The following information was received via E-mail.
On June 3, 2015, Leighton & Associates notified RHB [California Department of Public Health, Radiologic Health Branch] that a moisture/density gauge was stolen from a pick-up truck's bed at a temporary job site in Riverside that morning. The gauge is a 2014 InstroTek model MC-3 Elite, s/n 30481, containing a 10 mCi Cs-137 source, s/n CZ4587 and a 50 mCi Am-241/Be source, s/n 038/14.
The authorized gauge technician reported the security cables were cut and the density gauge was missing while he was parked at the job site but away from his vehicle. He immediately notified his RSO and the Riverside Police, who took report number P15-082748. RHB's inspector spoke with the RSO and recommended that a lost and found ad be placed in the local newspaper offering a cash reward for the return of the stolen gauge and requested additional information from the responsible technician. The Inspection/Compliance/Enforcement section will review the security measures that were in place to determine if a violation of their license condition took place.
California 5010 Report Number: 060315
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