INES-event
INES 1

Loss of a radioactive package between Orange (84-France) and Thrion-Gardals (28-France)

On 4 December 2000 the French nuclear safety authority was informed that on 30 September 1998 a package containing radioactive material has been lost during its postal transport between two agencies of the society Saphymo in Orange (France-84) and Thiron-Gardals (france-28), Saphymo was the consignor and Chronopost was the carrier.
The missing package is an excepted package containing four sealed sources: plutonium 239, cobalt 60, carbon 14, strontium 90. the activity of this package is around 10 kBq, the radiation intensity is lower than 5 microSv/h and cannot be detected by measuring instruments for radiation protection. Saphymo uses these sources in order to test the sensibility of measuring instruments for radiation protection.
The package is made of a cardboard box and a metal box, which is 30 cm long, 20 cm large and 10 cm high. Each source is a disk with a diameter of 2 or 3 cm and 2mm thick. In the centre is a plastic inclusion containing the radioactive material. The four disks are placed in the metal box with wedging. A "Radioactif" label and transport documents are inside the metal box.
In their package these sources present no hazard for public health and environment. Nevertheless one should not ingest the bare material.
Owing to the loss of a radioactive source, the nuclear safety Authority rated this event at level 1 INES.

Location: SAPHYMO
Event date: Mon, 04-12-2000
Nuclear event report
Legenda & explanation