The following information was received via facsimile:
The RSO of the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), called [the State of Utah, Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control] to report an incident involving one of their thin lift, Troxler 4640 gauges containing a 9 mCi Cs-137 source. The incident occurred at about 1400 MDT on Friday, September 4, 2015, at a construction site on eastbound I-215 at Redwood Road. A survey vehicle entered the construction zone at freeway speeds and ran over the gauge while the operator was making a measurement. The gauge was 'destroyed,' but the sealed source remained intact. However, the gauge's shielding for the source was demolished.
The licensee performed surveys of the accident site and of the vehicle involved. No contamination was found. The licensee transported the damaged gauge and source back to the licensee's gauge storage room. The licensee has ordered a replacement base for the gauge to provide shielding for the source so that the source can be safely shipped back to the gauge manufacturer.
The licensee has a report from the gauge operator, reports from eyewitnesses to the incident, and a report from the Highway Patrol. It will take the licensee about a week to compile all of the information into a written report to send to the Division [of Waste Management and Radiation Control].
Utah Event Report ID No.: UT150004
- * * UPDATE PROVIDED BY PHILIP GRIFFIN TO JEFF ROTTON AT 1347 EDT ON 09/14/2015 * * *
The following information was provided by the State of Utah via email:
The event took place at 1445 MDT on September 4, 2015 versus 1400 initially reported. The gauge contains 8 mCi Cs-137 versus the 9 mCi that was originally reported and the gauge serial number is 65867. A black 4 door car entered the construction zone and ran over the gauge followed by two other vehicles. The manufactured is sending an appropriate shipping container for the licensee to use when returning the source to the manufacturer.
The licensee is authorized to remove portable gauge source rods from their gauges to perform non-routine maintenance on their gauges. Because of this, the licensee has a source rod shield that will be used (per the manufacturer's instructions) to shield the source rod taken from the damaged gauge during transport to the manufacturer.
Notified R4DO (Farnholtz) and
NMSS Events Notification group via email.