ENS Event | |
|---|---|
02:00 Sep 21, 2010 | |
| Title | High Dose Rate Afterloader Stuck / Exposed Source |
| Event Description | On 9/20/10, the licensee was having scheduled maintenance work performed on a Varian High Dose Rate (HDR) afterloader. A source exchange was also scheduled to be performed. During the source exchange, the source became "stuck, partially exposed, not fully shielded in the shield" of the HDR machine and became inoperable. The licensee believes this to be due to personnel error on the part of the service technician. The service technician then vacated the room.
Varian was called and said they would dispatch personnel to the hospital on 9/21/10. Security was notified of the radiation safety problem. The door to the room was secured. The door to the room was posted with hazard warning tape, with a do not enter sign, and with a high radiation area sign. The department was also locked down. Varian personnel arrived on-site on 9/21/10. Varian service personnel secured the source back in the machine. Radiation levels in the room then returned to normal background readings. The source wire was found kinked and shipped out today. The hospital is scheduled to receive a new source and have it installed tomorrow. Service personnel were wearing "active monitors" and received only a few milli-rem during the repair operation. It is not known at this time how much dose the first service technician received. |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Southeast Missouri Hospital Cape Girardeau, Missouri (NRC Region 3) | |
| License number: | 24-00128-03 |
| Organization: | Southeast Missouri Hospital |
| Reporting | |
| 10 CFR 30.50(b)(2), Licensed Material Protection Equipment Failure | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+16.37 h0.682 days <br />0.0974 weeks <br />0.0224 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Sam Hancock 18:22 Sep 21, 2010 |
| NRC Officer: | Donald Norwood |
| Last Updated: | Sep 21, 2010 |
| 46264 - NRC Website | |
Southeast Missouri Hospital with 10 CFR 30.50(b)(2) | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 462642010-09-21T02:00:00021 September 2010 02:00:00
[Table view]10 CFR 30.50(b)(2) High Dose Rate Afterloader Stuck / Exposed Source 2010-09-21T02:00:00 | |