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| Start date | Reporting criterion | Title | Event description | System | LER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENS 48858 | 27 March 2013 17:48:00 | 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) | Surface Contamination on Outside of Package Exceeding Nrc Reporting Limits | Per 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1), (the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is) reporting receipt of a package of radioactive material with removable surface contamination on the outside of the package greater than NRC reporting limits. The package was received today (March 27, 2013) around 12:48 PM CDT by South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas. This medical center holds permit number 42-15881-01 under the VHA master materials license. Wipe tests performed on the external surface of the package indicated a removable contamination level of 993 dpm/cm2 as compared to the regulatory limit of 220 dpm/cm2 for beta-gamma emitters. The package contained one 30-millicurie dosage of Technetium-99m and was shipped and delivered by Cardinal Health in San Antonio, Texas. The inner packaging materials were slightly contaminated but the dosage itself was not impacted and was able to be used. The VA facility Nuclear Medicine Technologist immediately notified, by telephone, the Radiation Safety Officer at Cardinal Health about the contaminated package. As corrective actions: the packaging materials were bagged and set aside in a restricted area at the medical center for decay; staff with access to the area were notified about the contaminated packaging materials; and surveys were performed in the package receipt area to ensure that contamination was not spread beyond the area. (Veterans Health Administration) notified NRC Region III (K. Null) by telephone of this event. | ||
| ENS 46301 | 1 October 2010 13:11:00 | 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) | Non-Fixed Rad Surface Contamination Greater than Limits | (This report is being made) to report receipt of a package of radioactive material with removable surface contamination on the outside of the package greater than reporting limits. The package was received today, October 1, 2010, at around 0811 CDT by the Amarillo Veterans Administration (VA) Health Care System, Amarillo, Texas. A wipe test performed on the external surface of the package indicated a removable contamination level of 1300 dpm/cm2 as compared to the regulatory limit of 220 dpm/cm2. The package was immediately bagged and secured within the VA nuclear medicine department where it will be stored for decay. Wipes were taken throughout the department with all readings being at background levels. The package contained 80 milliCuries of Tc-99m-labeled radiopharmaceuticals and was shipped from Panhandle Pharmacy, Amarillo, Texas. The vendor/shipper also serves as the delivery carrier. The VA nuclear medicine staff immediately notified the carrier before he left the nuclear medicine department and also contacted staff at Panhandle Pharmacy about the contaminated package at around 0825 CDT. We will notify our NRC Project Manager at NRC Region III of this event. The VA facility RSO indicated that the VA staff offered to survey the carrier, but he declined. The external exposure rate readings on the package were within limits: 0.4 mR/hr on contact. The receiving facility was scanned for contamination. The results came back as reading background. | ||
| ENS 44842 | 9 February 2009 21:00:00 | 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) | Removable Surface Contamination Above Limits | Two packages containing radioactive material were received with removable surface contamination on the outside of the packages greater than the limit cited in 10 CFR 71.87(i). The two packages were received at approximately 4:00 p.m. EDT, February 9, 2009, by the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach, FL. The two packages contained Germanium-68 PET/CT calibration sources. Wipe tests performed on the two packages indicated the following removable contamination levels: 802 dpm/cm2 on one package and 400 dpm/cm2 on the other, as compared to the regulatory limit of 220 dpm/cm2 for beta-gamma emitters. Spectral measurements (gamma energy) of the wipes were consistent with the radionuclide contained in the package. The final delivery carrier was notified of the contaminated packages at approximately 5:00 p.m. EDT on February 9, 2009, by the VA Medical Center's Radiation Safety Officer. The shipper (Eckert Ziegler Isotope Products) was also notified (by recorded voice message) of the contaminated packages. Licensee will notify our NRC Project Manager (Cassandra Frazier, NRC Region III) of this event. Additional information: Permits are issued under the license to Veterans Health Administration facilities. The permit number for the facility involved in these medical events is VHA Permit No. 09-25328-01. | ||
| ENS 44208 | 13 May 2008 17:15:00 | 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) | "(The Department of Veterans Affairs Called) to Report Receipt of One Package of Radioactive Material with Removable Surface Contamination on the Outside of the Package Greater than the Limits in 10 Cfr 71.87(I). | The package was received at approximately 12:15 PM Eastern Time (ET), May 13, 2008 by the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach, FL. A wipe test performed on the external surface of the package around 12:30 PM ET indicated a removable contamination level of 42 dpm/cm2 as compared to the regulatory limit of 22 dpm/cm2. The package contained a PET radioactive drug with Fluorine-18 (F-18) shipped from Cardinal Health of Jupiter, Florida. The vendor/shipper also serves as the delivery carrier. The shipper/delivery carrier was notified of the contaminated package at approximately 12:55 PM ET by the VA Medical Center's Radiation Safety Officer. Spectral measurements indicated that the contaminant involved is F-18. The package did not appear to be damaged. The package is being held for radiological decay and will be returned to the vendor in a couple of days. | ||
