The following report was received from the State of
California via e-mail:
On 6/18/15 an RHB [Radiologic Health Branch] inspector discovered one the licensee's gauge cases was empty and the licensee stated they did not know where the gauge was and would do an investigation. The licensee stated they were not able to determine where the gauge was (Troxler, 3441B, #5803 with 8 mCi Cs-137 and 40 mCi Am-241:Be). The last time the gauge was seen was when it was brought to Maurer Technical Services (the CPN representative) for repair on July 23, 2014. The licensee was going to review additional paperwork to see if he could figure out what happened to the gauge, but at this point he has not gotten back to us [RHB] with any additional information. Maurer Technical Services has done a complete search of their facility and said they do not have the gauge. Maurer Technical [Services] does not have a record of which individual picked up the gauge from their facility. The licensee states they do not remember who picked up the gauge and could not find any paperwork to show gauge #5803 had been used after July 23, 2014. The licensee states there had been no break ins at their facility nor had the locked storage cabinet been tampered with. The Department [California Department of Environmental Health] also interviewed all of the current employees and no one can remember who last used the gauge or picked up the gauge from the repair facility. The Department contacted several of the major companies that perform leak test analysis and this gauge had not been leak tested since prior to July 23, 2014. The Department also researched whether the gauge (serial #5803) was listed in the NMED system as having been 'found', but it was not found in any of the reports. The gauge remains missing.
5010 Number: 070615
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