Print View Posted on: 21 November 2014
During maintenance activities that were conducted on some systems of one of the two irradiators present in the Sterigenic's installations, it was found that some safety-related equipment was unavailable. However, the availability of this equipment is requested as described in the procedure currently in application.As this equipment was unavailable, Sterigenic's operators carried out those maintenance operations with only one safety device ensuring protection from a potential irradiation by the 60-Co sources that are used in the installations. When the unavailability was discovered, the licensee immediately stopped the maintenance operations and returned the safety devices to normal operation.The safety authority was informed of this incident and could make sure that corrective measures had been taken. As a result of the extremely high activity of the radioactive sources involved and the significant reduction in the available safety devices, this incident was rated Level 2 on the INES scale.