On 28 November 2002 the SNSA inspector noticed an alarm on his radiation pager (pocket scintillation detector) when driving by the Welding Institute in Ljubljana. The reading of the pager on the street was of the order of 20 microSv/h. An inspection of the Welding Institute which followed the event, found out that the industrial X-ray radiography of welds was being performed in the laboratory with portable X-ray machine. The inspection established that the improper positioning and inadequate shielding of the working room were the main causes of the elevated dose rates outside of the building. At the same time the institute workers were properly protected. The measurements performed by an authorised technical support organisation showed the exposure levels of 0.2 microSv/h at the pavement of the street and a maximum of 2200 micro Sv/h at the external side the laboratory window, at the accessible point in the yard. Calculation showed that a potential exposure of the order of magnitude of 1 mSv could be received by the occasional member of the public. The inspection revealed also the unsatisfactory situation regarding safety culture: no adequate procedures were available, no personal dosimeter was worn by the radiographer, the log book of the use of the X-ray machine was not available, the radiography laboratory did not satisfy the requirements of the regulations, and not all the workers were licensed for the use of the X-ray equipment. No dose records with higher exposures were found.
Location: Welding Institute, Ljubljana Event date: Thu, 28-11-2002
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