Re: ILLINOIS RADIOGRAPHER RECEIVED 15 SIEVERT (1,5

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

After reading the NRC's PNO-III-02-019, on this incident, I'd have to disagree

with your statement that, "...The incident wasn't reported

at the time of occurrence because the radiographer didn't realize he

had been irradiated..."  This document states that, after observing that the

source drive cable was still in the guide tube, the radiographer noticed that

his survey instrument was off scale.  It seems that the radiographer knew he'd

been irradiated, but thought that he could cover up his errors.  This proved

impossible, when he experienced severe radiation injury.



The disturbing question:  How often does this situation occur, but is never

reported, because there is  no clinical injury?



The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

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

Curies forever.



Bill Lipton

liptonw@dteenergy.com





Sandy Perle wrote:



> Courtesy of Mike Russell, as posted on Powernet:

>

> AN ILLINOIS RADIOGRAPHER RECEIVED 15 SIEVERT (1,500 REM) TO HIS LOWER

> LEG in a June 2000 incident which the NRC has now rated at Level 3 on

> the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). According to an item

> posted today on the IAEA's NEWS events web site, Illinois authorities

> have now concluded that the industrial radiographer received a

> radiation burn from the 81-curie iridium-192 source while X-raying

> pipe welds at a facility in Channahon. The incident wasn't reported

> at the time of occurrence because the radiographer didn't realize he

> had been irradiated, but after his condition worsened and he was

> examined, a physician concluded the burn had resulted from the

> unshielded source. The final Level 3 rating, indicating a serious

> incident, is the highest ever given to a U.S. radiation incident

> since the U.S. began using the international severity scale. It

> results from INES criteria for rating "overexposure of a worker

> resulting in acute health effects."

>

> -------------------------------------------------

> Sandy Perle

> Director, Technical

> ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service

> ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue

> Costa Mesa, CA 92626

>

> Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100  Extension 2306

> Fax:(714) 668-3149

>

> E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net

> E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com

>

> Personal Website: http://sandy-travels.com

> ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com

>



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