| U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center Event Reports For
04/18/2007 - 04/19/2007 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** |
 | General Information or Other | Event Number: 42298 | Rep Org: NEW MEXICO RAD CONTROL PROGRAM
Licensee: BAKER HUGHES OILFIELD OPERATIONS
Region: 4
City: EUNICE State: NM
County: LEA
License #: WL-241-33
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: WALTER MEDINA
HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN | Notification Date: 02/01/2006
Notification Time: 19:45 [ET]
Event Date: 01/31/2006
Event Time: 09:50 [MST]
Last Update Date: 04/18/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
MIKE RUNYAN (R4)
GARY JANOSKO (NMSS)
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE - MATERIAL LOSS OF CONTROL
The State provided the following information via email:
"[The] RSO for Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations, Inc. (NM license number WL 241-33), reported at 9:50 a.m. on January 31, 2006 that Baker Hughes temporarily lost control of a 2 Ci Cs-137 sealed source after completion of a job two to three miles south of Eunice, NM in Lea County. Upon completion of the job, the crew from the Midland, TX facility secured the 18 Ci Am/Be source in its shipping container and departed the job site, leaving the unshielded Cesium source on the ground.
On returning to Midland, the crew discovered the Cesium source was not in the vehicle and they immediately notified Baker Hughes personnel in Hobbs, NM. Hobbs personnel located, recovered, and secured the source approximately 2 hours after the Midland crew left the site. Preliminary information indicated there was no drilling going on at the job site when Hobbs personnel recovered the source and it was not known if any individuals received a dose.
A follow-up telephone call to [the RSO] today indicates non-badged individuals were working in the area of the unshielded source. Initial calculations show the highest dose to any of these individuals to be less than 70 mRem.
The New Mexico Radiation Control Bureau is continuing the investigation of the incident and will provide updated information as it becomes available. A visit to the licensee's Hobbs, NM office is planned."
** UPDATE FROM MEDINA VIA EMAIL TO KNOKE AT 12:45 EDT ON 4/18/07
"Here is the update on EN 42298 (NMED item# 060083/Baker Hughes) for the dose to members of the public. Initially, Baker Hughes had calculated 68 mRem as the highest dose to a member of the public, our calculation based on the information they provided was 70 mRem. Their final report indicates that after characterization of the meter from a Radium field to a Cesium field, the maximum exposure is 60 mRem. I have attached the final report from Baker Hughes regarding the Cs-137 source left behind at a jobsite in Eunice, NM. The NM Radiation Control Bureau found the response from Baker Hughes and the corrective actions to be adequate."
Notified R4DO (Bywater) and FSME (Morell)
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.
Although IAEA categorization of this event is typically based on device type, the staff has been made aware of the actual activity of the source, and after calculation determines that it is a Less than Cat 3 event.
Note: the value assigned by device type "Category 3" is different than the calculated value "Less than Cat 3" |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 43302 | Rep Org: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Licensee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
Region: 4
City: DALLAS State: TX
County:
License #: GL
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: LATISCHA HANSON
HQ OPS Officer: JOE O'HARA | Notification Date: 04/13/2007
Notification Time: 18:15 [ET]
Event Date: 03/15/2007
Event Time: [CDT]
Last Update Date: 04/13/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
THOMAS FARNHOLTZ (R4)
ABY MOHSENI (FSME)
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - THREE LOST TRITIUM EXIT SIGNS
"The RSO called [1625 CDT on 4/13/07] to report that during their quarterly inventory check, the facility discovered that (3) tritium exit signs were lost: Mfg: BetaLux Model 171-20-R-U-WH-D-RD, Serial Numbers: 255-381; 255-319; 255-399, Activity Source: 20 Ci each.
"Root Cause: The RSO [and] Incident Review board believe the exits signs were inadvertently knocked down [and] thrown away, so that the person responsible would not be found out [and] held accountable. TI runs a 24 hour-7day operation, so the RSO explains it is very difficult to find the culprit(s).
"Committee corrective action: Current [and] replacement signs will be attached with a secondary tether so that if the signs are knocked down, they will not fall down, but dangle until refastening is performed.
"Texas Incident Number: I-8403."
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.
This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source. |
| General Information or Other | Event Number: 43304 | Rep Org: COLORADO DEPT OF HEALTH
Licensee: PROTECHNICS
Region: 4
City: TRINIDAD State: CO
County:
License #: 545-01
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: ED STROUD
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE | Notification Date: 04/16/2007
Notification Time: 14:49 [ET]
Event Date: 04/13/2007
Event Time: 00:00 [MDT]
Last Update Date: 04/16/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
AGREEMENT STATE
| Person (Organization):
ANTHONY GODY (R4)
MICHELL BURGESS (FSME)
| Event Text AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST CONTROL OF 2 MILLICURIES OF IR-192
The licensee provided the following information via facsimile:
"This is initial notification that the Department is investigating an incident involving licensed radioactive material that was discovered at a [Grand Junction, CO] landfill on 4/13/07. Apparently, a licensee using radioactive materials for subsurface well tracing activities lost control of 4-10 bottles of resin bead waste containing Ir-192. Radiation readings taken on the waste containers indicated about 2 millirem per hour at one meter. The company believed to be responsible for the waste, Protechnics, responded to the scene and removed the material to their facility for decay. So far, there is no indication that any members of the public were exposed to radiation in excess of established limits. An investigation is in progress." |
| Other Nuclear Material | Event Number: 43309 | Rep Org: SMITH MEDICAL ASD INC
Licensee:
Region: 3
City: GARY State: IN
County:
License #:
Agreement: N
Docket:
NRC Notified By: THOM OLTMAN
HQ OPS Officer: GERRY WAIG | Notification Date: 04/18/2007
Notification Time: 15:18 [ET]
Event Date: 02/26/2007
Event Time: [EDT]
Last Update Date: 04/18/2007 | Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
20.2201(a)(1)(ii) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>10X
| Person (Organization):
THOMAS KOZAK (R3)
KEITH McCONNELL (FSME)
|
| This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material. | Event Text LOST OR STOLEN STATIC ELIMINATOR Po - 210 SOURCE
On February 26, 2007 a 5 millicurie Polonium 210 source static eliminator button was identified as lost or stolen from a silicone extruder frame. The device was last used on February 23, 2007. The lost button was 1 of 3 buttons on the extruder. The device model number is P2042, serial number A2FD631. The static eliminator is leased from Amstat Industries, 3012 North Lake Terrace, Glenview, IL 60026. A department-wide search and an interview with all employees was conducted without success. It is believed that the button may have been swept up during floor cleaning and ultimately disposed of in a land fill. The search for the missing button will continue and corrective actions have been put in place to prevent reoccurrence.
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. | |