lost 13 [inch] Nuclestat ionizer bar that contains Polonium-210. The model number is P-2001-012, and the serial number is A2FS026. [The licensee] entered into a lease agreement for 13 ionizer bars, 2 Nuclecel in-line ionizers, and 1 Nuclecel ion air blower with NRD, LLC to minimize the amount of static present in our operation.
On Friday, March 6, 2009, it was reported by [the licensee's] Maintenance Department that an ionizer bar was missing from Winder #23. They were in the process of removing all of the ionizer bars from the winders to return them to NRD, LLC. The security cable was found attached to the winder, but it appeared someone had unscrewed the ionizer bar. All bars were attached to the end of the plastic winders with a steel cable and two screws. Upon investigation, [a licensee representative] found [that] the operators [remembered] the ionizer bar [being] present the week of February 23 - 27th on Winder #23, but they [did] not remember seeing the ionizer bar when [they] returned from a two day shutdown on Wednesday, March 4, 2009. After learning [that] the ionizer bar was missing on March 6th, the Plastic Winding Department was shutdown in the afternoon to search for it. About 15 employees searched the entire building including the trash and the building next door that contains old equipment. On Monday, March 9, 2009, the trash from the trash compactor was dumped in the parking lot, and the department searched through it for the missing ionizer bar. Once it was determined the ionizer bar was still missing, [a licensee representative] reported the lost device to [a State of Maryland representative] on March 9th. The remaining in-line ionizer bars, Nuclecel in-line ionizers and Nuclecel ion air blower will be returned to NRD, LLC to terminate our lease agreement. We will replace them with carbon bars and electronic air ionizers to reduce static in our operation. 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 | |
|---|---|
| Stone Industrial College Park, Maryland (NRC Region 1) | |
| Organization: | Maryland Dept Of The Environment |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+149.92 h6.247 days <br />0.892 weeks <br />0.205 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Alan Jacobson 08:55 Mar 12, 2009 |
| NRC Officer: | Joe O'Hara |
| Last Updated: | Mar 12, 2009 |
| 44898 - NRC Website | |
Stone Industrial with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 448982009-03-06T04:00:0006 March 2009 04:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Missing Static Eliminator Containing Polonium-210 2009-03-06T04:00:00 | |