ENS 45351
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
05:00 Sep 15, 2009 | |
| Title | Agreement State - Potential Overexposure Event |
| Event Description | The following was provided by the State via e-mail:
A radiographer assistant employed by the company for about ten months may have been overexposed. The licensee processes dosimetry every two weeks. The employee's badge for 8-1 to 8-15 returned a reading of 3.077 rem deep dose for the two week period. This placed the employee's total exposure for the calendar year at 3.93 rem. The licensee removed the worker from being involved with licensed materials and initiated an investigation. The worker's badge for 8-16 to 8-31 had already been submitted for processing. On 9/3/09, the licensee was contacted by the dosimetry provider and informed that the worker's deep dose for 8-16 to 8-31 was 12.542 rem. This placed his total annual dose at 16 rem. No unusual exposures on the worker's pocket dosimeter had been recorded at any time. The dosimetry provider indicates the badge exposures are 'irregular'. The licensee contacted Oklahoma DEQ and initiated a thorough investigation. During the period in question, the radiographer assistant had worked with only one radiographer. All work was done at temporary job sites at industrial facilities. The radiographer and assistant insisted that there had been no unusual events or possibility of exposure, that the worker's alarming rate meter had not alarmed, and that pocket dosimeter readings for the period had been normal. The worker insisted he had not been exposed, and he believed someone else had exposed his dosimetry. The company does not allow assistant radiographers to have keys to cameras, and the worker is not approved for unescorted access to IC quantities of radioactive material. Both workers agreed that the assistant radiographer had never had a key to a camera, but investigation revealed that the assistant radiographer had left the worker alone with the unlocked camera while he went to the restroom. The licensee has counseled the radiographer not to do this, and has informed all radiography staff that assistant radiographers must not be left alone with unlocked radiography cameras. The licensee has contacted local medical assistance, and is told that because of the (relatively) low level of the exposure, and it being spread into at least two components, locally-available blood testing will not reliably detect the exposure. Since receipt of the dosimetry report, the licensee is not allowing the worker to work near radioactive materials or x-ray. The licensee does not believe the worker was actually exposed to radioactive material, and wants to use chromosome analysis to test this theory. The State has encouraged the licensee to take steps to investigate whether the exposure was to the badge only, or to the worker. |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Capital X-Ray Tulsa, Oklahoma (NRC Region 4) | |
| License number: | OK-11114-02 |
| Organization: | Ok Deq Rad Management |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+5.23 h0.218 days <br />0.0311 weeks <br />0.00716 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Mike Broderick 10:14 Sep 15, 2009 |
| NRC Officer: | Jason Kozal |
| Last Updated: | Sep 15, 2009 |
| 45351 - NRC Website | |
Capital X-Ray with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 453512009-09-15T05:00:00015 September 2009 05:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Agreement State - Potential Overexposure Event 2009-09-15T05:00:00 | |