No, just tightening of observing the laws.
Missing Radioactive Capsule..
- Thread starter Pete E
- Start date
Help Support Prospecting Australia:
leannemfarrell
Hopeful1
What's the chance of a tyre with deep tread running over it and picking it up... the capsule is only 6mm x 8mm (not even 1cm in size)? No different to a stone getting stuck....It could end up anywhere!
I think an enquiry would be appropriate, but no pollies or lawyers. We want intelligent people to examine ways of avoiding incidents like this or worse.
We may be headed for a nuclear future if 24hr electricy cannot be guaranteed otherwise, so probably a good time to consider this.
We may be headed for a nuclear future if 24hr electricy cannot be guaranteed otherwise, so probably a good time to consider this.
An enquiry without a lawyer would be a first! However we have appropriate laws and regulations - what is needed is prosections when they are not followed. And much larger penalties.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2013
- Messages
- 177
- Reaction score
- 395
Now found near Newman.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02...psule-found-in-wa-outback-rio-tinto/101917828
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02...psule-found-in-wa-outback-rio-tinto/101917828
David-Karratha
David
They’ve found it. And yes, there’s talk of updating the laws (and the fines) regarding the transportation of this type of material. A $1000 fines isn’t much for someone like Rio.
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2015
- Messages
- 1,001
- Reaction score
- 1,813
8mm x 6mm and fell off the back of a truck 
a piece of gravel on the back of a truck would be bigger.
obviously it was never a safety issue otherwise it would have at least have had big tiedown straps to hold it in place.
a piece of gravel on the back of a truck would be bigger.obviously it was never a safety issue otherwise it would have at least have had big tiedown straps to hold it in place.
Maybe in a leadlined briefcase handcuffed to the wrist of the CEO.
More details and pics:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02...psule-found-in-wa-outback-rio-tinto/101917828
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02...psule-found-in-wa-outback-rio-tinto/101917828
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2016
- Messages
- 7,947
- Reaction score
- 16,016
It doesn't matter what protocols are put in place as long as humans are involved there is always potential for mishaps.
Excellent result! Hopefully the lessons learned will be put in place in case a similar event occurs in the future...Although it shouldn't have been lost in the first place Rio's response seems to be pretty good as well...
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2018
- Messages
- 661
- Reaction score
- 1,263
nah thats not right. I thought the isotope was Cs137, not 131. If it was 131 which has a half life of 9 days then its probably already depleted and not even an issue worth finding. 137 on the other hand has a half life of 30 years.
Regardless, that photo of the gauge looks like its isotope is accessible by winding that crank handle, I dont know that equipment so I'm probably wrong. In any case, I'm lost for words as to why its not padlocked to prevent unqualified people from accessing the isotope at all. Had this been the case the isotope would have never been lost in the first place. In my game, the weakest isotope we use is Cs-137, we are certainly not allowed to f**k with isotopes, ours are padlocked and we dont even own the keys, they belong to government approved vendors.
Give me one guess where that gauge was made!
Last edited:
David-Karratha
David
The sad part, is that rather than the business being held to account, they’ll probably dig out a bunch of forgotten procedures and JHA’s that the crew loading and transporting it “should have known”. They’ll take the heat, even though they’ve probably been doing this for years, and it’d become accepted practice.
You mean there might be a conspiracy between Rio, the WA government, the scientists at ANSTO, the drivers of the search vehicles (to name a few)?Good news IF it actually has been recovered
Correct - wrong isotope but approx. correct half-life (from memory at the time), My point being that so long as no one discovered it, it would become pretty harmless in a century (unlike some other isotopes that are of real concern because of long half-lives).
What amazes me the most, is that it was lost so early in the journey. After 1,000+ kilometres in the back of a big truck bouncing around on WA's never-wonderful roads, it wouldn't be too surprising, but just out of Newman...? 
I suppose it depends on the road conditions and travelling companions.
No, I mean what I wrote and you may make of that what you will ?
