ENS 56068
ENS Event | |
|---|---|
12:30 Aug 12, 2022 | |
| Title | Unplanned Contamination |
| Event Description | The following information was received from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control [the Department] via email:
At 0905 [EDT] on August 12, 2022, the Department received a call from a representative of the Lowcountry Medical Group to report a contamination event. At about 0830 that same day, the certified nuclear medicine technician (CNMT) prepared to administer a dose to a patient on a treadmill to perform a stress test. While inserting the dose into the IV [intravenous], the cap loosened and the dose was sprayed onto the CNMT. Drops were released onto the treadmill handrails, track, and side. The CNMT decided to complete the treatment rather than to stop the treatment and perform radiation cleanup procedures as listed for the office. The CNMT, while still contaminated, left the room, went down the hall, and grabbed a replacement dose for the patient. This contaminated a hallway that was otherwise an unrestricted area. The CNMT successfully injected the patient with the second dose and completed the test then put the patient on a table to measure his shoes. The CNMT put booties on the patient and released them to go home. The CNMT changed clothes, went home, showered, and returned to the office afterward. The other CNMT remained at the office and cancelled the remaining patients. Inspectors from the Department arrived at the location at approximately 1215 to investigate the situation. At the time the inspectors arrived, no cleanup had begun and the contaminated hallway had not been blocked off. The inspectors surveyed the hallway and instructed the CNMTs to block the hallway and begin cleanup procedures. They reviewed the procedures with the staff and made sure that they had the right equipment to perform the cleanup. The radioactive material used was Tc-99m [technetium-99m]. The amount of material was 30.7 mCi. The treatment being performed was a nuclear stress test. The office reported that both CNMTs were 0.03 mR/hr (background) after the event. The results of the surveys pre-cleanup were as follows: Treadmill: 20 mR/hr, Floor: 20 mR/hr, Floor behind treadmill: 20 mR/hr.
The individuals did not perform any cleanup on [August 12, 2022], preferring to allow the contents to decay over the weekend. They documented post cleanup numbers on Monday, [August 15, 2022], as follows: Treadmill: 0.03 mR/hr, Floor: 0.03 mR/hr, Floor behind treadmill: 0.03 mR/hr. Notified R1DO (Young) and NMSS Events Notification via email. THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A 'Less than Cat 3' LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Lowcountry Medical Group Port Royal, South Carolina (NRC Region 1) | |
| License number: | 648 |
| Organization: | Sc Dept Of Health & Env Control |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+314.73 h13.114 days <br />1.873 weeks <br />0.431 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | Leland Cave 15:14 Aug 25, 2022 |
| NRC Officer: | Ian Howard |
| Last Updated: | Sep 12, 2022 |
| 56068 - NRC Website | |
Lowcountry Medical Group with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 560682022-08-12T12:30:00012 August 2022 12:30:00
[Table view]Agreement State Unplanned Contamination 2022-08-12T12:30:00 | |