Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials are set to meet with representatives from International Isotopes Inc. on May 3 to discuss four apparent operational violations stemming from an incident in which a worker was accidentally exposed to radiation at the isotope manufacturer’s Idaho facility in August.
According to an NRC report, an employee at the Idaho Falls facility on Aug. 20, 2015, was transferring a cobalt-60 radioisotope source from a storage cask to a medical therapy device when he was exposed. NRC spokesman Victor Dricks said in a telephone interview Wednesday that the storage cask apparently had a new, unapproved design. Additionally, the worker continued to operate after his dosimeter alarm and a facility dosimeter alarm were activated, Dricks said.
A day after the incident, an NRC inspector was sent to the site to evaluate the company’s response. Although the radiation dose exceeded NRC limits, the worker is not expected to suffer any adverse health effects, according to an NRC press release issued Wednesday.
The company faces a civil penalty for the incident. Dricks did not offer an amount for the potential fine. Generally, the issue is decided 45 days after the meeting, he said.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering four violations, failure to control radiation dose to a worker within NRC regulatory limits; failure to have adequate procedures in place, including a safety evaluation approved by the company’s radiation safety committee; failure to obtain prior NRC approval for activities that had not been documented, reviewed, and approved by the company’s radiation safety committee; and failure to cease work when a worker’s electronic dosimeter alarm activates.
International Isotopes had by press time had not responded to a request for comment.
Beginning at 8 a.m. local time, the meeting will be held at 1600 East Lamar Blvd. in Arlington, Texas, with NRC officials available to answer questions. A telephone bridge will be available for the meeting by calling 1-888-603-7036 and entering pass code 14892.
