The following report was received via e-mail:
On June 20, 2014, the Agency [Texas Department of Health] was notified by the licensee of the loss of a Humboldt model 5001EZ moisture density gauge, serial #4772, containing a 1.48 GBq (40 mCi) Am-Be source and a 0.3 GBq (8 mCi) Cs-137 source. The licensee stated a technician was working at a job site on June 19, 2014, when he rushed home for a family emergency. He failed to secure the gauge in the back of the truck and he left the tailgate down. The gauge fell off the truck between the job site and his home. The licensee stated they searched the job site and the route taken by the technician.
Texas event: I-9205
- * * UPDATE AT 1040 EDT ON 7/1/2014 FROM IRENE CASARES TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *
The following report was received via e-mail:
On Saturday June 28, 2014, the gauge was reported, via email from the licensee, as found and the gauge was sent off for any damage identification and leak check. It was reported that the gauge was not damaged and passed the leak check. Two violations were cited.
Notified the R4DO (Hagar), FSME Events Resource (via e-mail) and Mexico (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