The following was received via fax from the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection:
On March 1, 2019, a manufacturer's technician from Sabia Inc. (PA-R0124) notified the Department [Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection] of a missing 0.9 microgram (0.5 mCi) Californium-252 source from a Sabia XL5000 analyzer at the Holcim (US), Inc. Whitehall Cement Plant (PA-1336). The manufacturer was performing replenishment of two of seven sources [on February 28, 2019]. It was discovered that the analyzer only contained six sources. The analyzer was removed and disassembled, destroying the unit, in efforts to locate the missing source but it was not located. The manufacturer technician surveyed the unit and the area multiple times and did not find the source. The remaining sources have been packaged in a drum for safe storage until shipping can be arranged.
The Department will perform a reactive inspection. More information will be provided upon receipt.
Pennsylvania Event Report ID No: PA190006
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