PNO-III-97-097, on 971211,licensee Received Telephone Notification of Cs-137 Sealed Source Missing from Troxler Model 3411B Moisture/Density Gauge.Source Located in Soils Lab Under Workbench.Source Shielded & Secured
| ML20206R577 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 03030982 |
| Issue date: | 12/12/1997 |
| From: | Wright G, Thomas Young NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-III-97-097, PNO-III-97-97, NUDOCS 9901200013 | |
| Download: ML20206R577 (2) | |
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December 12, 1997 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-III-97-097 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by Region III staff (Lisle, Illinois) on this date.
Facility Licensee Emergency Classification BITTNER ENGINEERING, INC Notification of Unusual Event Bittner Engineering, Inc. Alert Escanaba, Michigan Site Area Emergency License No: 21-26010-01 General Emergency X Not Applicable
Subject:
POTENTIAL RADIATION EXPOSURE OF LICENSEE PERSONNEL At about 1:00 p.m.(EST) on December 11, 1997, the licensee received a telephone notification from Troxler Electronics Laboratory, Inc., that a cesium-137 sealed source was missing from the licensee's Troxler Model 3411B moisture / density gauge that the licensee had shipped to Troxler on October 30, 1997, for repair. The gauge source rod contained a sealed source of cesium- 137, 5.1 millicuries (0.19 gigabecquerel) and inside the gauge there was an additional sealed source of americium-241, 39 millicuries (1.44 gigabecquerels). The gauge had been damaged at a construction site on October 14, 1997.
The licensee began a search of its facility with a GM radiation survey instrument and discovered a broken piece of the source rod containing the cesium-137 source lying under a work bench in the soils laboratory. The ,
licensee shielded the source with bags of gravel, posted and secured the '
lab, and notified its employees. With the bags of gravel in place, the radiation level was 2 millirems per hour (0.02 millisieverts per hour) at the surface of the bags.
While licensee employees have access to the soils laboratory, it is normally unoccupied and locked. The laboratory is not readily accessible to the public.
The licensee telephoned the NRC Region III office and described the radiological conditions noted above. Troxler will send an appropriate transport container to the licensee for immediate storage and ultimate transfer of the cesium-137 source to Troxler. The licensee will interview personnel to determine potential radiation doses for individuals who had worked in the soils lab during the period of October 14 through December 11, 1997.
Region III has sent an inspector to the site to review the circumstances surrounding this incident, to perform independent radiation surveys at the facility, and to monitor the licensee's determination of radiation doses to employees.
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9901200013 PDR I&E 971212 :
PNO-III-97-o97 PDR, ~
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PNO-III-97-097 The States of Michigan and North Carolina and the NRC Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards have been notified. The information in this preliminary notification has been reviewed with the licensee.
The licensee reported this incident to the NRC Operations Center at 2 p.m. EST on December 11, 1997. This information is current as of 9 a.m on December 12, 1997.
Contact:
GEOFFREY WRIGHT THOMAS YOUNG (630)829-9602 (630)829-9835