Potential exposure of airplane passengers to doses in excess of statutory limits for the public due to a damaged type A package


Print View Posted on: 29 August 2013

Event Date: 22 November 2012 Event Type: Radiation Source
Event Location: Australia, Frankfurt, Germany INES Rating: 2 (Final)

On 22 November 2012, a type A package containing Cs-137 (54 GBq) triggered a radiation alarm at the Frankfurt airport, Germany. The package originated in Brisbane, Australia and was shipped on a passenger airplane via Dubai. The package examination found that one of the Cs-137 sources (18.5 GBq) transported in the package was found outside its shielded container but within the overpack and another source was lodged between the lid and body of the shielded container. The maximum dose rate on surface of the overpack was measured to be 33 mSv/hr and 0.94 mSv/hr at distance of 1m.
To estimate the potential dose to passengers on the flight from Brisbane to Frankfurt, conservative cargo hall and passenger deck configurations were considered. The result indicated that more than 10 people, both on board of the airplanes and the package handlers at respective airports, could have received effective whole body doses between approximately 3 and 6.6 mSv. These estimates are above the statutory annual dose limits for members of the public (1 mSv).

INES Rating: 2 - Incident (Final) as per 13 August 2013
Release beyond authorized limits? No
Overexposure of a member of the public? Yes
Overexposure of a worker? No

Contamination spread within the facility? No
Damage to radiological barriers (incl. fuel damage) within the facility? No

Degradation of Defence In-Depth Yes

Person injured physically or casualty? No
Is there a continuing problem? No

Vaz Mottl
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

vaz.mottl@arpansa.gov.au
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