The following information was provided by the State of
South Carolina, Department of Health & Environmental Control (
DHEC) via email:
On August 18, 2022, at 0948 EDT, DHEC inspector Leland Cave received a call from Mitsubishi Polyester Films, LLC (S.C. Lic. No. 036) to report an incident that had occurred at the plant. The licensee stated that earlier that morning the thin window film was torn on one of their Thermo EGS Gauging, LLC beta gauges [1.25 Ci of Kr-85]. The result of the tear was that the production line was stopped until the film could be replaced. The representative from Thermo was already onsite and needed verbal permission to begin the repair on the unit. The permission was given, and the reciprocity notification was sent in.
The DHEC inspector called in the incident [to the NRC] at 0936 EDT on August 19, 2022, and is preparing to go to the licensee to review the cause of the incident.
- * * RETRACTION ON 9/19/22 AT 1622 EDT FROM LELAND CAVE TO BRIAN LIN * * *
The following information was submitted by the State of South Carolina, Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC) via email:
The inspector called in the incident at 0936 EDT on August 19, 2022 and left to go to the licensee to review the cause of the incident. Upon the inspector's arrival, the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO), the representative from ThermoFisher, and other members of management sat down with him in a conference room to discuss the events that led to the call. The representative discussed with everyone about the gauging device and how it has a source side and a detector side. He stated that the detector side foil is an approximately six-inch circular piece of aluminum foil. He brought a piece that had torn before as well as the one that had been damaged the day before. He also brought an example of what the source side foil looks like and what it would look like when it would be damaged. The representative stated that the foil on the detector side ripped, and it shut down the machine as designed. The source was safe with no damage to any part. It was determined that this was not a reportable incident. They reviewed the specific unit and the RSO and representative best assessed that when the product is cut, it can leave a sharp edge on it that can lead to a tear. It is also possible for the product to bunch after it has been cut. The licensee and representative will continue to observe if this happens and potentially how often.
Notified R1DO (Arner) and
NMSS via email.