The following information was provided by the licensee via email:
On 7/11/2022, at about 1215 EDT, the Maryland Department of the Environment / Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) was contacted via telephone by the Field Services Supervisor and Laboratory Manager of BOTA Consulting Engineering, Inc. stating that a Troxler density gauge was over-run and damaged by a dump truck at the project jobsite. The MDE/RHP inspectors spoke to the RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] and Lab Manager and responded the same day to the accident site located near Laurel, Maryland.
On the day of the accident, the project contractor was working excavation, pipes installation, backfilling and compaction works. Approximately at about 1130 EDT, after compaction jobs were completed, the gauge technician was preparing to take in-place density testing on the material. The technician placed the gauge on the side of the road near to the trench and went down to the ditch for setup. A dump truck working at the excavation area drove over the gauge by the front left side rubber tire. The source rod of the gauge was in its safe (parking) position and the top cover of the gauge was damaged. The Troxler gauge is a Model 3430, with device serial number 32015 which contains a Cesium-137 sealed source with estimated nominal activity of 8 millicuries, and Am-241/Be with estimated nominal activity of 40 millicuries.
The gauge was later locked and put into a transportation case and taken to BOTA Consulting Engineering, Inc. office located in Lanham, Maryland. Results of the leak test conducted on 7/13/2022 shows no leakage. The case has been reported to the Nuclear Material Events Database (NMED) on 7/12/2022.
MDE/RHP will finalize a reactive investigation.