ENS 56752
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
05:00 Sep 20, 2023 | |
| Title | |
| Event Description | The following information was received from the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Department) via email:
On September 20, 2023, the Department received notification of a lost moisture density gauge. The gauge is a Troxler 3430 (serial 39365) with 40 millicuries of americium-241 and 8 millicuries of cesium-137. The gauge was last seen at a job site with the licensee reporting that the handle of the gauge was locked. The gauge was placed inside a transportation case which was also locked. At the job site, the package was placed inside a holding frame in the back of a pickup truck, but the chains were not secured to the case. The tailgate of the truck was also left down. The technician drove about a mile down the road. Someone honking at him alerted him to the fact that the tailgate was down. He pulled over and found the gauge was missing and started searching for it. He alerted his radiation safety officer to the loss and the licensee now has several crews searching for the gauge. The licensee has reported that they believe the gauge might have been picked up by someone and has contacted the state police. This Department has also contacted the State, county, and local city emergency management coordinators. The licensee reported that with the device inside the case they do not expect significant exposure to anyone, but they would expect some exposure in an unrestricted area should someone get near the case. This investigation is ongoing and further information will be provided per SA-300.
The following information was received from the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Department) via email: The Department was contacted by the licensee's radiation safety officer (RSO) who reported the licensee's Regional Director was on-site and had checked with the local pawn shops. The director provided a picture of the device and offered a reward for the return of the gauge. The director did not receive any additional information. RSO stated they had talked to an eyewitness who said they saw the gauge fall out of the truck and then a few minutes later a black pickup truck pulled up and put the gauge in the back of their truck. The RSO stated there is camera footage of the area near where the gauge was dropped (which is at the exit gate to where they were working) and they have viewed the footage for the time they believe the gauge would have been picked up. The gauge did not appear in the video, but the video did help establish an elapsed time of 15 minutes between when the technician left the site until they returned. A second individual stated that there was a contractor working at the same site that had a dark colored truck and had left shortly after the licensee's truck left the site. The licensee has requested additional video footage to see if they can identify that truck. Notified the R4DO (Groom). Emailed NMSS, ILTAB and Mexico (CNSNS). Texas Incident Number: 10052 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 | |
|---|---|
| Professional Service Industries, Inc. Austin, Texas (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | 04947 |
| Organization: | Texas Dept Of State Health Services |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+17.55 h0.731 days <br />0.104 weeks <br />0.024 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Randall Redd 22:33 Sep 20, 2023 |
| NRC Officer: | Lawrence Criscione |
| Last Updated: | Sep 22, 2023 |
| 56752 - NRC Website | |
Professional Service Industries, Inc. with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 567522023-09-20T05:00:00020 September 2023 05:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Lost Moisture Density Gauge ENS 511722015-06-22T22:30:00022 June 2015 22:30:00 Agreement State Agreement State Report - Stolen Troxler Moisture Density Gauge ENS 447252008-12-17T13:35:00017 December 2008 13:35:00 Agreement State Stolen Troxler Gauge ENS 416942005-05-12T11:45:00012 May 2005 11:45:00 Agreement State Agreement State - Stolen Troxler Gauge ENS 410752004-09-27T04:00:00027 September 2004 04:00:00 Agreement State Stolen Troxler Moisture Density Gauge 2023-09-20T05:00:00 | |