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| Start date | Reporting criterion | Title | Event description | System | LER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENS 53979 | 3 April 2019 05:00:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Unable to Retract Radiography Source | The following report was received via e-mail: On April 4, 2019, the Agency was notified by the licensee that one of their radiography crews was unable to retract a source on April 3, 2019, when a jig on a ladder fell on the source tube. The crew contacted the RSO (Radiation Safety Officer). The RSO, an authorized source retriever, reported to the temporary job site in approximately 20 minutes and retrieved the source. No member of the general public received an exposure from this event. No additional information has been provided. The radiographers were to be interviewed on April 4, 2019. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300. Texas Incident: 9670
The following information was received via e-mail: On April 5, 2019, the licensee provided the following information. The device was a QSA 880D exposure device containing a 62 curie iridium-192 source. The highest exposure received from this event to any of the individuals involved was to the individual who retrieved the source. (The RSO) received 370 millirem whole body dose and his right hand received 350 millirem. No individual exceeded any exposure limits due to this event. The exposure device has been returned to the manufacturer for service and the guide tube has been taken out of service. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300. Notified the R4DO (Kozal) and NMSS Events Notification (via e-mail). | ||
| ENS 50838 | 19 February 2015 22:30:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Unable to Retract Camera Source | The following information was received from the State of Texas via email: On February 20, 2015, the Agency (Texas Department of State Health Services) was notified by the licensee that on February 19, 2015, one of its radiography crews working at a remote field site (near Kennedy, Texas) was unable to retract a 31.9 Curie Iridium 192 source into a QSA 880D exposure device. The radiographers were examining a pipe on a pipe pad with the collimator being held in place with a magnetic stand. As the radiographer began to retract the source after a shot, the stand fell and struck the source guide tube crimping the tube to a point where the source could not be moved. The radiographers stopped work in the area and moved their boundaries to prevent exposures to members of the general public. The radiographers contacted their radiation safety officer (RSO), but he was located 8 hours from the work site. The RSO contacted the licensee's office in Corpus Christi, Texas and the RSO from that location responded to the event. The Corpus Christi RSO is (at the location) to perform source retrieval. The event occurred at 1630 (CST) and the source was retracted at 2400 (CST). No over exposures occurred and no member of the general public received any additional exposure from this event. The guide tube has been removed from service for inspection. The dosimetry badges for the individuals involved in the event have been sent to the licensee's processor for reading. The licensee is investigating the event. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300. On February 20, 2015, the licensee agreed to send the source involved in this event to the manufacturer for inspection. Texas Incident: I-9281 | ||
| ENS 47070 | 19 July 2011 12:00:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Stolen Radiography Camera | On July 19, 2011, the Agency (Texas Department of Health) was notified by the licensee that one of their radiography crews had discovered that the dark room on their truck had been broken into some time during the night. The radiographers stated the radiography camera transportation container containing a QSA Global model 880 D camera with a 33.7 curie iridium (Ir) 192 source and a portable electric generator had been stolen. Local law enforcement was contacted and responded to the scene. The agency (Texas Department of Health) notified the Texas association of Pawnbrokers of the event and provided information on the device. Additional information will be provided as it is received. Texas Incident # I-8871
The following information was received by email: Local law enforcement has reviewed the security tape at the hotel and was able to identify the vehicle type and manufacturer. They do not believe they can get a license plate number from the video. The time of the theft was set at between 0400 (CDT) and 0409 (CDT). An Agency investigator went to the location and interviewed the radiographers. He found that the guide tube and crank cables were also stolen. The radiographer stated that the tailgate of the truck was not locked, but that the dark room door was locked. He stated that they did not test the alarm that day, but it had been tested on July 17, 2011. Because of the investigation by local law enforcement, they have not been able to test the alarm system today. The radiographer stated that a cable was used to secure the transport box to the truck and that one of the pad eyes used to secure the cable to the truck had been ripped through the dark room wall freeing the transportation container. The radiographer stated that the transport box has a new Yellow II label. The alarm system was tested at 1141 (CDT) and found to be functioning properly. The radiographers stated that they had set the alarm when they got to the hotel, but failed to set it after returning from getting their dinner. The agency (Texas Department of Health) has contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation and informed them of the event. The agency (Texas Department of Health) and the licensee are currently driving around the city of Austin, Texas with portable radiation detection instrumentation in an attempt to locate the camera. Notified the R4DO (Campbell), FSME (White), IRD (Gott), ILTAB (Allston), R4IAT(Howell) and Mexico (via email and fax). THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "CATEGORY 2" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Category 2 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for a short time (minutes to hours). It could possibly be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of hours to days. These sources are typically used in practices such as industrial gamma radiography, high dose rate brachytherapy and medium dose rate brachytherapy. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf | ||
| ENS 45991 | 11 March 2010 05:00:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Radiography Camera Source Failed to Retract | On June 9, 2010 the Incident Investigation Program was notified via email by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that the licensee had experienced a failure to retract a radiography source that had occurred on March 11, 2010 somewhere in Texas. A radiography crew out of Sulphur, Louisiana was working in Beaumont, Texas, when the 96 Curie, Iridium 192 radiography source became stuck during the crew's 6th exposure (approximately 1250 Central Daylight Time). The two person radiography team then extended their barricade to about 350 feet from the source. The crew notified their sight representative, as well as the Site Radiation Safety Officer of the Sulphur, Louisiana office. While one of the radiographers verified the 2mR/hr boundary with a survey meter, the other stood behind a large pump at the plant and repeatedly tried to crank the source back into the camera. After approximately 7 minutes, the radiographer was able to return the source to the camera. The radiography crew verified the source local in the shielded position with their survey meter. According to the report submitted by the Louisiana Site RSO (LARSO), no members of the public or workers were overexposed. Later that same day, the LARSO met with the radiographers. The LARSO subsequently sent the radiographers' TLD badges to be read on Friday March 12, 2010. The results were returned on Monday, March 15, 2010. According to the report by the LARSO, it was determined that one of the radiographers received 55mR and the other 210 mR as a result of this event. On March 15, 2010 the crank out assembly was sent to the manufacturer (QSA Global) for inspection and repair. QSA determined that the bearing assembly in the pistol control crank had come apart. Part of the bearing assembly had worked its way into and lodged into the drive gear assembly. The piece of the bearing assembly then caused a tooth of the drive gear assembly to break off. The tooth was large enough to become jammed between the drive gear and the drive cable in the pistol control. This caused the pistol to malfunction. QSA repaired the assembly and all defective parts were replaced, and the assembly passed all tests. On June 9, 2010 the Texas Department of State Health Services contacted the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) for the Texas licensee. The RSO stated that she would submit a report to the State of Texas as soon as possible. Texas Incident Number I-8752. |