The following information was provided by the
Texas Department of State Health Services (the Agency) via email:
On July 18, 2022, the Agency received a report of two generally licensed devices that were lost. The two devices are NRD P-2042-1000 Staticmaster devices containing 5 mCi of Polonium-210 each. The notification to the Agency was a written letter from the licensee and the Agency was unable to reach the responsible person for these devices who is reportedly sick. Additional information will be provided when it is obtained per SA-300.
Texas Incident Number: I-9942
- * * UPDATE FROM RANDALL REDD TO DONALD NORWOOD AT 1654 EDT ON 7/19/2022 * * *
The following information was received via E-mail:
On July 18, 2022, the Agency received a notification of two generally licensed devices that were lost. The two devices are NRD P-2042-1000 Staticmaster devices containing 5 mCi of polonium-210 each. The notificaiton by general licensee was received as a written letter and the Agency was unable to reach the responsible person for these devices who is reportedly sick.
The Agency was able to obtain additional information today, July 19, 2022. One source was lost around October of 2021. The other was lost in May 2021. Both sources were believed to be lost in different buildings on the same site. The licensee has searched for the sources and will continue to do so. They will also contact former employees and request their assistance. Further information will be provided to NMED per SA-300.
Notified R4DO (Gaddy) and via E-mail ILTAB and the NMSS Events Notification E-mail group.
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