The following information was obtained from the State of
Texas via email:
On July 24, 2015, the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] was notified by the licensee's radiation safety officer (RSO) that one of his crews was unable to retract a 39 curie Iridium-192 source into QSA 880 D camera. The RSO stated the radiographers had completed their first shot of the day in a shooting bay and noted the lock on the camera did not trip when the source was retracted. The RSO stated the radiographers noted the dose rate where they were standing was 30 millirem per hour after they attempted to retract the source. The radiographers notified the RSO of the event. The RSO responded to their location. The RSO is authorized to recover disconnected sources.
The RSO stated he recovered the source by disconnecting the source guide tube and shaking the source out of the guide tube and into a shield they have designed for this purpose. The RSO was able to connect the source pig tail to the drive cable and retract the source into the camera. The RSO stated he received 15 millirem during the source retrieval. No member of the general public received a dose as a result of this event. The RSO stated they cycled the source in and out of the camera several times without incident. The RSO stated he remained at the work site and monitored the radiographers for several shots and did not note any issues. The RSO is not sure at this time if a source disconnect or misconnect occurred. The RSO is continuing to investigate the event.
Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300.
The event location was Wedge Measurements Systems located in Joshua, TX.
Texas Incident #: 1-9327