The following information was received from the State of
New York via email:
On October 19, 2015, the New York State Department of Health was informed by a representative from Zebra Environmental Corp., that between 2/5/2014 and 2/6/2014 a Hewlett Packard model 5890 Gas Chromatograph [GC] containing an electron capture detector with a 15 mCi Ni-63 source was stolen by forced entry. Several items, including the gas chromatograph, were stolen at a temporary job site [in] Asheville, North Carolina. The GC was stored in a locked trailer which was within a locked fenced in area. The local county police were notified and a report was submitted. The licensee failed to notify the New York State Department of Health at the time of the theft. The Department only learned of the incident on October 19, 2015 as part of the license renewal process. New York State Department of Health specifically licenses companies that use gas chromatographs at temporary job sites. A violation letter will be issued to the company for a number of code violations including failure to notify the Department immediately of the theft of licensed material.
NY Event Report ID No. NYDOH-15-10
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