National Sealed Source Registry and Sealed Source Tracking System Report for 2018

Notes for figure 3:

• No events involved Category 1 sources.
• No events involved Category 2 sources.
• No events involved Category 3 sources.
• Five events involved a total of nine Category 4 sources. These are considered low-risk sources and are unlikely to be dangerous.
  1. Lost Category 4 source: A category 4 sealed source was lost when the package it was being transported in fell from the licensee’s vehicle. The licensee had also failed to properly secure the lid of the package, so the source was ejected from the package. A road maintenance crew discovered the package and the highway was closed for three hours. Ultimately, the source was located, recovered, and repackaged for transport back to the licensee’s facility. This event is now closed. CNSC staff issued an administrative monetary penalty to the licensee.
  2. Stolen Category 4 sources: There were four events in 2018 involving stolen sources.
     • A portable gauge with two sealed sources was stolen after being left unattended at a work site. The theft was reported to local authorities. The portable gauge has not been recovered. Based on the number and nature of the nuclear substances involved and the type of event reported, theft, this event was ranked as INES Level 1 (anomaly). However, because of the low-risk nature of the sources involved, this event does not pose a significant risk to the public or the environment.
     • A portable gauge with two sealed sources was stolen from a construction site. The theft was reported to local authorities. The portable gauge was recovered after a tip from an anonymous source. This event is now closed.
     • A portable gauge with two sealed sources was stolen from the back of a truck where it had been secured by the licensee. The theft, which occurred overnight while the truck was parked at a worker’s residence, was reported to local authorities. The portable gauge was recovered after the licensee was contacted by a member of the public. Following the incident, the licensee changed its protocols for storing portable gauges overnight. This event is now closed.
     • A vehicle containing a portable gauge containing one sealed source was stolen at knifepoint. The worker was not harmed. Local authorities were notified of the theft, and the gauge was recovered later that same day with no damage reported. The event is considered closed.
  3. Found Category 4 source: A fixed gauge containing a category 4 sealed source was discovered at a scrapyard using visual inspection and a hand-held monitor; the source activity was not high enough to set off the area monitors. CNSC staff determined that the fixed gauge likely belonged to a company that is now bankrupt. CNSC staff made arrangements with a licensed service provider to retrieve the device from the scrapyard and to arrange for its disposal. This event was ranked as INES Level 1 (anomaly). However, because of the low-risk nature of the source involved, this event did not pose a significant risk to the public or the environment. This event is now closed.
• Fourteen events involved 77 Category 5 sources. These are considered very low risk and pose no danger because of their low activities, short half-lives or radiological nature. All these events were ranked as INES Level 0.
  1. Lost Category 5 sources:
     • In three cases, three sealed sources (one source in each case) used as radioactive seeds were not recovered following surgery. Licensees made efforts to find the seeds, but the searches were unsuccessful. The licensees involved have implemented corrective actions to minimize the chance of recurrence. In light of the negligible risk to the public and the environment, these events are considered closed.
     • In three cases, check sources used in medical facilities were lost after patient imaging. In one case, the source was found at the laundry facility and returned to the proper licensed location. In the second case, the source was lost in the hospital but was not recovered. In the third case, a patient left the hospital with the source still attached to their body. The hospital contacted the patient who searched their home, but the source could not be recovered. The three licensees involved in the events have introduced corrective measures and changed procedures to prevent recurrence. Due to the negligible risk to the public and the environment, these events are considered closed.
     • In two cases, licensees discovered that sources were missing from their inventory either after an internal inventory check or after a CNSC inspection. In both cases, the licensees looked for the missing sources but were unable to find them. The licensees implemented corrective actions to prevent future recurrences. Because of the negligible risk to the public and the environment, these events are considered closed.
     • A licensee reported 66 smoke detectors lost (1 source per smoke detector). The licensee believes the detectors are located within their controlled area, as the facility is equipped with detection monitors for waste leaving the facility, but has not found them. The licensee implemented corrective actions to prevent recurrence of this type of event. Due to the negligible risk to the public and the environment, the event is considered closed.
     • A portable gauge with one source was lost when the vehicle it was securely stored in was towed. The portable gauge was recovered. The event is considered closed.
  2. Found Category 5 sources: Two category 5 sources inside radiation devices were found outside of regulatory control
     • An old dew point tester containing a radioactive source was found by a non-licensee during the cleanup of a warehouse. A representative from the company that found the device made arrangements with a CNSC licensee to retrieve the device from the warehouse and arrange for its disposal. Due to the activity of the source, the risk to the public and the environment is considered very low. The event is considered closed.
     • A radiation source was discovered at a waste transfer facility when the radiation portal monitor alarm was triggered. The individual who collected the waste collects from various private properties, thus the radiation source has many potential points of origin. Local hazardous material response units were called to identify and secure the source, and to arrange for its disposal. Due to the activity of the source, the risk to the public and the environment is considered very low.