PNO-IV-97-034, on 970603,Syncor Driver Retrieved Shipping Container Holding Radiopharmaceuticals from Grandview Hosp in Sellersville,Pa.Region I Dispatched Inspector to Follow Up on Incident W/Grandview Hosp

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PNO-IV-97-034:on 970603,Syncor Driver Retrieved Shipping Container Holding Radiopharmaceuticals from Grandview Hosp in Sellersville,Pa.Region I Dispatched Inspector to Follow Up on Incident W/Grandview Hosp
ML20140A727
Person / Time
Site: 03033224
Issue date: 06/04/1997
From: Linda Howell, Jonathan Montgomery
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:
References
PNO-IV-97-034, PNO-IV-97-34, NUDOCS 9706040361
Download: ML20140A727 (1)


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/ -1 Jun9 4,1997 l PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSU AL OCCURRENCE PNO-IV-97-034 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE

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safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially I received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by Region IV staff in Arlington, Texas on this date.

Facility Licensee Emeraency Classification Syncor International Cntp Notification of Unusual Event Syncor International Corp. Aler.

881 Marcon Blvd. Site Area Emergency Allentown, Pennsylvania 18103 General Emergency Dockets: 03033224 License No: 04-26507-01MD X Not Applicable

Subject:

RADIOPHARMACEUTICAL SHIPPING PACKAGE CONTAMINATION On th'e afternoon of June 3,1997, a Syncor driver retrieved a shipp*, g container holding radiopharmaceuticals from Grandview Hospite! (an NRC licensee) in Sellersvi!!e, PA. When the shipping container (also known'as an "taimo box") was surveyed upon receipt at Syncor's Allentown pharmacy, approximately 980,000 disintegrations per minute (DPM) of removable technetium-99m contamination was found in an area of 170 square centimeters on one side of the container. A removable contamination survey of the Syncor delivery vehicle trunk showed approximately 110,000 DPM/100 square centimeters of removable contamination. No additional contamination of aquipment, personnel or clothing was noted by Syncor during their surveys of the Allentown pharmacy and delivery vehicle.

Syncor notified Grandview Hospital and the NRC Region IV Walnut Creek Field Office as required by 10 CFR 20.1906. The shipping container and delivery vehicle were secured and stored by Syncor to allow the contamination to naturally decay to background levels (technetium-99m has a 6-hour physical half-life).

Region I has dispatched an inspector to follow-up on the incident with Grandview Hospital and the Allentown Syncor pharmacy to determine the cause and source of the contamination.

The state of Pennsylvania will be informed by Region 1.

Region IV received notification of this occurrence by telephone from Syncor's Health l Physics Manager at 2 p.m. (PDT). Region IV has informed Region I and NMSS.

1 This information has been discussed with the licensee and is current as of 11:45 a.m.  !

! (CDT), June 4,1997.  !

Contact:

Jim Montgomery Linda Howell  ;

(510)975-0249 (8171860-8213 4

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9706040361 970604 f

PDR I&E PNO-IV-97-034 PDR

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