PNO-II-99-032, on 990824,licensee Notified Region II of Possible Overexposure to Employee Extremities at Radiopharmacy.Licensee Is Continuing Investigation to Determine If Other Factors May Have Caused Higher Doses
| ML20211F606 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 03032974 |
| Issue date: | 08/25/1999 |
| From: | Henson J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-II-99-032, NUDOCS 9908310036 | |
| Download: ML20211F606 (1) | |
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August 25, 1999 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURREN_QR PNO-II-99-032 Ths.G preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE sn:! sty' or public interest significance. The information is as initially receive 4 without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by Region II staff in Atlanta, Georgia on this date.
EApility Licensee Emeraency Classification Eantorn-Isotopes, Inc. Notification of Unusual Event i P. O. BOX 1096 Alert Ashburn, Virginia 20146-1096 Site Area Emergency Dockets: 03032974 License No: 45-25221-01MD General Ercergency X Not Applicable
Subject:
POSSIBLE OVEREXPOSURE TO EMPLOYEES' EXTREMITIES AT RADIOPRARMACY I On August 24, 1999, Eastern Isotopes, Inc. notified Region II that its June, 1999 dosimetry results for its Sterling, Virginia facility, indicated that one employee had received a whole body deep dose equivalent of 23.6 rem and that another employee had received an extremity (shallow) dose equivalent of 52.8 rem to the left hand and 48.8 rem to the right hand. Four other employees had extremity dosimeter renults ranging from 13 to 25 rem. As stated in 10 CFR 20.1201(a) (1) , the annual dose limit for the whole body is 5 rem and per 20.1201(2), the annual dose limit to the extremities is 50 rem.
The individual reported to have received the 23.6 rem whole body dose is a technician who works in the licensee's cyclotron facility and does not wo::k directly with NRC licensed materials. Based on the results of its preliminary investigation, the licensee believes that this reported dose is either incorrect due to an error on the part of the dosimetry vendor, or in the result of contamination of the individual's dosimeter.
The individual reported to have received the 52.8 rem extremity dose is a ph.trmacist who primarily works with fluorine-18 (F-18), but who also works with NRC regulated radionuclides. F-18 is a radionuclide produced in.t.he cyclotron facility, and is therefore not subject to regulation by the NRC. The licensee ir.dicated that in June, it made a change in its F-13 operations that resulted in employees drawing doses from vials !
l containing up to 2.4 curies of F-18 versus the previous methods that l involved vials containing approximately 1.2 curies. The licensee de ermined that this may have contributed to the high exposures. The licensee is continuing its investigation to determine if some other operational factors may have caused the extremity dosimeters to indicate i a higher dose than actually received. The licensee has removed all l employees with the reportedly high exposures from any further duties that might add to extremity exposures.
Region II is following up on the incident and in association with the Commonwealth of Virginia, will conduct an inspection at the facility on or about September 1, 1999.
The Commonwealth of Virginia has been notified of this event. This information is current as of 3:00 p.m., August 25, 1999.
I JAY L. HENSON /
t Co.itact:
(404)S62-4738 [j}b j 9908310036 990025 t PDR IEE PNO-II-99-032 PDR