Worker Overexposure


Print View Posted on: 08 November 2024

Event Date: 15 December 2022 Event Type: Radioisotope Processing/Handling Facility
Event Location: United States of America, Gilroy, California/ SOFIE INES Rating: 2 (Final)

From September through December of 2022, a radioisotope processing facility had an equipment malfunction that caused syringes filled with Fluorine-18 to miss a shielding container and fall to the floor during production. During this time, workers retrieved the syringes by hand and manually loaded them into the shielded container. This change was not investigated by the radiation safety officer until after the occupational exposures were reviewed. One employee received an annual whole-body effective dose of 0.08 Sv (8.024 rem) which exceeded the U.S. regulatory limit for the annual whole-body effective dose of 0.05 Sv (5 rem). Extremity doses for the employee were below the U.S. regulatory limits. NMED Record 230077.

INES Rating: 2 - Incident (Final) as per 08 November 2024
Release beyond authorized limits? No
Overexposure of a member of the public? No
Overexposure of a worker? Yes

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

Degradation of Defence In-Depth No

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

Todd Smith
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

todd.smith@nrc.gov
http://www.nrc.gov
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