 A response team member using tongs to place the retrieved Co-60 radioactive source in a shielded container | |
| Date | 24 January 2000 – 21 February 2000 |
|---|---|
| Location | Samut Prakan Province, Thailand |
| Coordinates | 13°39′22″N 100°35′27″E / 13.65611°N 100.59083°E |
| Cause | Radiation accident |
| Deaths | 3 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 7 |
A radiation accident occurred in Samut Prakan Province, Thailand in January–February 2000. The accident happened when an insecurely stored unlicensed cobalt-60 radiation source was recovered by scrap metal collectors who, together with a scrapyard worker, subsequently dismantled the container, unknowingly exposing themselves and others nearby to ionizing radiation. Over the following weeks, those exposed developed symptoms of radiation sickness and eventually sought medical attention. The Office of Atomic Energy for Peace (OAEP), Thailand's nuclear regulatory agency, was notified when doctors came to suspect radiation injury, some 17 days after the initial exposure. The OAEP sent an emergency response team to locate and contain the radiation source, which was estimated to have an activity of 15.7 terabecquerels (420 Ci), and was eventually traced to its owner. Investigations found failure to ensure secure storage of the radiation source to be the root cause of the accident, which resulted in ten people being hospitalized for radiation injury, three of whom died, as well as the potentially significant exposure of 1,872 people.[1]
- ^ "Lessons Learned The Hard Way". IAEA Bulletin. 47 (2). Archived from the original on 18 July 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2012.