>> "oops"

[William V Lipton <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM>]

Here's another radiography event, with nonstochastic damage.  I'm afraid

that it will take a fatality to get the regulators and users to take

radiography controls seriously.



The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

It's not about dose, it's about trust.



Bill Lipton

liptonw@dteenergy.com



DCS No.: 03031045010925                                         Date:

October 4, 2001



PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE- PNO-I-01-028



This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of

POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as

initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically

all that is known by the Region I staff on this date.



 Facility

Licensee Emergency Classification

 Accurate Technologies, Inc.                  Notification of Unusual

Event

 89 Apple Street

                                                              Alert

 Tinton Falls, NJ 07724

                                                              Site Area

Emergency



                                                              General

Emergency



                                                           X  Not

Applicable









Maryland License No.:MD-07-192-01

NRC Docket No.: 030-31045

NRC License No.: 29-28358-01



SUBJECT: Potential Radiography Overexposure



On September 25, 2001, a radiographer employed by Accurate Technologies

and working under their license with the State of Maryland, an Agreement

State, received a potential overexposure while working at McShane

Industries, located at 605 Pittman Road in Baltimore, MD. The

radiographer was using an Amersham 660B radiography exposure device

(camera) when a sealed source, containing 60 curies of Iridium 192,

became stuck in an extension connector which connected the guide tube to

an extension tube. The radiographer inadvertently thought that the

source was back in the shielded camera when he relocated the camera and

guide tube to set up his next shot. The radiographer did not use a

survey meter and he was not wearing a pocket dosimeter, whole body badge

or alarming rate meter. On September 29, the individual noticed a

burning and itching sensation of his fingers. On October 1, the

individual notified the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) of Accurate

Technologies of the incident. The RSO sent the radiographer to a doctor

for medical treatment that same day.



The NRC contacted the physician who informed the Agency that, on October

1, the individual had erythema (reddening and swelling) on his fingers,

and currently has erythema on his palms as well. The results of blood

analysis were normal with the exception of the lymphocytes indicating a

number slightly less than the normal range. The NRC has put the

physician in contact with Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training

Site (REAC/TS) to ensure that the patient obtains proper medical

treatment.



The RSO conducted a re-enactment of the occurrence on October 3, 2001,

at the Baltimore temporary job site, and calculated the worker's dose to

his hands to be approximately 730 rem. The RSO also calculated the whole

body dose to be

approximately 40 rem with a worst case estimate of approximately 350

rem. The NRC occupational dose limit is five rem in one year.



An assistant radiographer on site during the incident apparently was not

exposed.



The States of Maryland, New Jersey and New York have been notified of

the event. This licensee has a license to perform radiography with the

NRC, the State of Maryland and the State of New York. The licensee and

the State of Maryland plan to conduct a re-enactment of the incident at

the Baltimore temporary job site on October 5, 2001. A Region I

inspector will observe the re-enactment.

The licensee has agreed to suspend operations in Maryland. The State of

Maryland also plans to conduct an inspection of the incident within the

next few weeks at the licensee's New Jersey facility. Region I will

provide support and plans to accompany State inspectors.



The Region I Public Affairs Office is prepared to handle information

requests.



This information is current as of 4:00 p.m., October 4, 2001.



 Contact:

         Sheri Minnick

         (610) 337-5342

         Judy Joustra

         (610) 337-5355



************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.