Semantic search
| Start date | Reporting criterion | Title | Event description | System | LER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENS 55284 | 28 May 2021 20:00:00 | Agreement State | Potential Overexposure to Radiographer | The following was received from the Texas Department of State Health Services via email: On May 30, 2021, at approximately (1500) CDT one of the licensee's radiographers reported to the radiation safety officer that on May 28, 2021, he had handled a collimator while the source was in it. The radiographer was using a SPEC 150 camera with a 22 curie Iridium-192 source. The radiographer had taken a shot on top of a 2-inch pipe on a pipe stand. He then set up for the next shot by taking hold of the collimator (back, shielded side) and slid it down to the side of the pipe (90 degree). The beam was always facing the pipe. When he walked back to the camera to crank out the source, he found he had not cranked it back in after the first shot. The radiographer was not wearing an alarming rate meter, a pocket dosimeter, or a dosimetry badge, and he was not carrying/using a survey meter at the time of the incident. The licensee's initial, rough calculations indicate the dose will be lower than the reporting criteria used for this report, but until they can get more information, this report is being made as an immediate report. The radiographer was seen by a physician today and the licensee reported white blood cell counts were normal. The licensee is investigating the event and also why the radiographer did not report the incident when it occurred. More information will be provided as it is obtained in accordance with SA-300. Texas Incident number not assigned as of the time of the report.
The following was received from the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Agency) via email: On May 30, 2021, the Agency was informed by the licensee that on May 30, 2021, at approximately (1500) CDT one of the licensee's radiographers reported to the radiation safety officer that on May 28, 2021, he had handled a collimator while the source was in it. The radiographer was using a SPEC 150 camera with a 22 Curie Iridium-192 source. The radiographer had taken a shot on top of a 2-inch pipe on a pipe stand. He then set up for the next shot by taking hold of the collimator (back, shielded side) and slid it down to side of the pipe (90 degree). The beam was always facing the pipe. When he walked back to the camera to crank out the source, he found he had not cranked it back in after the first shot. The radiographer was not wearing an alarming rate meter, a pocket dosimeter, or a dosimetry badge, and he was not carrying/using a survey meter at the time of the incident. The licensee conducted a reenactment of the radiographer's actions on June 1, 2021. The Agency conducted an on-line meeting with the licensee on June 16, 2021 and reviewed the video. Using the reenactment and the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP) 41 table 6, it was determined that the exposure to the radiographer's fingers was 31.28 Rem (exposed for 2 seconds) and to the remainder of his hand was 7.629 Rem (exposed for 6 seconds collimator 4.25 half-layer values (HLVS)). The whole-body dose was 124.68 milliRem. No exposure limits were exceeded. Texas Incident Number: 9853 Notified R4DO (Warnick), NMSS Events and DIR MSST (Williams) via email. | ||
| ENS 53803 | 24 February 2018 05:00:00 | 10 CFR 30.50(b)(2) | Radiography Camera Guide Tube Disconnected During Use | The following is a synopsis of the report received via email: The quick connect fitting on the guide tube came apart when the source was being cranked out. When the source was cranked out beyond where the end of the guide tube was supposed to be the technicians stopped and tried to crank the source back into the camera. The source rod became stuck because the control cable had become entangled. The RSO (Radiation Safety Officer) was later able to disconnect the source's pigtail, unkink the control cable, reconnect the guide tube, and reconnect the control cable to retrieve the source. The maximum doses received were 114 mRem whole body and 260 mRem to the right hand. Camera: model SPEC-300 with model G-70 source assembly Source: 88 Ci Co-60 | ||
| ENS 42156 | 19 November 2005 02:00:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Potential Overexposure of a Radiographer | At 2000 on 11/18/05 during a radiography job at P2S in Sand Springs, OK, a radiographer received a 23 Rem calculated dose. He went out to change the camera film when he thought his assistant had fully retracted the source. The radiographer was in front of the camera for approximately 3 minutes. The licensee stated that the cause of the overexposure was miscommunication. When the radiographer was on his way to the camera he set down his radiation detection instrument and answered a cell phone call. At the same time the assistant who was responsible for retracting the source was sending a text message on his cell phone. The radiographer's alarming rate meter was turned off. The camera was a SPEC Model 150 with a 66 Curie Iridium-192 source. The camera was tested after the event and found to be in good operating condition. Both the radiographer and the assistant have been suspended pending further investigation. The dosimeters of the individuals have been sent to be read and readings should be available on 11/21/05. The licensees radiation safety officer made the report to the state after taking both individuals to the hospital for blood tests as a precautionary measure. On 11/21/05 the state will investigate this incident further at the jobsite.
The results of a chromosome analysis performed on a blood sample indicated that the best estimate of the radiographer's exposure as a result of the event was 4 Rem (with a 95% confidence interval of 0 - 17 Rem). The licensee states that the blood analysis results are in agreement with the radiographer's dosimetry, and the radiographers dose for the year is calculated to be 6.9 Rem. Notified R4 DO (D. Graves) and NMSS EO (G. Morell) | ||
| ENS 42103 | 31 October 2005 07:00:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Missing Radiography Camera | At 0100 on 10/31/05 the licensee discovered that a SPEC 150 Radiography Camera (camera s/n 204) with a 64 Curie Ir-192 (s/n 217221B) source was stolen from the company's office. The camera was in a locked space. The camera was last used on 10/28/05, and was logged in at 0100 on 10/29/05. A dispatcher saw the camera at 1500 on 10/28/05. At 0100 on 10/31/05, a radiographer went to the space to get the gauge and discovered that it was gone. The Tulsa Police Department was notified. 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.
The Department of Environmental Quality in Oklahoma provided information that the missing radiography camera was recovered at 07:30 CST. Due to local media coverage in the area, a private citizen called the number published by the TV media and volunteered information. The citizen indicated he saw the camera near the freeway entrance of 33 West Avenue and I-44 in West Tulsa, OK. The camera, which was found in a grassy area (weeds) near a privacy fence (wall), was intact with the source in the shielded position. The licensee (IRIS-NDT) has surveyed the site and said the readings were consistent with a source inside a camera. The Tulsa police department is still pursuing the investigation. The licensee offered a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the recovery of the camera. Notified R4DO (Farnholtz), NMSS (Burgess), TAS (English), IRD (Wilson, Blount, and Leach) DHS (Holtz), NRC (Doherty), FEMA (Liggett), and HHS (Turner). |