ENS 48017
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
07:00 Jun 5, 2012 | |
| Title | Agreement State Report - Lab Area Contaminated |
| Event Description | The following report was received via fax:
On 06/06/12, the ARSO [Assistant Radiation Safety Officer] at UC Berkeley contacted the RHB [Radiological Health Branch] to report an event that occurred on 06/05/12. This event involved contamination caused by a Cs-137 source that is not a sealed source per manufacturer's statement. This source has a very thin window to permit transmission of betas. This source was used in a vacuum chamber and the contamination occurred and was detected when researchers were changing the flange. The licensee cordoned off a 6' x 10' area within a much larger lab. No floor contamination was detected, however, the bench and some equipment within the cordoned off area are still being cleaned. Access to this area was restricted for over 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />. The current activity of the source is 950 microCuries. Applying conservative assumptions to convert the detected contamination counts into activity, the licensee has come up with a total activity on the order of 10 microCuries (summed over the contaminated spots). The licensee notified the RHB within 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />, since the area was cordoned off for more than 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />, however, the activity detected is minimal per 30295(b)(1)(B) where the involved quantity is less than 5 times the lowest ALI specified in Appendix B 10 CFR 20 incorporated by reference in section 30253. Also, since this is not a sealed source, the reporting criteria for leakage of more than 0.005 microCuries does not apply. Based on these criteria, no reporting is required. California incident: 060612 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 |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Uc Berkeley Berkeley, California (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | 1330-01 |
| Organization: | California Radiation Control Prgm |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+175.82 h7.326 days <br />1.047 weeks <br />0.241 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Kent Pendergast 14:49 Jun 12, 2012 |
| NRC Officer: | Mark Abramovitz |
| Last Updated: | Jun 12, 2012 |
| 48017 - NRC Website | |
Uc Berkeley with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 480172012-06-05T07:00:0005 June 2012 07:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Agreement State Report - Lab Area Contaminated 2012-06-05T07:00:00 | |