The following information was received from the State of
Arkansas via email:
The Arkansas Radiation Control Program is making this immediate notification under 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(i) and Arkansas Regulations RH-1501.c.1.A.
On July 30, 2015, at 1349 [CDT], NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital, in Jonesboro, Arkansas Radioactive Material License Number ARK-0504-02120, reported that an Iridium-192 sealed source, approximately 10 Curies had been delivered to the wrong address. The source was in an unsecured location for approximately 23.5 hours5.787037e-5 days <br />0.00139 hours <br />8.267196e-6 weeks <br />1.9025e-6 months <br />. The source had been delivered by [common carrier] at 0900 [CDT] on July 29, 2015, to a clinic of a similar name as the hospital but at the wrong address. The source was delivered to the therapy department through the Hospital's receiving department this morning at 0830 [CDT].
This concludes the available information at this time. The Licensee is investigating this event. The Arkansas Radiation Control Program continues to investigate this event under Arkansas Event Number AR-2015-010.
- * * UPDATE PROVIDED BY STEVE MACK TO JEFF ROTTON AT 1458 ON 09/04/2015 * * *
The following information was provided by the State of Arkansas via email:
The Program [Arkansas Radiation Control Program] received a written report from the licensee on September 3, 2015, outlining actions taken to inform staff should a package containing radioactive material be delivered to the wrong area. These actions included: reviewing procedures, photos of packages containing radioactive material and retraining on the receipt procedures. The Department [Arkansas Department of Health] considers this event to be closed.
Notified R4DO (Warnick) and NMSS Events Notifications group via email.
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "CATEGORY 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Category 3 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for some hours. It could possibly - although it is unlikely - be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of days to weeks. These sources are typically used in practices such as fixed industrial
gauges involving high activity sources (for example: level
gauges, dredger
gauges, conveyor
gauges and spinning pipe
gauges) and well logging. For additional information go to
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf