Missing Radioactive Capsule..

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It was on the back of a truck, part of some large machinery being brought back to Perth.

I think they're used for flow metering of moving slurry or material. With this source on one side of a material flow and a radioactivity detector on the other, any changes in the amount of radioactivity received indicate increases or decreases in flow rate. If there's a processing plant metallurgist/engineer in the PA audience, they'll know more than me, so don't take this as gospel.
 
pretty sloppy handling of this source if you ask me.

I'm formally a State LRSO (State - location radiation safety officer). I saw the breaking news on this, there lots of unanswered questions!!!
Globally, transportation of any RA source is extremely closely monitored by government, in our case the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).

Going by the breaking news report, there's obvious gaps from when this cargo landed before being reported lost, why? You are suppose to register all RA sources as being landed when transported asap!

A little box it was transferred in was loaded on a pellet, a bolt became loose and the source fell through the bolts hole.
Are you serious.. incompetence at its best!

When not in use C-137 sources are to be stored in approved RA bunkers. Whenever removed from the bunker ARPANSA should be immediately notified. The cargo departed Jan 12th yet it was not determined lost until Jan 25th. So 13 days to get from the Pilbara to Perth, hardly. But if so then thats a milk run in my book and absolutly not the way to be transporting any RA material.

The company who this source belongs to and not the transport company should be held financially accountable until its found.
The RA storage facility should be audited as should the mining company
 
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pretty sloppy handling of this source if you ask me.
I'm formally a State LRSO (State - location radiation safety officer). I saw the breaking news on this, there lots of unanswered questions!!!
Globally, transportation of any RA source is extremely closely monitored by government, in our case the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).

Going by the breaking news report, there's obvious gaps from when this cargo landed before being reported lost, why? You are supposed to register it as being landed asap!

A little box it was transferred in was loaded on a pellet, a bolt became loose and the source fell through the bolts hole. Are you serious! Extremely incompetent!

The company who this source belongs to should be held financially accountable until its found, no ifs or butts!
Edited, I thought I was replying to Grubstake, but thanks Ron, that answers what I was wondering

I recall a similar incident in South America, when a radiation source from a dental x machine from a closed hospital. It caused widespread contamination through the city where the thieves lived...

I have just found two links to the incident I was thinking of although it was from a radiotherapy machine not an X ray machine..

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/accidental-poisoning-in-brazil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goiânia_accident
 
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I wonder how much the pellet weighed? The source in Brazil was about 93grams, so I suspect it was substantially larger than the lost pellet...Of course the relative weights alone are probably not a true guide to how they compare radiation wise....
 
yeah its a bit odd Mackka thats for sure.
RA sources are suppose to be transported in a secure approved RA transportation box, under lock. What sort of RA transport box has a hole in it (albeit with a bolt through it) where the hole is larger than its cargo? I dont buy that story one bit
 
yeah its a bit odd Mackka thats for sure.
RA sources are suppose to be transported in a secure approved RA transportation box, under lock. What sort of RA transport box has a hole in it (albeit with a bolt through it) where the hole is larger than its cargo? I dont buy that story one bit
I was thinking the same - it would hardly have been rolling around loose in the box to be able to fall through the bolt hole.

Both this and the Brazilian material were the same compound (caesium chloride), but I imagine the Brazilian quantity was larger, and people ended up directly contacting the caesium chloride crystals. But I would not want to handle the lost WA pellet, and I would certainly not carry it around in my pocket without lead underpants (well, not at all)......
 
I doubt the caesium would be exposed, nobody in mining or general industry has a need for that, it would be incased.

Just googled this story to see if there's any update, strangely there's very little on the web about it. Its was breaking news on ABC TV yesterday. None of the major news sites seem to be running the story.

I'm surprised the Greenies haven't chimed in
 
I doubt the caesium would be exposed, nobody in mining or general industry has a need for that, it would be incased.

Just googled this story to see if there's any update, strangely there's very little on the web about it. Its was breaking news on ABC TV yesterday. None of the major news sites seem to be running the story.

I'm surprised the Greenies haven't chimed in
The Brazilian crystals were also encased - some kids prized the container open with a screwdriver. A similar case with fatalities occurred in Cambodia with cobalt 60, with deaths (also prized open). I am not overly surprised that there is little news - if it is really lost along the highway in a remote area it will more probably never be heard of again or expose anyone.

I am very confused as to how a radioactive source capable of emitting (i.e. not shieldsd) could be lost. Sources I have worked with are safely packed for transport and are not "hot" to their surroundings in the form they are transported, only once opened or inserted in the device they are used in.
 
yeah its a bit odd Mackka thats for sure.
RA sources are suppose to be transported in a secure approved RA transportation box, under lock. What sort of RA transport box has a hole in it (albeit with a bolt through it) where the hole is larger than its cargo? I dont buy that story one bit
Me neither mate, it’s BS and you can smell it a mile away.
 

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