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| Start date | Reporting criterion | Title | Event description | System | LER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENS 54940 | 8 October 2020 05:00:00 | Agreement State | Lost Then Found Moisture / Density Gauge | The following is a synopsis of information received via phone and facsimile: The Department (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Radiological Health) was notified around 0815 CDT on October 9, 2020, by the Nebraska State Patrol, of a lost, and subsequently recovered, nuclear gauge. The gauge was a Troxler 3400 series moisture density gauge containing a 9 mCi Cs-137 source and a 44 mCi Am-241/Be source. During the afternoon of October 8, 2020, the gauge was on the tailgate of a pickup truck. The gauge user entered the vehicle before securing the gauge package. The user was distracted and began driving away. The gauge fell out of the back of the vehicle. An employee from the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) found the lost gauge near Norfolk, NE. The NDOT employee notified the Nebraska State Patrol and the gauge manufacturer, Troxler. Using the serial number of the gauge, Troxler was able to determine the gauge belonged to Olsson Associates. Olsson Associates was notified of the recovered gauge, and the gauge user retrieved the gauge. The estimated time between the loss of control and recovery is estimated to be one hour. During the evening of October 8, 2020, the corporate Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) for Olsson Associates was notified of the incident. He did not report the event to the Department. A representative of the Department spoke with him at 1030 CDT on October 9, 2020. The RSO then provided a brief account of the incident to the Department representative. The RSO noted that the gauge package appeared to be undamaged. The gauge itself did not appear damaged. The gauge was surveyed to confirm the presence of the source, and a leak test will be performed immediately. 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 52525 | 1 February 2017 17:00:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Lost/Found Moisture Density Gauge | The following report was received via e-mail: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Radiological Health was notified on February 1, 2017, by a representative from Olsson Associates, of a loss and subsequent return of licensed material from the back of a pickup truck on Wednesday, February 1, 2017, in Omaha, Nebraska. The licensed material is a Troxler 3400 series moisture density gauge, serial number 19309, containing 9 mCi of Cs-137 and 44 mCi of Am:Be. The licensee reported to the State that an employee placed the licensed material on the back of the pickup truck and not in the yellow shipping case, and drove away from a temporary jobsite. While the employee made a right hand turn, the Troxler gauge fell out of the truck. A vehicle that was passing nearby found the Troxler gauge and returned it to the licensee about 10 minutes after the employee notified the Radiation Safety Officer. The gauge was visually inspected and no physical damage was found. The gauge was also surveyed to confirm the presence of the source. No elevated readings were found. The licensee has locked the gauge in the yellow shipping container and removed it from service. A follow-up site visit is scheduled and a 30 day written report is to follow. Nebraska Event: NE-17-0001 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 44699 | 5 December 2008 22:15:00 | 10 CFR 30.50(b)(2) | Damaged Troxler Moisture Density Gauge | (The following narrative describes a damage event to (a) Troxler 3440 (SN 37660) which occurred at about 4:15PM (CST) on 12/5/08. The event occurred in Greene County, Missouri, on Route J approximately 4 miles North of US 60 Hwy, approximately 4 miles east of US 65, SE of Springfield, Missouri. The project is a roadway reconstruction. (The licensee) employee was in the process of performing a compaction test with the gauge when an inattentive scraper operator nearly ran (the licensee) over, but did run over the gauge. The employee cordoned off the area and ceased all work in the area. An initial visual assessment of the gauge indicated that both the Americium and Cesium sources were intact. A field wipe test is being performed to verify whether or not the sources have been damaged. No results are available at the time of this report. What is currently known is that the gauge sustained such damage that the base plate was dislodged from the bottom of the gauge and that the tungsten sliding block/source shield also became dislodged. If the sources are not damaged, attempts will be made to remove a portion of the probe (with the Cesium source intact), re-insert it in the top of the source shield, re-insert the source back into the gauge, wrap the gauge with duct tape to secure the sources, put the gauge back into the carrying case, and transport the gauge back to the office storage location for further processing instructions. (Licensee) additional updates will follow. Typical Troxler gauges of this series contain a source of 8 mCi Cs-137 and 40 mCi Am/Be.
At around 7:00PM (CST) a field wipe test indicated that there was no damage/contamination of either radioactive material source. The gauge was put back into the storage case and transported back to the office storage location. The top portion of the handle had to be sawed off in order to retract the probe source back into the tungsten/sliding block housing. The base cover plate was hammered back into shape and was screwed back onto the base of the gauge. (The licensee office Radiation Safety Officer) will be traveling to Springfield, MO tomorrow to assess the situation. Pictures will be taken and another wipe test will be performed and sent to Troxler Electronics in preparation of shipping the gauge back to them for decommissioning. Notified R3DO (Mike Kunowski) and FSME (Rebecca Tadesse). 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. |