Overexposure to Radiographer


Print View Posted on: 13 October 2015

Event Date: 31 December 2009 Event Type: Radiation Source
Event Location: United States of America, Blazer Inspection/Texas City, Texas INES Rating: 2 (Final)

The licensee reported that one of their radiographers received a deep dose equivalent of 55.63 mSv (5.563 rem) during 2009. The licensee stated that the exposure had accumulated over the year and was not the result of a one-time event. Additionally, the licensee stated that the exposure probably occurred while the radiographer was using high activity sources in confined spaces. The licensee believes that the shooting times were so short that the radiographer was not able to maximize distance during operations. Additionally, the licensee stated that the exposure probably occurred while the radiographer was using high activity sources for operations with short shot times and because of the short shot times the radiographer was not able to increase his distance beyond the cranking device to reduce his dose. Corrective actions included reprimanding the radiographer and providing improved supervision (monitoring the radiographer exposure more closely in the future). NRC NMED100112

INES Rating: 2 - Incident (Final) as per 26 August 2015
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

Patricia Milligan
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Patricia.Milligan@nrc.gov
http://www.nrc.gov
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