Acuren Inspection, Inc, a
Texas corporation doing inspection work in
Michigan, provided the following information via email:
Description of Equipment Problem: The RT crew was using a 'pill stand' (a vertical metal pipe inserted into a coupling on a magnetic tripod with the source guide tube attached to a horizontal cross pipe) used to set up for an exposure. The 'pill stand' fell over during the exposure, thus crimping the source guide tube.
Cause of Incident: The 'pill stand' was not stabilized on a flat and clean surface prior to exposure.
Equipment: INC Exposure Device, Model IR-100, SN #4339, loaded with an 83 curie Iridium-192 source (Model 87703, SN #27923B).
Place, Date, and Time of Incident: Filer City, Michigan, 8:50 PM CST, July 09,2006.
The technicians tried to retract the source assembly into the exposure device, but could not get the drive cable to move either way.
Lead blankets were placed over the collimator and part of the guide tube. The technician located the crimp in the source tube and cut approximately a 1 1/2 inch piece of source tube out and freed up the drive cable and slowly cranked the source back in slowly. At 3:10 am, the source was back in the camera. The three licensee technicians involved in the retrieval received 181 mR, 60 mR, and 95 mR respectively by pocket dosimeter. The
RSO stated that results for July film badge readings for the technicians will be available in early August. The
RSO also stated that there was no damage to the camera or source, and that the guide tube has been replaced.