NRC: News Release - Region III - 2003-055 - NRC Staff Proposes $3,000 Fine Against Milwaukee Hospital

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NRC NEWS
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region III
2443 Warrenville Road, Lisle, IL 60532
www.nrc.gov

No. III-03-055		August 1, 2003
CONTACT:	Jan Strasma (630) 829-9663 Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662	E-mail: OPA3.RegionIII@nrc.gov
NRC STAFF PROPOSES $3,000 FINE AGAINST MILWAUKEE HOSPITAL Printable Version
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has proposed a $3,000 fine against Columbia Hospital, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for failing to secure NRC-licensed material from unauthorized access, as required by NRC regulations. In November of last year, an NRC inspector, who was performing a routine inspection in the nuclear medicine department at Columbia Hospital, was able to enter the laboratory containing NRC-licensed radioactive material, used in nuclear medicine, without being challenged by hospital staff. The technologist on duty was engaged in another activity and did not have an unobstructed view of all access points to the lab where nuclear material is stored. He had also set up a blocking device that prevented the lab door from fully closing. This allowed unauthorized access during periods in which the lab was not under surveillance. A subsequent investigation by NRC’s Office of Investigations determined that this violation was willful. The hospital’s corrective actions include ensuring that the door to the nuclear lab is secure; retraining all technologists assigned to the nuclear medicine department on regulatory requirements for security of nuclear material; and periodically verifying that the lab door is secure. The hospital has until August 29 to either pay the fine or to protest it. If the fine is protested and subsequently imposed by the NRC staff, the company may request a hearing. The letter to the hospital is available from the Region III Office of Public Affairs or online at: http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/enforcement/current.html. The inspection report can be viewed at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/web-based.html by entering accession number ML030150198. Assistance in using the web-based document collection is available by calling the NRC Public Document Room at 800-397-4209.
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