ENS 44529
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
07:00 Sep 29, 2008 | |
| Title | Washington Agreement State Report - Damaged Troxler Moisture Density Gauge |
| Event Description | The State of Washington provided the following information via e-mail:
The licensee reported to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) that a Troxler 3440 nuclear density gauge, serial number 28433, with 8 mCi of Cs-137 and 40 mCi of Am-241/Be, was struck by a truck at a landfill site at about 12:45 p.m. on 9/29/08. The gauge was struck while the operator was taking measurements with the source rod extended into the soil. It was reported that a truck tried to skim by the operator and gauge, narrowly missing the operator and hitting the gauge. The truck caught the gauge handle breaking it and the guide rod from the gauge. The source rod and the rest of the gauge remained intact and in place. The licensee field engineer and lead gauge operator went to the scene to assist with the incident. Since the handle was broken from the gauge, the source rod was placed back into the gauge by turning the gauge on its side and striking the bottom of source rod with a mallet. This action caused the source rod to move completely out of the top of the gauge. The lead individual put the source rod into a bucket and found a max reading of 20 mR/hr. The lead [operator] returned the source rod back into the shielded position in the gauge and secured [it] in place with duct tape. Additional wraps of duct tape were made around the top and bottom of the gauge to keep the source rod from coming out again. A reading of 2.4 mR/hr was found on contact with the gauge with the licensees' TroxAlert. Additional readings were taken on the bucket and the testing site indicating background readings. The gauge was placed back into the transport case and taken to the licensed storage location prior to determining its final disposition. DOH staff will visit the licensee to make confirmatory measurements and start an investigation. Washington Report Number: WA080072
The following information was provided by the State of Washington via email: Two DOH staff visited the licensed storage location and investigated the incident on 09/30/08. After interviewing the operator, the field engineer and the RSO, the staff inspected the damaged gauge. The gauge was removed from its transport box and placed on a table for inspection. The gauge had been duct taped with the source rod in position to keep the shutter closed. The majority of the gauge was intact; a small piece of the T handle had been broken off and was separate from the gauge. DOH staff surveyed the gauge with several instruments. An Eberline RO-2 (serial number 2587, cal date 05-07-08) reported a surface contact reading of 6 mR/hr. A Ludlum 2363 neutron/gamma instrument reported a surface contact rate of 5 mRem/hr. The gauge was then turned over and the orifice was surveyed. The Eberline reported 20-22 mR/hr, which is higher than normal, and the Ludlum reported 13 mRem/hr. The shutter appeared to be only 3/4 closed. The T handle was manipulated to return the shutter to a completely closed position and duct taped into place. The orifice of the gauge than read 4 mR/hr with the Eberline. DOH staff than took two swabs, one of the sources (with rod extended) and one in the transport case. Both swabs were taken out of the area and surveyed with RADALERT Inspector SN 21089. The swabs did not indicate any contamination so it appears the cesium source was not leaking. The gauge was then carefully placed back into its transit box and the box was surveyed at a distance of one meter to determine the transport index (TI). A TI of 0.6 was marked on the label. The gauge was shipped back to Troxler for repair and leak testing. Notified R4DO (Deese) and FSME (Mauer) |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Hwa Geosciences Lynnwood, Washington (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | I0176 |
| Organization: | Wa Division Of Radiation Protection |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+33.83 h1.41 days <br />0.201 weeks <br />0.0463 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Arden Scroggs 16:50 Sep 30, 2008 |
| NRC Officer: | Howie Crouch |
| Last Updated: | Oct 23, 2008 |
| 44529 - NRC Website | |
Hwa Geosciences with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 445292008-09-29T07:00:00029 September 2008 07:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Washington Agreement State Report - Damaged Troxler Moisture Density Gauge 2008-09-29T07:00:00 | |