Significant internal exposure to AM-241 oxide - FYI

[sandy_perle@email.fpl.com]

     FYI ... before you possible read this in the news, or, see it on TV.
     
     Sandy Perle
     Supervisor Health Physics
     Florida Power and Light Company
     Nuclear Division
     
     (407) 694-4219 Office
     (407) 694-3706 Fax
     
     sandy_perle@email.fpl.com
     
     HomePage: http://www.lookup.com/homepages/54398/home.html



+------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------+
|LICENSEE: NDC SYSTEMS, INC, IRWINDALE, CA       |NOTIFICATION DATE: 03/20/96  |
|    CITY: IRWINDALE              REGION: 4      |NOTIFICATION TIME: 10:50 [ET]|
|  COUNTY:                         STATE: CA     |EVENT DATE:        02/01/96  |
|LICENSE#: 1451-70             AGREEMENT: Y      |EVENT TIME:        12:00[PST]|
|  DOCKET:                                       |LAST UPDATE DATE:  03/20/96  |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| - SIGNIFICANT INTERNAL EXPOSURE TO AM-241 OXIDE POWDER BY 2 INDIVIDUALS -    |
|                                                                              |
| ON 02/01/96, NDC SYSTEMS, INC, IRWINDALE, CA, DISCOVERED A LEAKING           |
| AMERICIUM-241 SEALED SOURCE MANUFACTURED IN FRANCE BY SACLAY COMPANY.        |
| NDC SYSTEMS, INC IS LICENSED TO PRODUCE BACKSCATTER GAUGES USING             |
| RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL.                                                        |
|                                                                              |
| ON 02/05/96, THE LICENSEE DETECTED GREATER THAN 60,000 DPM ALPHA             |
| CONTAMINATION FROM AM-241 OXIDE POWDER IN SOME WORK AREAS.  THE LICENSEE     |
| CORDONED OFF THE WORK AREAS AND BEGAN CLEANING UP THE AREAS.  THE CLEANUP    |
| EFFORT LASTED UNTIL 03/13/96.                                                |
|                                                                              |
| ON 02/08/96, URINE SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED FROM 16 NDC SYSTEMS EMPLOYEES AND  |
| SENT TO THERMO NUTECK, ALBUQUERQUE, NM, FOR ANALYSIS.                        |
|                                                                              |
| ON 03/13/96, THE URINE TEST RESULTS SHOWED THAT TWO EMPLOYEES HAD INTERNAL   |
| CONTAMINATION OF 170 REM COMMITTED EFFECTIVE DOSE EQUIVALENT (CEDE).         |
| THE LICENSEE CONTACTED REACTS REGARDING GUIDANCE ON MEDICAL TREATMENT.       |
| THE LICENSEE SENT THE TWO EMPLOYEES TO THE DOE TRANSURANIC FACILITY IN       |
| RICHLAND WA, FOR LUNG, LIVER, AND SKELETAL COUNTS, FURTHER EVALUATIONS,      |
| AND MEDICAL TREATMENT.                                                       |
|                                                                              |
| ON 03/14/96, THE LICENSEE NOTIFIED DON BUNN, CALIFORNIA STATE RADIOLOGIC     |
| HEALTH BRANCH.                                                               |
|                                                                              |
| ON 03/18/96, MR BUNN NOTIFIED DEAN KUNIHIRO, REGION 4 CALIFORNIA FIELD       |
| OFFICE VIA TELEPHONE.                                                        |
|                                                                              |
| ON 03/19/96, MR BUNN FAXED A WRITTEN REPORT TO PATRICIA LARKINS, OFFICE OF   |
| STATE PROGRAMS.                                                              |
|                                                                              |
| REGION 4 IS PREPARING A PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION ON THIS EVENT.              |
|                                                                              |
| SEE HOO LOG FOR MR BUNN'S ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS.                     |
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