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Missing radioactive capsule found in WA outback after frantic search

abc.net.au

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

#101

Post by perihelions »

Is the idea of blameless postmortem that exotic in the general public? If I hear that a critical safety system failed, my first association isn't "find the individual closest to responsibility, and look into whether a criminal prosecution is feasible".

- "We have the ability to prosecute under the radiation safety act and we will certainly look at such prosecutions, and we've done that in the past," [Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson] said."

- "The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, this morning joined those disappointed to learn the maximum penalty for mishandling radioactive material in such a manner was $1,000."

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

#102

Post by logifail »

puffoflogic wrote: post #81
mschuster91 wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> From my perspective it was a localised and relatively limited risk Localized? Yes. But limited? You can't see radiation. The absolute worst case would be someone getting it stuck into a tire or a shoe, spreading radiation everywhere they go.

> spreading radiation everywhere they go. Radiation is not "spread" in the manner you are suggesting. The only affect on passers-by would be transient exposure - less than ideal, but not a fatal risk. If the capsule were breached and radioactive material were spread, then that would be a disaster posing actual risk to the public at large.

> Radiation is not "spread" in the manner you are suggesting

"[in] 1987 in Goiânia, Brazil [..] a forgotten radiotherapy source was stolen from an abandoned hospital site in the city. It was subsequently handled by many people, resulting in four deaths. About 112,000 people were examined for radioactive contamination and 249 of them were found to have been contaminated"

"In the consequent cleanup operation, topsoil had to be removed from several sites, and several houses were demolished. All the objects from within those houses, including personal possessions, were seized and incinerated"[0]

That incident would appear to confirm that radiation (from a radioactive source) is able to be "spread".

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goi%C3%A2nia_accident

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

#103

Post by JauntyHatAngle »

perihelions wrote: post #101

Is the idea of blameless postmortem that exotic in the general public? If I hear that a critical safety system failed, my first association isn't "find the individual closest to responsibility, and look into whether a criminal prosecution is feasible". - "We have the ability to prosecute under the radiation safety act and we will certainly look at such prosecutions, and we've done that in the past," [Chief Health Off…

I suspect he is talking about fining the company for a safety lapse, not individuals.

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

#104

Post by tanbog5 »

fmajid wrote: post #96

Good. Now fine the company 3x the cost of the recovery operation, and require them to carry these things in locked Pelican cases with a satellite GPS tracker with at least 7 days' battery life.

Maximum penalty for a beach of this kind appears to be $1000 AUD... So yeah

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

#106

Post by sgt »

wayvey wrote: post #9

If this had been found by the wrong people, what kind of nefarious uses could it have had?

Imagine if some aboriginals found it and tried to make jewellery out of it. Probably not unlikely, seeing that it's a heavy metal object that can be drilled so that you can attach a necklace. The wearer would be in deep trouble.

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

#107

Post by rhn_mk1 »

yreg wrote: post #91
isomorphic wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The best part of the article: "The Australian Defence Force has been asked to verify the recovered capsule by checking its serial number." So they're not certain they have found it, yet. They could have found one of the other radioactive capsules lying about the Western Australia outback.

The only mildly strange thing about it is that such a check should take like 10 seconds and this article was apparently written after the capsule was found, but before the result of the check was announced. But the serial number check itself is an obvious thing to do and it doesn't necessarily imply they believe there are more of the capsules missing.

It's going to take a bit longer than 10 secobds to safely get close enough to such a strong radiation source as to take a clear picture or read a number.

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

#108

Post by defrost »

sgt wrote: post #106
wayvey wrote: post #9

If this had been found by the wrong people, what kind of nefarious uses could it have had?

Imagine if some aboriginals found it and tried to make jewellery out of it. Probably not unlikely, seeing that it's a heavy metal object that can be drilled so that you can attach a necklace. The wearer would be in deep trouble.

Imagine if some aboriginals had found it because they had university degrees and worked in minesite radiation services.

ADDED: (for the curious)

Interview with a former Rio Tinto aboriginal minesite operator:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWQ-FFgDRYk&t=64s

Job Oppotunities (BHP): https://www.bhp.com/careers/indigenous-peoples-bhp

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

#109

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

perihelions wrote: post #101

Is the idea of blameless postmortem that exotic in the general public? If I hear that a critical safety system failed, my first association isn't "find the individual closest to responsibility, and look into whether a criminal prosecution is feasible". - "We have the ability to prosecute under the radiation safety act and we will certainly look at such prosecutions, and we've done that in the past," [Chief Health Off…

That was the reasoning behind the Truth & Reconciliation Commission, in South Africa.

It was difficult, seeing admitted thugs, walking free, but I think most folks think it actually worked out well.

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_commission

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

#110

Post by kitd »

Pinegulf wrote: post #98

Small amount of radioactive materials go missing and it becomes international news. Things might be pretty good when it comes to nuclear materials safety after all.

Reddit had fun with this story. One guy was posting daily images of a small metal capsule he'd found, wondering what it was. Everyday the image deteriorated a bit, and he described feeling sicker.

Comments were along the lines of "your passion for collecting is truly radiant".

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