ML19318B016
| ML19318B016 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000083 |
| Issue date: | 06/03/1980 |
| From: | Kerr G NRC OFFICE OF STATE PROGRAMS (OSP) |
| To: | Julie Ward CALIFORNIA, STATE OF |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8006240548 | |
| Download: ML19318B016 (3) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES
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' p, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g
1 E WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
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Mr. Joseph 0. Ward, Chief Radiologic Health Section State Department of Health Services 714 P Street Sacramento, California 95814
Dear d:
Enclosed for your information and appropriate action is a report from Florida on a failed temperature controi thehnoccuple on a Varian electron capture unit. The failure lead to contamination of a laboratory and exposure of personnel to tritium.
Sincerely, G. Wayne (.(err Assistant Director for State Agree' ents-Program m
Office of State Programs
Enclosure:
As stated 4
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{, Zacident. Investigation fyrg?ff/ftg f) a.
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November 20, 1979 Jfeliminary investigation of incident involving-release of radioactive matcrials:
DurirgJ this inspection,. John Lanham and Paul Shuler wero informed that an incident involving the release of 3
. Detected by routine monthly survey of the labora-
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tory-- Pharmacy; 304--swiped on. Friday and counted on honday,,,,, '
fiovomber 19.
Poutine survey is made of thia laboratory
,s due to. occasional use of tagged compounds of.3i and' 14
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1 C.
Following detection o 3
. that the source was a(1 ci Sc.311 in the laboratory, RCO determined
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11 EC unit in a gas chromato-graph. A graduate student apparently baed the unit about
(;r2 we.eks previously. The temperature, control thermocouple
.,was, inoperative, thhs showing r.o tesperature increase on dial... The..tampornture vea apparently incr'ensed to' caximum
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@ ygQ with the resultant off-9ceing of the EC unit.
Varian has Decontamination g
checked.cnd verified thermocouple failure.
,',' of the l' an '(under supervision of RCO) has progressed offectively.
' Dicassay (Urino) samples have shown relatively low uptakes gp l>y 3 onplcyces.
Prelimidarypjdils.:,
e Source 'of'colntamina' tion'was Varian Acrograph, Se'Ces 2400,
!!odel' 244510-00,"S/tr 02854092,10 years old, foil probably S years old, 17 034100S, no hood directly over unit (not
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, previously required). Varian procedures state' 3250 C is maximum limit with operatino yield of 10 uci/ min.
There is-alco a Perkins-Elmor 3920D unit in this lab with a 63 til foil. -
The rocm' air in self-contained. Ma'xitapp detectable 3F in lab was 4,500,000 dpm uith only 10,000 dpta at doorway to hall.
Miximum initial bloansay shquechil? 'Ci/rl.
Follow-up '
bioassays to ho done today. ItCO vill forward 'us a report of thin incident when resulta are finalized.
Actions taken by RCO regarding this incident were very well done.
The release was detected, source identified, isolated, controllod, personnel'm6nitored,4 decontamination accon1p1'ished,~ corrective actiong initisf.edL N '" " O
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WaEte,' iricluding the sc 3ff foil' packaged in 55-gal. drum. Engineering studying vont systems for such units.
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Submitted by,
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To:
Tom Bauer Tge/
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Radiation Control Officer M 5P V' j
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From:
Don Munioe uw"'r#g ggf/g Radiation Control Tech.f W~
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Subject:
Contamination incident in room P-304
.'jJ'I' A routine swipe survey was performed in room P-304 on November 15,
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1079.
According to Dr. Helmy Mahrous, no work with radiodctive
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materials was going on and small amounts of radioactive materials if -
were being stored in the refrigerator. The only other sources of
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radioactivematerialatiethgvariangaschromatograph.andaPerkin-bdfy Elmer chromatograph with a Ni source.
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On November 16, 1979, swipe counts indica'.ed that room P-304 was
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contaminated with 3
It was determined that the varian gas chro-H matograph was the source of the contamination ~. A technician had adjusted the temperature of the source to above recommended limits
'j' in an attempt to obtain proper operation of the unit. When proper Us operation could not be obtained, the unit was turned off and a f.Eic service representative called in to check out the unit. A defec-tive thermocouple was found by the service representative (this i:F occured prior to the lab surveyT.
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Additional swipes were taken in the lab to better define con-taminated areas.
Surveys of all surrounding labs and hallways to estimate the degree of dispersal were also performed. A control point was established at the door to P-303 and deconEamination of the lab was begun. Bio' assay samples Woro obtained from personnel in the area of the lab and from those working in the lab.
Results of bioassays indicate that the three personnel working in the lab have a 3H body burden, the maximum poing approximately 15 pCi.
November 19 - 21, 1979,'ldb decontamination continues with additional swipe surveys taken to determine effectiveness of decontamination procedures.. Additional bioassay samples taken fron lab personnel to determine if body burdens are decreasing.
i November 30, 1979, Swipe surveys indicate lab decontaminated to a large extent, one air conditioning unit to be dismantled and 3 p
cleaned. Bioassay results indicate. decrease in body burdens of H.
y.
December 3, 1979, lab back to normal.
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