The following information was provided by the Commonwealth of
Virginia via facsimile:
On May 6, 2010 the licensee reported a missing Troxler portable gauge, Model 3430, Serial Number 36089. The utilization log indicated that a user had returned the gauge to the storage facility on April 23, 2010. On the morning of April 24, 2010 the user found the gauge was no longer in storage and assumed it had been sent for routine maintenance and repair and did not report it missing to the RSO (Radiation Safety Officer) or management. They became aware it was missing on May 6, 2010 while routine leak testing was being performed.
The licensee's representative stated that procedures require the gauge to be secured by a chain with padlock inside a locked caged area in a warehouse. The chain was present with the open padlock and there was no reported vandalism or forced entry into the warehouse or caged area.
The circumstances regarding the gauge are under investigation by the Virginia Department of Health Radioactive Materials Program. The licensee has contacted the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and is conducting interviews with the user and other staff to determine if additional information is available.
This event is VA report #VA-10-03.
- * * UPDATE FROM MIKE WISE TO DONALD NORWOOD ON 5/7/2010 AT 1844 EDT * * *
The gauge was found in the trunk of an authorized user's car. The gauge is being returned to its normal storage location and will be secured there.
Notified R1DO (Cook), FSME EO (Suber), and ILTAB (via E-mail).
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. For additional information go to
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf