On October 27, 2005, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was notified by one of its radiography licensees that a potential overexposure may have occurred during radiographic operations. According to the licensee, a radiographer was disconnecting the source guide tube from the radiographic device and noticed that the source was not in the fully shielded position. The exposure device contained a 807 gigabecquerel (21.8 Ci) iridium-192 sealed source. The radiographer noticed that his pocket ion chamber was off-scale and notified the radiation safety officer (RSO). Because extremity dosimeters are not commonly used during radiographic operations, the RSO conducted a dose reconstruction. Based on the dose reconstruction, one individual may have received an extremity dose in the range of 3.3-3.6 Gy (330-360 rad), a dose in excess of NRC’s annual occupational shallow dose equivalent limit of 500 mSv (50 rem) to the skin of the extremity. Whole body dosimeter results revealed that the radiographer received a whole body dose of approximately 2 mSv (200 mrem). The radiographer was admitted to the hospital for observation and has been released.
On October 28, 2005, the NRC initiated an onsite inspection to review the circumstances that led to the event. Initial information obtained indicated the individual had worn his dosimeter on his hip and his body may have shielded the dosimeter. The NRC will conduct a reenactment and will use the information to perform dose estimates.
Location: Philadelphia Event date: Thu, 27-10-2005
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Behnam Raeesian is an internationally recognized visual artist and poster designer from Iran, known for bold political and cultural works. Through exhibitions, workshops, jury roles, and collaborations with cultural institutions worldwide, he has built a strong voice in contemporary political graphic design. His projects confront complex issues such as nuclear risk and technological impact, transforming […]
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