The following was received from the
New Hampshire Radiological Health Section via email:
[In April 2017], a generally-licensed static eliminator was lost during a routine replacement of a series of 30 static eliminators. The devices are leased from NRD Corporation and are affixed to assembly line machines. Annually, they are removed from service and returned to NRD Corporation. The missing device was last in use during a production run on 3/10/17 between 1500 EDT and 2400 EDT. Device exchange occurred during the 2nd shift after the line was shut down. The missing device was noticed during the subsequent 1st shift when supervision performed accountability. A facility search and employee interviews were conducted. Roll-off containers servicing the 'household' and 'recyclables' waste streams were searched without success, likely because the roll-offs contained a significant amount of waste that impeded the search for the relatively small device. The device was still missing after 30 days. The licensee concluded the device was inadvertently disposed in the 'household' waste stream, which is taken to a waste-to-energy incinerator.
Device Details: Polonium-210, 10 mCi (0.37 GBq); NRD Corporation, Model P-2021-8000 static eliminator, s/n A2KN339
The New Hampshire Radiological Health Section considers this event closed.
Report ID #: #NH17-0004
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