potential overexposure involving ram package

[William V Lipton <liptonw@dteenergy.com>]

Please see the attached NRC event report.  Regardless of the outcome,
this event illustrates the importance of awareness training for all
employees at a licensed facility.   I hope that more details on the
cause of this event are made available.  Assuming that the package
arrived with a  DOT Radioactive label:

Was the material removed from the shipping package and left without any
warning label?

Was the technician unaware of the significance of this label?

Was there a language or literacy problem?

Was the technician mislead by someone regarding the hazards?

The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.

Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com


|General Information or Other                     |Event Number:
37094       |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| REP ORG:  MA RADIATION CONTROL PROGRAM         |NOTIFICATION DATE:
06/19/2000|
|LICENSEE:  AEA TECHNOLOGY                       |NOTIFICATION TIME:
14:51[EDT]|
|    CITY:  BURLINGTON               REGION:  1  |EVENT DATE:
06/19/2000|
|  COUNTY:                            STATE:  MA |EVENT TIME:
11:30[EDT]|
|LICENSE#:  12-8361               AGREEMENT:  Y  |LAST UPDATE DATE:
06/19/2000|
|  DOCKET:
|+----------------------------+
|                                                |PERSON
ORGANIZATION |
|                                                |ROBERT SUMMERS
R1      |
|                                                |DON COOL
NMSS    |
+------------------------------------------------+
|
| NRC NOTIFIED BY:  MICHEAL WHALEN
|                             |
|  HQ OPS OFFICER:  FANGIE JONES
|                             |
+------------------------------------------------+
|
|EMERGENCY CLASS:          N/A
|                             |
|10 CFR SECTION:
|                             |
|NAGR                     AGREEMENT STATE
|                             |
|BAE1 20.2202(b)(1)       PERS OVEREXPOSURE
|                             |
|
|                             |
|
|                             |
|
|                             |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

                                   EVENT TEXT
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

| POTENTIAL PERSONNEL
OVEREXPOSURE                                             |
|
|
| A technician opened a "package" on the loading dock to check the
contents    |
| after an apparent miscommunication.  The package contained 1650 curies
of    |
| Co-60 in a shielded container.  The technician received an
undetermined dose |
| to the head and shoulder areas of the body, possibly in excess of 5
rem.     |
| The dose will be determined but there is a good chance that it will be
less  |
| than 5 rem.  Even after removal of the outer plug there was still
1.125      |
| inches of tungsten
shielding.                                                |
|
|
| The Massachusetts Radiation Control Program plans to go to the site
and      |
| conduct an
investigation.                                                    |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+




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