ENS 55737
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
05:00 Feb 10, 2022 | |
| Title | Missing Source |
| Event Description | The following information was received from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Radiation Protection (the Department) via email:
On February 10, 2022, the licensee informed the Department of a lost source (or sources). This is reportable per 10 CFR 20.2201(a)(1)(i). The licensee performed packaging of some sealed sources and naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) under reciprocity at a client facility in Oakwood, Ohio, in October of 2021. The sources were packed in 2 drums, and shipped to the licensee's facility in Wampum, PA. The shipment was received on December 7, 2021. The licensee was contacted by the clients' Radiation Safety Officer last week because they were missing a source and thought perhaps that it had been erroneously packed with the sources that were shipped to the licensee's facility. The licensee had not done anything with the two drums since receiving them in December, as they batch process sealed sources every few months. The licensee inventoried the drums for the client and in doing so did not find their missing source. However, the licensee discovered that there appears to be a discrepancy in the inventory of the Strontium-90 sources within the drum. The packing list for the shipment identified 6 Strontium-90 sources with the following microCurie strengths: 459, 373, 432, 465, 255, and 411 with a total of 2,395 microCuries. The manifest for the shipment identified a total of 2,395 microCuries of Strontium-90. When the licensee technicians inventoried the 2 drums, they only found 5 Strontium-90 sources. The sources had been removed from their holders, which contained the source identification information. This removal was completed at the client facility. There is no way to determine which 5 Stronium-90 sources the licensee has within the drums. A licensee supervisor verified the inventory. They also cross referenced the inventory with the packing list. This double check revealed that only 5 Strontium-90 sources were present at the time of shipping. The licensee contacted the client and spoke to the technicians that packaged the materials. The client's technicians recalled that there were 6 Strontium-90 sources that were packaged. There was no indication that the drums had been tampered with during transit. Since there were only 5 Strontium-90 sources present when the licensee initially opened the drums, they believe that there was a miscount as the sources were packaged for shipment. The licensee was also able to verify that the 2 drums received had tamper seal placed on them at closure prior to it leaving the client facility. These seals were intact prior to the drum being opened at the licensee's facility. The cause of the event is believed to be human error. No more information is available at this time. Pennsylvania Event Report Number: PA220006 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 |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Veolia Es Alaron Wampum, Pennsylvania (NRC Region 1) | |
| License number: | PA-0678 |
| Organization: | Pa Bureau Of Radiation Protection |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+33.37 h1.39 days <br />0.199 weeks <br />0.0457 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Joshua M. Myers 14:22 Feb 11, 2022 |
| NRC Officer: | Thomas Herrity |
| Last Updated: | Feb 11, 2022 |
| 55737 - NRC Website | |
Veolia Es Alaron with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 557372022-02-10T05:00:00010 February 2022 05:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Missing Source 2022-02-10T05:00:00 | |