The following was received from the
California Department of Public Health (
CDPH) via email:
On Monday night, April 29, 2024, Converse Consultants radiation safety officer (RSO) reported the loss of a Troxler moisture density gauge (model 3440, serial 31135) containing sealed sources of Cs-137 (8 mCi) and Am-241:Be (40 mCi). The loss was noticed by the authorized user (AU), after he returned to the Redlands office from a jobsite in Jarupa Valley. The AU admitted that he must have left the Troxler gauge on his tailgate when taking a phone call in the cab of his truck, then left the jobsite for the day and forgot to put the gauge back into its type A case before transport. The AU told the RSO he retraced his travel route but did not locate the gauge that night. The RSO notified the Riverside County Sheriff of the missing gauge and notified CDPH of the loss at 1843 [PDT]. Upon returning to the jobsite the next day, the construction workers found the gauge. Apparently, the gauge fell off the tailgate within the jobsite, and the construction workers found the gauge and held it in storage until the AU returned to the jobsite. The gauge handle was locked into the safe/shielded position when it fell off the tailgate, and the source rod remained in the shielded position after the fall. The gauge case and electronics sustained minor damage. The AU took the recovered gauge to a service provider (Maurer Technical Services) on April 30, 2024, for leak testing and damage assessment for the minor case/electronic damage. The licensee will report the leak test results to CDPH when they become available. The licensee will gather additional information for the follow up investigation and provide additional information to the CDPH as it becomes available.
California control number: 24-2488