Date: 4 October 1967

Location: Harmarville, Pennsylvania, USA

Type of event: accident at industrial irradiator

Description:

A failure of interlocks on an industrial accelerator-type irradiator exposed three people to doses of 125-600 rem. The accident occurred at the Gulf Research Laboratory in Harmarville, near Pittsburgh. One worker received a 600-rem whole body dose, plus localized doses of 6600 rad to the feet and legs and 8800 rad to the hands and forearms. His hands and feet had to be amputated, but he survived largely due to a bone marrow transplant from his identical twin. Doses to the other workers were 300 rad and 125 rad. All three workers were protected from infection during recovery by reverse isolation.

Consequences: 3 injuries.

References:

• Brodine, Virginia, 1975, Radioactive Contamination, Harcourt, Brace and Jovanovich (New York, NY).
• Ortiz, P., M. Oresegun, and J. Wheatley, 2000, "Lessons from major radiation accidents," on line, Internationl Radiation Protection Association [http://www.irpa.net/irpa10/cdrom/00140.pdf].
• Reilly, M. A., 1994, 1999, "The saga of the Bureau of Radiation Protection," on line, Pennsylvania Bureau of Radiation Protection [http://www.dep.state.pa.us/brp/BRP_Info/BRP_History.htm].
• Weaver, J. Ellsworth III, 1995, "A brief chronology of radiation and protection," Radiation Information Network, on line [http://www.physics.isu.edu/radinf/chrono4.htm].

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Last modified 26 October 2008.
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