The following report was received from the State of
Nebraska via email:
This is a preliminary report. We [Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services] will amend when we receive more information.
On June 9, 2012, about 28 tritium exit signs (SLX 60 model, 11.5 Ci in 2005) were removed and new electrical exit signs were installed in the store by electricians. New lighting fixtures were also installed. The old fluorescent lighting was packaged to be picked up by a recycling facility. On June 11, 2012, the fluorescent lights were picked up. On August 12, 2012, Shaw Industries came to package the tritium exit signs and put labels on them. UPS would then pick them up to ship them to a facility licensed to receive the tritium signs. Shaw Industries could not find the exit signs on August 12, 2012. The store thinks that the tritium exit signs were picked up by the fluorescent lighting recycling company on June 11, 2012. The store is trying to find where the fluorescent lights were taken.
[The State] has called all Bed and Bath stores that have had signs removed to make sure that only Shaw Industries can pick up the signs. Attempting to determine where the exit signs were taken and retrieve them for proper disposal.
Cause of this event is inattention to detail.
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