North Carolina Radiation Protection officials received a report Thursday night of a measuring tool with a radioactive component that went missing from a job site off Ten-Ten Road in Garner. The device, if handled inappropriately, can pose a potential health and safety risk.
The device uses radioactive materials to test density in soil compaction during construction. It went missing from a private contractor at the McCuller’s Walk Apartments jobsite, 500 Shady Summit Way in Garner, and the disappearance was reported to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services at 7:58 p.m.
The gauge has a stainless steel handle protruding from its top. There is a radiation symbol on the handle. A description of the radioactive material appears on a plate attached to the exterior of the gauge. Each source of radioactive material is sealed in a stainless steel capsule.
The gauge poses no immediate threat to health or safety unless it is mishandled or broken open. If you find the gauge, do not touch or move the device. Maintain at least 10 feet of distance from it until the appropriate authorities secure the area and the device. A prolonged exposure could cause adverse health effects if the radioactive sources were directly exposed to an individual.
If this gauge is found, or if you have any information concerning its location, please contact the North Carolina Radioactive Protection Section at 919-814-2252 or contact your local law enforcement agency at 911.
The equipment is manufactured by Instrotek Inc.
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