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| Entered date | Event description | |
|---|---|---|
| ENS 56290 | 30 December 2022 14:56:00 | The following information was provided by Kansas Radiation Control Program via email: Kansas Radiation Control Program was notified, at 1016 CST on December 30, 2022, that six tritium exit signs were disposed of inappropriately. A total of 17 tritium exit signs were removed from a church located in Topeka, Kansas, six signs were reported improperly disposed of with 11 remaining in the possession of the owner and later disposed of properly. The church had contracted with EMCOR to dispose of the signs and replace them with LED exit signs. The sub contractor, Mid-West Signs, reported they unintentionally disposed of six of the signs in the trash. Before this error was realized the trash was collected and the signs were determined unrecoverable. The signs were uninstalled on November 3, 2022; however it is unclear at this time when the signs might have been placed in the trash. This is an initial report and the incident is still open pending an investigation and management review. 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 55596 | 20 November 2021 21:36:00 | The following was received by email from the Kansas Department of Health & Environment: At approximately 1300 CST on 19 November 2021, Kansas Radioactive Material Program received a call from a corporate safety officer for a local business, Advantage Metal Recycling. Advantage Metal Recycling is located in Kansas City, Kansas. The recycling yard, not a licensee, notified the department that they had a radiation detector alarm on their metal shredder. The corporate representative was calling from out of state and did not have all the information on the handheld survey meters but they had a 'Ludlum meter with a pancake probe that was off scale at 1000 microR/hr and a model 19 that was reading approximately 2000 microR/hr.' The surveys were estimated at 2-4 feet. At 1415 CST on 19 November, two members of the Kansas Radiation Control Program left Topeka, Kansas to respond to the site. They arrived at approximately 1509 CST. Surveys taken by 2401-P and 451P indicated the highest exposure rate reading of a large pile of shredded metal was 26.2 mR/hr. The Kansas staff also performed surveys of the machinery which shreds the metal and did not identify any elevated exposure rate readings. Because of this it is suspected the source was not punctured and there is not residual contamination of the yard or the machinery. Given the high exposure rate and identity of the source being unconfirmed at this time (Identifinder indicated Ra-226) it was determined to report this incident to the HOO. The scrap yard had an appropriately licensed contractor onsite remove the material on the evening of 19 November. The contractor entered Kansas via reciprocity and confirmed they removed the material and placed it in their secured facility. More information will follow as it becomes available. |
| ENS 55432 | 26 August 2021 13:16:00 | The following is a summary of information received from the State of Kansas: The state of Kansas received notification from the licensee that a fixed gauge cobalt-60 radiographic source is not retracting into the camera for storage following a radiographic exposure. The source moves freely to a point but seems to be stopped during movement in the guide tube about halfway back to the camera. Neither the automatic or the manual retrieval systems were able to retract the source any more than about half way. The licensee indicated that at no time were any personnel exposed or in any danger. The source is located in a secured fixed radiographic booth. The licensee has contacted the supplier of the equipment for assistance. |
| ENS 54374 | 6 November 2019 17:04:00 | The following is a summary of an email received from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Radioactive Materials Team: Apex Environmental reported that they sent their X-ray fluorescence to Massachusetts via a common carrier to be resourced. They have a delivery receipt, but have been unsuccessful in contacting the company. Perhaps the device is being held for payment. The State has requested additional information from Apex and will follow up with Massachusetts' Radiation Control Program and the vendor to determine the status of the device. Kansas Event Report ID No: KS190010 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 53564 | 24 August 2018 16:35:00 | The following information was received via E-mail: Oklahoma DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) notified the Kansas Radiation Control Program of a rejected waste shipment from Kansas. Preliminary information is the waste was not generated from licensed work. A patient who had received what is believed to be an I-131 dose at an unaffiliated facility came in for labs. Blood was drawn and needle was disposed in sharps without the knowledge of contamination by the lab personnel. The survey data on the waste was reported as 500 microR/hr on surface of the waste package. See EN 53561.
The following update was provided via E-mail: The originator of the waste has a radioactive material license, however the package containing the contaminated waste was not from the radiology department where licensed activity occurs. Furthermore the licensee does not use I-131 or any isotope with a half-life nearly as long. (Kansas Radiation Control) will visit the site next week to determine what the dose estimates are for those in the waiting room, lab staff (both blood draw and blood testing), waste transporter and waste handlers. (Kansas Radiation Control) also intend to identify where the blood vial and associated potentially contaminated waste is stored/disposed. It will likely prove impossible to discover the licensee who administered the I-131 to the patient as the individual did not report they were recently treated, there was no surveys in their unrestricted portion of their facility that is unaffiliated with their RAM (radioactive material) work, and the waste is mixed in with several other patients over the course of several days.
The following update was provided via E-mail: Oklahoma DEQ notified the Kansas Radiation Control Program of a rejected waste shipment from Kansas on 8/24/2018. This was reported to the HOO by David Lawrenz on the same day. The Cancer Center of Kansas (CCK) was contacted by Stericycle, the company that handles sharps disposal, August 23, 2018. Stericycle stated they had received a radioactive sharps container from CCK. During a phone call with Stericycle, David Lawrenz learned the sharps container had been picked up last week and delivered to the incinerator facility on Monday August 20th. Preliminary information is the waste was not generated from licensed work. A patient who had received what is believed to be an I-131 dose at an unaffiliated facility came in for labs. Blood was drawn, and needle was disposed in sharps without the knowledge of contamination by the lab personnel. The survey data on the waste was reported as 500 microR/hr. on surface of the waste package on 8/24/18 when (redacted) picked up the container from Stericycle. After (redacted) picked up the sharps container on 8/24/18, it was determined the sharps container came from the CCK lab. (redacted) took surveys on the exterior of the container and found 500 microR/hr for the highest reading prior to returning to CCK. The CCK lab is separate from the CCK radiology department and the sharps containers are used separately as well. The CCK lab is not a restricted area and no radioactive material is used there. Consequently, the sharps from the lab were not monitored for radioactive contamination. With the knowledge that the sharps came from a department that does not handle radioactive material and the fact that so much time had passed we determined the radioactive contamination must have originated from outside CCK. CCK only uses Tc99m. CCK is authorized for 35.100 and 35.200 use only. CCK is a cancer specialty clinic so the most likely scenario is that a patient had very recently undergone I-131 therapy at another facility and then came to CCK for lab work. The discarded lab detritus from that patient was then placed in the sharps container that Stericycle collected. On August 27, 2018 (two individuals from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment) arrived at CCK and met with (the Lab Supervisor). (redacted) took surveys of the sharps container and lab area. This area is separate from the radiology department. No areas were above background. (The Lab Supervisor took Kansas personnel) to the hot lab used under the Adams Diagnostics 12-B880. The rejected waste is now stored for decay in the regulated area. (The Lab Supervisor) surveyed the container at 259 microR/hr on contact. New procedures are being written to include surveys of the labs sharps container to prevent the issue from happening in the future. The licensee was found to not be in violation of any requirements and there will be no enforcement action as a result of this investigation unless new information comes to light. Root cause analysis is a patient failed to follow instructions after the medical procedure." Notified the R4DO (Alexander) and NMSS Events via email. |