| ENS 44076 | 18 March 2008 17:00:00 | 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) | Receipt of Package with Surface Contamination | The following script was provided in a telephone call to the NRC Operations Center: My name is Thomas Huston with the Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA National Health Physics Program. This report involves NRC master materials license No. 03-23853-01VA. I am calling to report receipt of three packages of radioactive material with removable surface contamination on the outside of the package greater than the limits in 10 CFR 71.87(i). The three packages were received at approximately 1:00 PM ET, March 18, 2008 by the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach, FL. Wipe tests performed on the three packages indicated the following removable contamination levels: 24700 dpm/cm2, 12880 dpm/cm2, and 35570 dpm/cm2 as compared to the regulatory limit of 22 dpm/cm2. The three packages contained Co-57 flood sources and were received from a commercial vendor, Eckert & Ziegler (Isotope Products Laboratories), of Valencia, CA. The final delivery was by common carrier. The final delivery carrier was notified of the contaminated packages at approximately 1630 hrs ET on March 18, 2008 by the VA Medical Center's Radiation Safety Officer. The vendor was notified of the contamination at approximately 1730 hr on March 18, 2008 by the VA Medical Center's Radiation Safety Officer. The radionuclide involved is believed to be Co-57; however, additional confirmatory measurements are being made. Additional information: The Department of Veterans Affairs coordinates all reports to the NRC from the NHPP Director's Office located in North Little Rock, AR. NRC oversight for the VA Master Materials licensee is assigned to NRC Region 3. Address of permittee involved in this event: VA Medical Center, 7305 North Military Trail, West Palm Beach, Florida 33410, VHA Permit Number 09-25328-01. | ||
| ENS 42507 | 18 April 2006 17:45:00 | 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) | Receipt of Package with Surface Contamination | Licensee called pursuant to 10 CFR 20.1906, to report the receipt of a package of radioactive material with removable surface contamination slightly exceeding the limits of 10 CFR 71.87(i). The package was received at approximately 1245 CT today by the VA Medical Center in Birmingham, AL. Several wipe tests were performed on the package. The one showing the greatest removable contamination indicated 283 dpm/cm2, slightly exceeding the regulatory limit of 220 dpm/cm2. The package was received from a commercial nuclear radiopharmacy, Birmingham Nuclear Pharmacy, in Birmingham AL. The final delivery carrier has been notified. The radionuclide is Technetium-99m. HOO NOTE: The Department of Veterans Affairs coordinates all reports to the NRC from their NHPP Director's Office located in Little Rock, AR. NRC oversight for the VA Master Materials licensee is assigned to NRC Region III. Permittee: VA Medical Center, 700 South 19th Street, Birmingham, Alabama, 35233, Permit Number 01-00643-02. | ||
| ENS 41855 | 19 July 2005 05:00:00 | 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) | Radioactive Package with Removable Surface Contamination Exceeding a Limit | Licensee: Department of Veterans Affairs, National Health Physics Program License # 03-23853-01VA Permittee: VA Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System, Biloxi, Mississippi Date of event: July 19, 2005, about 1000 CDT Date and Time NHPP notified: July 19, 2005, 1700 CDT A radioactive package was received from the commercial radiopharmacy at about 1000 hours CDT. The nuclear medicine technologist followed routine procedures for opening radioactive packages and performed a wipe test on the outside of the package. The wipe test results were 13,000 dpm / 300 cm2. Slight contamination was located on the inside of the package. The technologist immediately notified the radiopharmacy of the contamination. The radiopharmacy is Cox Nuclear Pharmacy in Biloxi, MS. NHPP representatives will follow-up with the permittee on July 20, 2005. A copy of this text has been sent to Kevin Null, NRC Region III Event Number: 41855
The basis for retracting the event is that the package had approximately 49 DPM per cm2 removable radioactive contamination on the outside, which is less than the reporting requirement under 49 CFR 173.443. This retraction was coordinated with NRC Region III." R3DO (Patrick Louden), R1DO (Rich Conte) and NMSS EO (Michele Burgess) notified. | ||
| ENS 41439 | 24 February 2005 18:35:00 | 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) | Removable Radioactive Surface Contamination on a Package | The Department of Veterans Affairs, National Health Physics Program reported that a package received at one of its facilities had removable radioactive surface contamination that exceeded limits. The package was received on 2/24/05 at the VA Southern Nevada Health Care System in Las Vegas, NV. The package had a contamination level of 85,000 DPM over a 300 square cm wipe. The contamination was identified as Technetium-99M via spectral analysis. The package was received from Bio Tech, a commercial pharmacy in Las Vegas. Southern Nevada Health Care notified Bio Tech and the pharmacy has sent a representative to the facility to assist in the investigation. The package was delivered by a pharmacy delivery vehicle and the status of any contamination in the vehicle is unknown. There was no apparent damage to the package. Appropriate steps have been taken to prevent the spread of contamination. | ||
| ENS 41044 | 16 September 2004 16:30:00 | 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) | Surface Contamination on Radioactive Material Package Exceeding Limits | The Department of Veterans Affairs, National Health Physics Program reported a package that exceeded the limits for removable radioactive surface contamination. The package was received on September 16, 2004, by a permittee authorized under the master materials license issued to the Department of Veterans Affairs, NRC License 03-23853-01VA. The permittee is the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This event is reported under 10 CFR 20.1906(d)(1) in that the package, an ammo box being used to deliver radioactive materials, had approximately 11,000 disintegrations per minute per square centimeter removable radioactive contamination on the outside. The contamination was limited to one small spot on the ammo box exterior. The interior of the box was not contaminated. The contamination was identified as 99M-Tc. The Cardinal Health Nuclear Pharmacy Services delivered the package. The permittee Radiation Safety Officer notified the vendor about the package. There was no personnel contamination involved. |