The following was received from the State of Nevada via email:
It was reported to the Nevada Radiation Control Program duty officer that a portable gauge had been recovered at a temporary job site in Las Vegas, Nevada. The individual who reported the event is a Nevada radioactive material licensee and said on 7/14/2017, at approximately 0735 [PDT], 'a nuclear density gauge was found in North Las Vegas at Cheyenne Ave and Berg St on the road. The gauge was recovered by an employee and quickly brought it to a secure storage location. The gauge was found in good condition and not damaged or source exposed.' At 0930 [PDT] on 7/14/2017, it was reported to the Nevada Radiation Control Program, by the ARSO from the company who lost the gauge, the gauge fell off the tailgate of a transport vehicle at a temporary jobsite, and the operator realized the loss and returned to the site within 5 minutes, but the gauge had already been recovered by [the reporting licensee]. The operator from [the licensee who lost the gauge] was informed that the gauge was recovered by [the reporting licensee] and relayed that information to the ARSO at [the licensee who lost the gauge]. The gauge was intact, no damage, transported back to the owner's storage location, and taken out of service. An investigation of the event will commence [on] 07/17/2017.
Item Number: NV170006
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