RSS feed source: International Atomic Energy Association--Nuclear & Radiological Events

Exposure of Workers at a Facility using a Radiation Generating Device

Print View Posted on: 26 December 2024

Event Date: 15 July 2019 Event Type: Radiation Source Event Location: Korea, Republic of, Ansan INES Rating: 3 (Final)

In July 2017, at a semiconductor manufacturing company, seven workers were exposed to radiation due to the abnormal use of an X-ray generator(100 kVp, 0.1 mA) for product defect inspection. The X-ray generator was a cabinet-type device with a shielding door interlock, but the workers manually disabled the interlock, allowing the shielding door to be opened while the X-rays continued to emit. While the X-rays were being emitted, the workers inserted their hands and upper bodies into the device to perform the work. Among the seven exposed workers, two workers developed radiation effects on their hands, including erythema, pain, and blisters. Radiation dose assessments conducted that while the effective dose for the seven workers did not exceed the annual dose limit, the skin equivalent dose exceeded the annual dose limit for all of them.

INES Rating: 3 – Serious incident (Final) as per 17 March 2020

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RSS feed source: International Atomic Energy Association--Nuclear & Radiological Events

Accidential Exposure of Industrial Radiography Worker

Print View Posted on: 26 December 2024

Event Date: 24 August 2018 Event Type: Radiation Source Event Location: Korea, Republic of, Geoje INES Rating: 2 (Final)

On August 24, 2018, during industrial radiography using a sealed radiation source (Ir-192, 1.22 TBq), the radiation source became stuck inside the guide tube, making it impossible to retrieve. During the initial response, the remote control cable was incorrectly assembled in the opposite direction, but the worker did not notice this mistake. The worker believed that the source had been safely retrieved into a shielding container, but instead, the source was pushed outside the container and remained inside the guide tube. When the worker attempted to detach the guide tube from the shielding container, the source became exposed. The worker then physically handled the source capsule with bare hands, resulting in radiation exposure. At the time, the worker did not have a radiation detector, so the exact position of the source was unknown. The source was later safely retrieved by another worker. The worker’s hand equivalent dose was assessed as 960 mSv, which exceeds the dose limit.

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RSS feed source: International Atomic Energy Association--Nuclear & Radiological Events

Exposure from a Medical Treatment Source

Print View Posted on: 26 December 2024

Event Date: 21 July 2017 Event Type: Radiation Source Event Location: Korea, Republic of, Seoul INES Rating: 3 (Final)

On July 21, 2017, at a hospital in Seoul, an incident occurred when the assigned staff member failed to follow the patient verification procedure in the I-131 therapy room. As a result, a dose of I-131 (5,550 MBq), intended for a thyroid desease patient, was mistakenly administered to another patient. The misadministrated patient had been hospitalized since July 19 for MIBG therapy and had already received a dose of I-131 (7,400 MBq). Due to the misadministration, the additional thyroid absorbed dose was estimated to be between 15.6 and 24.4 Gy.

INES Rating: 3 – Serious incident (Final) as per 23 May 2018

Impact on people and the environment Release beyond authorized limits? No Overexposure of a member of the public? Yes Overexposure of a worker? No

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RSS feed source: International Atomic Energy Association--Nuclear & Radiological Events

Workers Exceeded Annual Whole Body Dose Limits

Print View Posted on: 26 December 2024

Event Date: 31 December 2016 Event Type: Radiation Source Event Location: Korea, Republic of, Yeosu INES Rating: 3 (Final)

In December 2016, it was reported to the regulatory authority that an industrial radiography worker’s personal dosimeter reading had exceeded the annual dose limit. An investigation revealed that the worker had been exposed to high levels of radiation on a night-field radiography work during November and December 2016. As a result, the worker developed a deterministic effect(pancytopenia). Additionally, three other workers at the same company were found to have exceeded the dose limit. Among the four workers, the highest effective dose was evaluated at a maximum of 1.19 Sv.

INES Rating: 3 – Serious incident (Final) as per 28 December 2017

Impact on people and the environment Release beyond authorized limits? No Overexposure of a member of the public? No Overexposure of a worker? Yes

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