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| Entered date | Event description | |
|---|---|---|
| ENS 46049 | 28 June 2010 10:58:00 | The following information was received from the State of South Carolina via fax: The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) was notified on Monday, June 28, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. that a Humboldt Model 5001 B, SN 2508, portable moisture density gauge had been stolen from a job site storage unit in North Charleston, SC. The gauge contained 11 milliCuries maximum of Cesium 137 and 44 milliCuries maximum of Americium 241:Be. (An) F&ME employee, notified the SC DHEC that a gauge technician arrived for work Monday morning and discovered that the job site storage trailer had been broken into. (The site RSO) was notified immediately and he in turn called local police and fire department personnel. He also notified SC DHEC of the occurrence. The RSO indicated that the trailer had been secured on Friday evening (June 25) with the gauge locked in its storage container in the locked storage cabinet within the trailer. No work was performed over the weekend. The theft was discovered, as outlined above, early Monday morning. There were a few other items stolen as well - a GPS unit and a computer. An inventory was still underway at the time of this notification. The local police responders were made well aware of what type of gauge this was and were in the process of filling out the police report. The RSO was advised to fax the police report to SC DHEC once he obtained it. 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 45470 | 28 October 2009 11:20:00 | The following was received from the state via fax: The SC (South Carolina) Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) was notified Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 2:10 p.m. that a Humboldt Model 5001 portable moisture density gauge had been damaged on a job site in North Charleston, SC. The gauge contained 11 milliCurie maximum of Cesium 137 and 44 milliCuries maximum of Americium 241/Be. (The) F&ME employee notified the department (SCDHEC) that a gauge technician had been in the process of performing a standardization test with the gauge when it was hit by a motor grader. (The company representative) was present at the job site when the event occurred. (The company representative) informed SCDHEC that the area had been secured with both the gauge and motor grader within the perimeter. (The company representative) was advised to maintain surveillance of the gauge until SCDHEC personnel could respond. Once on site, SCDHEC personnel determined there was no release of radioactive material and that the Cesium 137 source was still in the locked position. The gauge was placed in its storage container and secured. The licensee informed SCDHEC that he would transport the damaged gauge back to the home office in Columbia, SC that same evening and secure it until the manufacturer could be contacted on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. The licensee would then follow the manufacturer's instructions for the disposition of the device. As more information is available, this notice will be updated. The licensee was advised that a written report detailing this event must be submitted to the department (SCDHEC) within 30 days. The event is open and pending further investigation by the licensee and the department (SCDHEC). Updates will be made through the NMED (Nuclear Materials Event Database) system. |
| ENS 45355 | 17 September 2009 12:11:00 | The following information was faxed in by the State: The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control was notified on September 17, 2009, by the licensee, that a medical event occurred. A patient who was scheduled for a Yttrium-90 Microsphere therapy was given the wrong dose. The patient was scheduled for 25.38 millicuries but was administered 45.9 millicuries according to the initial report by the licensee. The event took place on the 15th and was verified by the licensee on the 17th of September. The referring physician has been notified as well as the patient. The licensee knew no additional details at this point. The licensee will provide additional information in a written report within 15 days. Updates to this event will be made through the NMED system as further information is received. A Medical Event may indicate potential problems in a medical facility's use of radioactive materials. It does not necessarily result in harm to the patient. |
| ENS 44600 | 24 October 2008 15:34:00 | The following information was received via facsimile. The SC (South Carolina) Department of Health and Environmental Control was notified on Friday, October 24, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. that a Humboldt Model 5001 portable moisture density gauge had been lost, along with the licensee's company vehicle. (DELETED), Columbia Radiation Safety Officer, and (DELETED), Corporate RSO, notified the Department that a gauge technician had been in possession of the truck and portable gauge on Thursday, October 23. The technician apparently decided to go out for a 'night on the town' with the company vehicle/gauge and became highly intoxicated. As a result of this, per (DELETED) and (DELETED), the technician does not recall where the truck with the gauge was left. The technician called a fellow MACTEC employee this morning who then picked him up at his hotel. The keys to the MACTEC truck were in the possession of the errant technician so it has been assumed that the truck with the gauge secured in the truck bed is parked at a local nightspot. The technician has been questioned but can shed no light on where the truck is at this time. The licensee has called the police department to notify them of the situation. They have also called the city and county to rule out the possibility that the truck was towed overnight. No report of this vehicle being towed was on file. The licensee currently has four company trucks out looking for the lost vehicle and gauge. As more information is available, this notice will be updated. The licensee was advised that a written report detailing this event must be submitted to the Department within 30 days. The event is open and pending further investigation by the licensee and the Department. Updates will be made through the national NMED system. Humboldt 5001 moisture density gauges nominally contain 10 mCi Cs-137 and 40 mCi Am:Be.
