Between April and June of 2010, the licensee shipped shielded Tc-99m generators to customers in
Ohio and Hawaii. Each generator was shipped with a 8.1mCi depleted
U-238 shield.
Ohio State University (OSU) Medical Center received 2 generators and Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii received 1 generator. Once the generators are depleted, they are returned to Mallinckrodt in the
depleted uranium shields. OSU Medical Center shipped one depleted generator in April 2010 (shield s/n 004631) and one in May 2010 (shield s/n 004042). Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii shipped their depleted generator in June 2010 (shield s/n 002426). Records confirm that all three shields were picked up by the carriers at the respective facilities but Mallinckrodt has no records of the shields being returned to their facility. The shields are returned to a courier contracted by Mallinckrodt who in turn delivers the shields to the Mallinckrodt facility. The carriers used for the return shipments were contacted about the missing shields and are presently investigating there whereabouts. The licensee, as well as the customers, are also searching their facilities. This matter is under investigation.
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
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