The following information was received from the State of
Texas via email:
On September 18, 2015, the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] was informed by the licensee's radiation safety officer (RSO) that a radiography crew had experienced a source disconnect at a temporary field site [Galveston, Texas]. The RSO stated the crew was working inside a vessel using a QSA 880D exposure device containing a 52.9 curie Iridium-192 source. The device fell from a distance of 30 feet and hit the floor of the vessel. The source was in the fully shielded position when the device fell. The radiographers noted the guide tube had a small kink in it and replaced the guide tube. The radiographers tested the source by cranking the source out, but when they attempted to retract the source, the drive cable did not stop at the rear outlet of the camera. The radiographers contacted their supervisor and performed a dose rate survey at their barrier. The dose rate was 1 millirem per hour. An individual qualified in source recovery was able to remove the source from the guide tube and place it in a source changer for storage. The RSO stated their inspection of the source drive cable found the connecter on the drive cable had separated from the drive cable. The RSO stated all equipment involved in the event will be returned to the manufacturer for inspection. No individual received an over exposure as a result of this event. No member of the general public received an exposure due to this event. The licensee is conducting an investigation into the event. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300.
Texas Incident: I-9339