Event Text: At approximately
2348 hours0.0272 days <br />0.652 hours <br />0.00388 weeks <br />8.93414e-4 months <br /> (
ET) on June 25, 2014, an employee dropped a container of radioactive material solution after removal from a glove box enclosure. The 2-liter poly container split, releasing contents to the floor and surrounding equipment. Operations in the area were placed in a safe condition at the time of the event, radiological controls implemented for personnel protection, and decontamination initiated. Extensive surface contamination surveys were performed to facilitate decontamination and the area was released to normal access by
1615 hours0.0187 days <br />0.449 hours <br />0.00267 weeks <br />6.145075e-4 months <br /> (
ET) on June 26, 2014. At this time, the additional radiological controls implemented at the time of the event were removed. At
0245 hours0.00284 days <br />0.0681 hours <br />4.050926e-4 weeks <br />9.32225e-5 months <br /> (
ET) on June 27, 2014, contamination was discovered to be weeping out of some facility and equipment surfaces in the area of the earlier spill. Radiological controls were reestablished, decontamination efforts resumed, and enhanced monitoring implemented. Since the cumulative time for access restrictions exceeded
24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />, this is being reported to the [NRC] Operations Center under
10 CFR 70.50 (b)(1).
There were no actual or potential safety consequences to the public or the environment. There were no actual safety consequences to the workers. The potential safety consequences to the workers include exposure to uranyl nitrate solution.
The licensee has notified the NRC Resident Inspector.
The radioactive material solution was Uranyl Nitrate containing 540 grams of Uranium-235.