Date: 5 February 1989

Location: Delmed Company, San Salvador, El Salvador

Type of event: accident at industrial irradiator

Description:

An accident occurred during repairs at an medical sterilizer irradiation facility with a cobalt-60 source. One component of the radiation source fell out of the source rack, leaving it exposed in the irradiation room at a time when radiation monitors were disabled. Several workers entering the room received radiation exposures. One person received an 800 rem dose, causing death, and two others received severe injury from radiation, one receiving 290-370 rem.

Consequences: 1 fatality, 2 injuries.

References:

• IAEA, The Radiological Accident in San Salvador, IAEA (Vienna, Austria), on line at IAEA [http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub847_web.pdf].
• Ortiz, P., M. Oresegun, and J. Wheatley, 2000, "Lessons from major radiation accidents," on line, International Radiation Protection Association [http://www.irpa.net/irpa10/cdrom/00140.pdf].
• Turai, Istvan, and Katalin Veress, 2001, "Radiation accidents: Occurrence, types, consequences, medical management, and the lessons to be learned," Central European Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 7:3-14, on line at CEJOEM [http://www.fjokk.hu/cejoem/files/Volume7/Vol7No1/CE01_1-01.html].

© 2004, 2005 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 11 May 2005.
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