Case 6 - Melting of orphan source in steel metal works
An orphan Am-241
source inadvertently included in scrap metal was melted in a steel factory. The
first alarm of abnormal radiation level was given by detectors screening the
slag pots.
Response / Action taken
The activity of melted source could not be determined exactly,
but it was estimated to fall into Category 4 (0.6 – 60 GBq). The source is
traced by the operator to a stainless steel scrap delivered from Central Europe.
Four workers attending to a separate non-radiological issue in the vicinity of
the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) are considered to have been exposed to Am-241
through inhalation. Dose estimates from whole body counting and 24 hour urine
sample gamma spectrometry indicate that doses for the exposed EAF workers are
below the detection limit for Am-241.
Access to the melting plant was restricted. The factory has screening
detectors of incoming scrap, including gate detectors and detectors on the
loading machines etc.
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