Re: 82.7 rem extremity exposure

["Charles Meyer" <cmeyer@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us>]

> Date:          Fri, 17 Oct 1997 08:21:28 -0500 (CDT)
> Reply-to:      radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> From:          LIPTONW@detroitedison.com
> To:            Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject:       82.7 rem extremity exposure

> 
> I'm forwarding, for your information, the attached NRC event report regarding 
> an extremity exposure that may be above 10CFR20 limits.  Since the exposure 
> resulted from contamination that is believed to have originated in Europe, 
> those facilities which employ personnel arriving from abroad may want to 
> exercise special caution.  I've seen reports of this type of event, before.  
> (Dare I use the "e" word?) 
>  
> The opinions expressed are strictly mine. 
> It's not about dose, it's about trust.  
>  
> Bill Lipton 
> liptonw@detroitedison.com 
>  
>  

> | PERSONNEL OVEREXPOSURE - 82.7 REM TO THE FOOT                                
> | 
> |                                                                              
> | 
> | A CONTRACTOR RECEIVED A DOSE OF 82.7 REM TO THE FOOT CAUSED BY               
> | 
> | CONTAMINATION CONTAINED IN HIS SHOE.  THE CONTAMINATION IS BELIEVED TO HAVE  
> | 
> | BEEN PICKED UP AT A SWEDISH REACTOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS AGO.  THE DOSE  
> | 
> | FIGURE IS PRELIMINARY, AND IS BASED ON WEARING THE SHOE 14 HOURS PER DAY     
> | 
> | EVERY OTHER DAY FOR SIXTY DAYS.  THE VARSKIN COMPUTER CODE WAS USED FOR THE  
> | 
> | CALCULATION.  THE LICENSEE CONSIDERS THIS REPORT TO BE VOLUNTARY BECAUSE     
> | 
> | THE EXPOSURE WAS NOT CAUSED BY RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL UNDER THEIR CONTROL.     
> | 
> |                                                                              
> | 
> | THE LICENSEE'S ORIGINAL (PRIOR TO ENTRY INTO A CONTAMINATED AREA) WHOLE      
> | 
> | BODY SCAN SHOWED INTERNAL CONTAMINATION CONSISTING PRIMARILY OF Nb-95 AND    
> | 
> | Zr-59.  THIS WAS WITHIN ALLOWED LIMITS AND THE WORKER WAS ALLOWED TO ENTER   
> | 
> | THE PLANT.  THE INDIVIDUAL SET OFF THE FOOT MONITOR UPON EXITING THE         
> | 
> | RADIOLOGICALLY CONTROLLED AREA OF THE UNIT TWO CONTAINMENT AFTER HIS FIRST   
> | 
> | DAY OF WORK. SUBSEQUENT SURVEYS REVEALED THAT THE CONTAMINATION WAS IN HIS   
> | 
> | SHOE AND CONSISTED OF Nb-95 AND Zr-95 AS WELL AS SMALLER AMOUNTS OF OTHER    
> | 
> | ISOTOPES.                                                                    
> | 
> |                                                                              
> | 
> | THE LICENSEE HAS DISPATCHED PERSONNEL TO SURVEY THE HOTEL ROOM WHERE THE     
> | 
> | INDIVIDUAL IS STAYING.  THEY HAVE ALSO RELAYED HIS NAME AND PERMANENT        
> | 
> | ADDRESS TO NRC REGION III.  THE NRC RESIDENT INSPECTOR HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.    
> | 
> +------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> + 
>What about notifying the Swedish officials.  I had been given to 
understand that they ran a really tight ship when it came to 
radioactive materials.  This event could have been avoided with the 
simplest of precautions.  
> 
> 
> 
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>            
<>    Charles R. (Russ) Meyer                  <>
<> Email: cmeyer@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us           <> 
<>     Phone:(512)834-6688                       <>
<>        Fax:(512)834-6654                        <>
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