The following was provided by the state via telephone: MACTEC located both the lost portable moisture density gauge and the truck. Based on inspection, it was determined that the gauge is undamaged. The licensee will submit a report. Notified R1DO (Cobey), FSME (Burgess) and ILTAB via e-mail. 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. |
| ENS 42753 | 4 August 2006 09:43:00 | The State provided the following information via email: The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control was notified on Thursday, August 3, 2006, at 10:00 a.m., that a Humboldt Scientific Model 5001 portable moisture density gauge had been damaged on a job site in Mauldin, South Carolina. The gauge contained 11 millicuries maximum of Cesium 137 and 44 millicuries maximum of Americium 241:Be. (The licensee's representative) with QORE, Inc, made the report. The gauge was reportedly run over by a bulldozer while in use on the job site. (The licensee's representative) was present at the job site at the time of the event. (The licensee's representative) informed SC DHEC that the area had been roped off with both the gauge in its original position and the bulldozer inside the contained area. No individual had approached the gauge following the incident. (The licensee's representative) was advised to maintain surveillance of the device until DHEC personnel could respond. Once on site, DHEC personnel determined there was no release of material and no contamination of the bulldozer, the personnel involved or the roped area. The source was able to be retracted into the shielded position and the gauge placed in its transport container. The licensee secured the container in a locked storage box until disposition by the manufacturer could be accomplished. Departmental investigation is ongoing and updates will be made through the national NMED system. SC Report No.: SC060010 |
| ENS 42664 | 26 June 2006 11:45:00 | The State provided the following information via facsimile: The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control was notified on Friday, June 23, 2006, at 4:05 p.m. that a Troxler Model 3440 portable moisture density gauge had been damaged on a job site at the Anderson County Airport. F&R Construction (name deleted), made the report. The gauge was reportedly run over by a roller on the job site. (F&R Construction) responded to the notice, as did an Anderson County HazMat team. Both (F&R Construction) and the HazMat team had survey meters in their possession. Following survey of the damaged gauge, the source could be retracted into its housing and the source shield was closed. A survey of the exterior of the gauge showed no readings above 10 mR/hr and a survey of the area the gauge had been used in produced background readings. Anderson County HAZMAT Team (name deleted) took a wipe of the bottom of the gauge. It produced no reading above background. The gauge was placed in its case and then inside an over pack container. The Licensee was then instructed by DHEC BRH to transport the gauge to their storage location and secure it until Monday. DHEC BRH was kept updated throughout this entire time via cell phone communication with both (F&R Construction) and (Anderson County HazMat team). A follow-up phone call made to (F&R Construction) on Monday, June 26, 2006, confirmed that the gauge was secured and awaiting transport on Tuesday to the manufacturer or a licensed service provider to attempt repair. The licensee was advised to submit a written report detailing this event to the Department within 15 days. All corrective action to prevent such an incident in the future was requested to be included. No indication of internal uptake at this point. The event is considered closed and pending the licensee's investigation and report to the Department, updates will be made through the national NMED system. South Carolina Event Report # SC060008 |
| ENS 42935 | 26 October 2006 17:34:00 | The State provided the following information via facsimile: The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control was notified on Wednesday, October 18, 2006, by letter dated October 9, 2006, that a possible Medical Event involving a fetus took place in May 2006. According to a letter from the RSO at McLeod Regional Medical Center, a female patient was dosed with 14 microcuries of Iodine 131 on May 24, 2006, and 15 millicuries of Technetium 99m on May 25 as a prelude to a Nuclear Medicine Thyroid Therapy Ablation. The patient denied the possibility of pregnancy and signed an informed consent specifically addressing pregnancy and fetal exposure. This was following an explanation