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| Start date | Reporting criterion | Title | Event description | System | LER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENS 53064 | 9 November 2017 06:00:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Damaged Moisture Density Gauge | The following report was received via e-mail: The Corporate Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) notified LDEQ (Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality) that a Troxler Moisture/Density gauge (TMDG) Model # 3411B was run over by a compactor/heavy equipment at one of their temporary job sites. The gauge was left unattended by the operator of the gauge on the construction site while discussing materials results with the jobsite foremen. FCI's (Fugro Consultants Inc.) investigation determined that the cause of the incident was human error and that TMDG sources were not damaged or leaking. The outer housing on the device was damaged. The TMDG was not in use at the time of the incident, the push rod was not extended, and the sources were in the shielded position. The incident happened November 8, 2017, at approximately 8:30 AM. The incident was reported to LDEQ at approximately 3:00 PM. The TMDG Model # 3411B, S/N 14273 was loaded with a Cs-137 9 mCi source model # TA-102112, and an Am-241(AmBe) 40 mCi source model # TA-102451. The incident happened at a temporary jobsite in West Baton Rouge Parish. The facility: Shintech Ethane Cracker Plant, 26270 Highway 405, Addis, LA. A site RSO is in charge of the investigation, radiation issues, and recommendations for corrective actions. Results are reported to and under the direction of the RSO. The damaged gauge was a Troxler, Model 3411B, S/N 14273, loaded with 9 mCi of Cs-137 and 40 mCi of Am/Be. The gauge housing was damaged, but there was no indication the radioactive sources were compromised or leaking. The survey readings were minimal at the surface of the gauge and background in the area of use. The TMDG was loaded into the storage/shipping container and transported to Troxler Electronics Lab., Greenwell Springs Road, Baton Rouge, LA, where the gauge integrity is being evaluated and the sources leak tested. If there is a change in the testing results, the information will be updated. LDEQ Radiation Staff Personnel visited the Troxler Electronics Lab facility on Greenwell Spring Road to assess the TMDG situation. The LDEQ Staff found the radiation survey reading were in the normal range for a gauge with the sources in the shielded position. This event is being reported under 10 CFR 30.50(b)(2) and LAC 33:XV.341.B.2. All equipment involved in this incident were isolated and were not a threat to the general public. There was no threat to FCI of Shintech personnel and it appears to be safe. LA Event Number: LA 170017 | ||
| ENS 52158 | 6 August 2016 19:30:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Lost Moisture Density Gauge | The following report was received from the State of Texas via email: On August 6, 2016, the Agency (Texas Department of State Health Services) was contacted by the licensee's radiation safety officer (RSO) who reported one of their crews had lost a Troxler model 3440 moisture density gauge. The gauge contains an 8 millicurie cesium-137 and a 40 millicurie americium-241 source. The crew had returned to their office in Dallas and when they went to get the gauge to place it in storage they realized the gauge had been left on the tailgate of the truck and was no longer there. The RSO was notified and both the crew and the RSO drove the 20 mile route used by the technicians returning to the office in an attempt to find the gauge, but the gauge was not located. The RSO stated the cesium source was located in the fully shielded position, but the operating rod was not locked. Local Law Enforcement in the area where the gauge was being used was notified of the lost gauge. The gauge does have a label on it identifying the licensee and listing the licensee's contact number. This number is to an answering service. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300. Local law enforcement has been notified. Texas Report #: I-9423
The following was received from State of Texas via email: On August 10, 2016, the Agency (Texas Department of State Health Services) was notified by the licensee that it had recovered the missing gauge. The licensee's radiation safety officer (RSO) stated they found the gauge listed on Craig's List web site and contacted the seller. The RSO stated they paid the seller a reward and gained custody of the gauge at 1445 hours on August 10, 2016. The RSO stated the gauge was not damaged and the cesium source was still fully shielded. The RSO stated he was sending the gauge to a service company for inspection. Additional information will be provided in accordance with SA-300. Notified R4DO (O'Keefe), ILTAB (English), NMSS_Events Resource, CNSNS (MEXICO) via email. THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf | ||
| ENS 45439 | 14 October 2009 05:00:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report Involving a Radiography Camera Source Disconnect | Received a call from State of Texas concerning an incident that occurred 10/14/09 at a temporary jobsite in Texas (location unknown). The company (not identified in the call) is located in Pasadena, TX. The State of Texas representative said that the Radiographer failed to follow procedures and connect the guide tube before cranking out the source. The source subsequently struck the wall and disconnected. The company RSO who is qualified for source retrieval recovered and secured the source. His extremity dosimetry indicated 57 mrem with a whole body dose of about 90 mrem. Details of the incident including licensee name and license number will be provided by update.
The following information was received by e-mail: On October 15, 2009, the Agency (State) was notified by the licensee that on October 14, 2009, they experienced a source disconnect while using an Amersham model 660 radiography camera containing a 45.3 curie Iridium (Ir) 192 source. The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) stated that two radiographers were setting up for their first shot of the day. The guide tube they had was too short, so one of the radiographers connected an additional guide tube to the end of the existing guide tube, while the other radiographer prepared to perform the shot. Neither of the radiographers attached the guide tube to the camera. They then cranked the source out of the camera to perform their first shot. This caused the source to be pushed out of the camera, onto the floor of the shooting bay, and against the wall of a shooting bay. The camera operator felt that he had cranked the source out farther than it should have traveled for the shot and stopped cranking the source. He then tried to return the source to the camera. When the radiographer retracted the drive cable, the source was left loose on the shooting bay floor. The radiographer approached the shooting area with his dose rate meter and found the dose rates were elevated. The radiographer then secured the area and notified the RSO, who is specifically authorized on the license for source retrieval. The RSO developed a strategy to reconnect the source, and then successfully cranked the source back into the camera. No one involved with this event received an exposure exceeding any regulatory limit. The RSO stated that their investigation into the event determined that the root cause for the event was the failure of the two radiographers to follow procedure. He also noted a failure of the two radiographers to communicate adequately. The RSO stated that they will retrain all of their radiographers regarding their procedures for the proper connecting and disconnecting of equipment to their exposure devices. He also stated that this training would be repeated in their annual training in 2010. Texas Incident: I-8678 Notified R4DO(Cain) and FSME (McIntosh). | ||
| ENS 44472 | 8 September 2008 12:30:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Stolen Troxler Moisture Density Gauge | The licensee discovered that a Troxler moisture/density gauge was stolen sometime between 1600 CDT on 09/07/08 and 0730 CDT on 09/08/08. This was a Troxler Model 3430, S/N 29518 with two sources of 10mCi, Cs-137 and 40mCi, AmBe-241 stolen from a FUGRO consultants Inc. employee from a private residence in Waco, TX. This was reported to the Cities of Waco and Woodway Police Departments and filed under case # 08-21954 for the former. Please refer to TX incident # I-8551. THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. |