The State provided the following information via facsimile:
At approximately 8:30 AM, March 15, 2007, the Agency was informed that a Density Moisture Gauge had been run over by a large steel compacting roller which crushed the gauge. This had occurred at approximately 5:30 PM on March 14, 2007. It appeared that when it occurred, the operating rod was in the safe position and the source was shielded. During the attempt to retrieve the gauge, the source fell out of the shielded position and the internal sources fell out of the capsule. These were retrieved from the site and placed along with the crushed gauge into the transport container and returned to the office of the licensee. Wipe tests were taken and no spreadable contamination was noted.
The Agency is currently inspecting the licensee and will continue follow-up evaluations as necessary.
State Report # 07-05
- * * UPDATE FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA (VIA FAX) TO HUFFMAN AT 14:04 EDT ON 3/16/07 * * *
The Agency performed an inspection of the broken gauge and source at the licensee's office on the morning of March 15, 2007. The broken gauge and source were removed from the Troxler transport case and the broken Cs-137 source and AmBe/241 source were examined and wipe tested. The sources and broken gauge were returned to the transport case, stored in the gauge storage room with additional shielding material placed around it and locked up awaiting shipping and transport containers from Troxler. A field survey of the site where the gauge was run over was conducted again and no radioactive material was detected. Initial wipe test data from the two sources indicates no spreadable radioactive contamination. Discussion with the licensee indicates that exposure to the gauge technician during source retrieval was minimized.
R4DO (Shannon) and
FSME EO (Giitter) notified.