by the Radiologist of the exact procedure. A dose of Iodine 131 in the amount of 14.8 millicuries was then given the patient for the thyroid ablation. The patient's OB/GYN physician notified the radiology department as of October 9, 2006, that the patient is now approximately 32 to 34 weeks pregnant. A calculation is being done to determine the exposure dose to the fetus and fetal thyroid. This information is to be sent to the Department once completed. This is all the information available on this situation and determination has not been made that it is a medical event. The investigation is still ongoing. The incident will be updated once additional material is received. A "Medical Event" may indicate potential problems in a medical facility's use of radioactive materials. It does not necessarily result in harm to the patient. |
| ENS 42306 | 3 February 2006 16:25:00 | The State provided the following information via facsimile: The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control was notified (telephone) on February 3, 2006, by the licensee, that a medical misadministration had occurred. A patient who was scheduled for an Iodine-131 whole body scan (~4 millicuries) was administered an Iodine-131 therapy dose of 200 millicuries instead. This event took place on January 16, 2006, but was not discovered by the Nuclear Medicine Department until February 2, 2006. The Nuc. Med. Dept. notified the Radiation Safety Office on February 3, 2006. The Radiation Safety Office then notified the Department as well on February 3, 2006 at 3:15 p.m. The referring physician has been notified and was in the process of notifying the patient. The licensee knew no additional details at this point. Additional information will be provided by the licensee in a written report within 15 days. Updates to this event will be made through the NMED system as further information is received. Event Report ID #SC060002 |
| ENS 42205 | 14 December 2005 16:30:00 | The State provided the following information via facsimile: Event type: Theft of Nuclear Pharmacy delivery vehicle en route to hospital Notifications: Local Police Department. Event description: The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control was notified on Wednesday (a.m.), December 14, 2005, by the pharmacist/RSO for the facility that one of their delivery vehicles had been stolen at gunpoint. The vehicle was en route to a hospital to deliver radiopharmaceuticals. The vehicle was carrying approximately 795 millicuries of Technetium 99m, 42 millicuries of Thallium 201 and one Iodine 123 capsule at 0.36 millicuries. The Port Royal Police Department was contacted and responded to the incident. The search is still ongoing at this point. The event is still under investigation and updates will be made through the national NMED system as they become available. Contact the NRC Headquarters Operations Officer for additional details South Carolina Event Report ID No.: SC050007 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. |
| ENS 40627 | 30 March 2004 16:30:00 | The following event description report (ID No. SC040001) was received at the Operations Center via facsimile: The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control was notified on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, by the physicist/consultant for the facility that a pharmacist in training in the nuclear pharmacy had sustained external contamination on his hand and forearm. The pharmacist was in the process of compounding Iodine-131 from a vial when a spill apparently took place. His arm and forearm were contaminated. This vent took place on Wednesday, March 17, 2004. The pharmacist did not notify anyone that this event had taken place. He performed clean up of the area and decontamination of the skin. He continued work until March 19, 2004, at which, time he performed a bioassay prior to going on vacation. He returned to work on Monday, March 29, 2004, at which time the nuclear pharmacist in charge discovered the elevated readings on the person's arm and forearm. The appropriate hospital/nuclear medicine personnel were notified. The person involved has been suspended from any and all duties involving radioactive material. The consultant for this facility is in the process of assimilating additional data and the person involved has had two whole body scans performed to determine if there was any internal uptake of the radioiodine. These scans have produced no indication of internal uptake at this point. The event is still under investigation and updates will be made through the national NMED system as they become available. |