Irradiator Accidents -Reply

[Jose Lopez <JLOPEZ@MEDNET.SWMED.EDU>]

Otto:
The IAEA has a booklet "Lessons Learned from Accidents in Industrial
Irradiation Facilities" dated June 1996. The booklet has an annex
titled "Accidents with fatal consequences and with severe radiation
injuries".
What we have to remember is that those irradiators, from all over the
world have operated almost continuously for many years accumulating
many hours of operation. The accidents that have occurtred have been
primarily because of bi-passing of  multiple, redundant safety
systems.
Five accidents with fatal consequences and three with severe radiation
injuries are presented:
Stymous Plant .... ITALY   May, 1975
Kjeller.............NORWAY   Sept, 1982
San Salvador..EL SALVADOR  Feb, 1989 (built 1974)
Sor-Van.........ISRAEL        June 1990     (built 1960s)
Nesvish..........BELARUS    Oct 1991       (built 1981-3)
 There is also NUREG 1345 Dated March 1989  titled " Review of Events
at Large Pool-Type Irradiators" by the USNRC. that deals in details of
events throughout the world and the causes.

call me if you need more info.
 Jose A. Lopez, Ph.D., P.E.
Radiation Safety Officer
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center @ Dallas

(214) 648-3952,  FAX (214) 648-3997
Jlopez@mednet.swmed.edu



>>> "Otto G. Raabe" <ograabe@ucdavis.edu> 01/15/98 11:08am >>>
January 15, 1998
Davis, CA

A local anti-nuclear group claims that there have been fatalities in
accidents involving Co-60 irradiators used for sterilizing purposes
somewhere in the world. Does anyone have any info on such accidents?

Otto
		*****************************************************
		Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
                [President, Health Physics Society, 1997-1998]
		Institute of Toxicology & Environmental Health (ITEH)
		     (Street address: Old Davis Road)
		University of California, Davis, CA 95616
		Phone: 530-752-7754  FAX: 530-758-6140 [NEW AREA CODE]
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