The following information was obtained from the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania via email:
Event Description: During an inventory record check on September 1, 2016, the general licensee discovered that the static eliminator gauge was missing. Its last known use was during the first six months of the year 2011. The general licensee was unaware of its reporting responsibility.
Gauge info:
Radionuclide: Polonium-210
Manufacturer: NRD, Inc.
Model: P-2021-5000
Device SN#: A2HM769
Activity: 10.2 milliCuries
Cause of the Event: Unknown at this time, the general licensee believes that the equipment was lost when the company reconfigured its machinery at some point during 2012.
Actions: A reactive inspection is planned by the Department [PA Department of Environmental Protection]. More information will be provided upon receipt. Note: Given that over 13 half-lives have transpired since the gauge was lost, there is no current public health and safety hazard.
PA Event Report ID: PA160035
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