The following report was received from the
Virginia Department of Health via email:
On November 25, 2019 a licensee reported that the shutter of a fixed gauge used to measure the level of material inside a process vessel might have failed to close during the semi-annual radiological testing. The gauge is a Ronan Engineering, Model SA1-F37, serial number M7407, containing 40 mCi of Cs-137. The shutter arm is actuating, but the radiation reading at approximately 3 inches below the source remained the same (0.8 mR/hr) when the shutter was opened and closed. The source is located approximately 10 feet from the ground level and is only accessible by a stepladder. There are no routine activities that bring employees in close proximity to the source. There was no public exposure or environmental release from this event. The licensee has contacted the manufacturer for further investigation.
The Virginia Office of Radiological Health will review the licensee's written report and determine additional actions to be taken.
Event Report ID No.: VA-19-006
- * * RETRACTION ON 12/2/19 AT 1255 EST FROM ASFAW FENTA TO KERBY SCALES * * *
The following was received from the Virginia Department of Health via email:
Please retract the incident report that was submitted on November 26, 2019.
The licensee was advised by Ronan Engineering to take measurements directly from the detector side by closing and opening the shutter instead of taking a reading at approximately 3 inches below the source. On November 27, 2019, the licensee retested the shutter by measuring directly to the detector side and found 0.4 mR/hr when the shutter was opened and 0.2 mR/hr when the shutter was closed. The licensee reported to the agency that the
gauge was working properly. There was no problem on the
gauge; rather, it was an error on the measurement technique.