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Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

abc.net.au

51–60 of 244 posts

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#51
post #23

I am not surprised the found the capsule, I am surprised by the very professional way the company handled the case. If you look at the timeline of events (see link from dang comment), they reacted extremely quickly and professionally, from the contractor doing the transport to Rio Tinto informing the authorities. For me Rio Tinto was the company not taking care of our environment[0] in its operations, so for once, I…

> It vanished between January 11 and January 16, but its loss was not reported for more than a week.

That doesn't seem that quick or professional to me...

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#52
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the world needs more steel. To build more ships. The world needs more ships. To carry more ore and coal. Because the world needs more steel. Also to build buildings. This whole "economic" growth is just another bubble ready to pop, similar usefull to crypto in the long run. Destroyed the planet, for what..

... but for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders! edit: i'm just referencing the famous new yorkers cartoon - https://imgur.com/a/dHBy8hI - personally, i like steel.

I hope you posted this using smoke signals and not a state of the art personal supercomputer.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#53
post #23

I am not surprised the found the capsule, I am surprised by the very professional way the company handled the case. If you look at the timeline of events (see link from dang comment), they reacted extremely quickly and professionally, from the contractor doing the transport to Rio Tinto informing the authorities. For me Rio Tinto was the company not taking care of our environment[0] in its operations, so for once, I…

> It vanished between January 11 and January 16, but its loss was not reported for more than a week. That doesn't seem that quick or professional to me...

I'm guessing that's because you don't work in a 800 million tonne per annum mining industry that routinely ships heavy equipment 1,000 - 2,000 km backwards and forwards and has done so for 50 years.

The equipment was logged when loaded on the 11th, the load sat and then travelled for a couple of days and was unloaded and then sat until it was first inspected (to have the capsule replaced) at which point the loss was noted and reported.

Feel free to explain how you would do this better in a cost effective manner.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#54
post #46
post #23

I am not surprised the found the capsule, I am surprised by the very professional way the company handled the case. If you look at the timeline of events (see link from dang comment), they reacted extremely quickly and professionally, from the contractor doing the transport to Rio Tinto informing the authorities. For me Rio Tinto was the company not taking care of our environment[0] in its operations, so for once, I…

I appreciate the willingness to give them a shout out, by name. Not the first time I've had a brush with Rio Tinto.

Yeah, they certainly FUBAR'd and lost brownie points when they blew up Juukan Gorge.

Let's not forget they're sitting on $64 billion US worth of Copper in the US on native lands either.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#55
post #27

BTW, there was an accident in Ukraine (Soviet Union at the time) related to a radioactive capsule that ended up in the wall of an apartment building https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kramatorsk_radiological_accide...

Article says it had a dose rate of 1800 R/year, that is about 18 Sv per year. That's a LOT!

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#56
post #39
post #27

BTW, there was an accident in Ukraine (Soviet Union at the time) related to a radioactive capsule that ended up in the wall of an apartment building https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kramatorsk_radiological_accide...

> The apartment was fully settled in 1980. A year later, an 18-year-old woman who lived there suddenly died. In 1982, her 16-year-old brother followed, and then their mother. [All from leukemia]. [...] A new family moved into the apartment, and their son died from leukemia as well. > A child's bed was located directly next to the wall containing the capsule.

Naturally occurring radiation might play a part in human tendency to regard certain places as haunted.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#57
Does anyone else feel like this is slightly overblown? From my perspective it was a localised and relatively limited risk and had fairly obvious and achievable corrective actions with a relatively good chance of success.

It intrigues me that this seems to be perceived as something so calamitous/ risky.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#58
post #57

Does anyone else feel like this is slightly overblown? From my perspective it was a localised and relatively limited risk and had fairly obvious and achievable corrective actions with a relatively good chance of success. It intrigues me that this seems to be perceived as something so calamitous/ risky.

I'd rather live in a country where authorities are overly cautious and transparent than secretive and negligent.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#59
post #57

Does anyone else feel like this is slightly overblown? From my perspective it was a localised and relatively limited risk and had fairly obvious and achievable corrective actions with a relatively good chance of success. It intrigues me that this seems to be perceived as something so calamitous/ risky.

Tell that to the driver if the capsule would have been stuck in a tire instead.

Re: Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

#60
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It vanished between January 11 and January 16, but its loss was not reported for more than a week. That doesn't seem that quick or professional to me...

I'm guessing that's because you don't work in a 800 million tonne per annum mining industry that routinely ships heavy equipment 1,000 - 2,000 km backwards and forwards and has done so for 50 years. The equipment was logged when loaded on the 11th, the load sat and then travelled for a couple of days and was unloaded and then sat until it was first inspected (to have the capsule replaced) at which point the loss was…

Dangerous items should be prioritised.
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