UNA responds to unintended radiation doses to employees at Cross Cancer Institute

United Nurses of Alberta has recently been made aware of an incident involving the unauthorized removal of nuclear substances from storage at the Cross Cancer Institute in April 2014.

According to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, two sealed sources were illegally removed from storage at the Cross Cancer Institute and discovered in an unauthorized location.

As a result of the incident, there were significant radiation doses to some workers at the facility, Alberta Health Services says. However, AHS said no UNA member was involved in the incident and no UNA member was exposed to radiation as a result.

UNA Occupational Health and Safety specialists are monitoring the situation closely to ensure the safety of UNA members and other employees, and will work with the employer and other authorities to protect UNA members, other employees, patients and others in the workplace.

AHS says the level of exposure by the affected employees is within the annual dose limit for staff. According to AHS, the highest dose recorded was less than 20 per cent of the allowable annual dose.

Like other unions in this workplace, UNA is extremely concerned by the employer’s failure to notify staff at the institute about this incident or report it to the unions representing employees or joint workplace OH&S committees.

UNA has made its concerns clear to the employer.

A letter to the employer from the Nuclear Safety Commission that has been made available to UNA indicates an investigation by AHS “has failed to identify a root cause” of the incident, and in addition “has failed to identify systemic errors in sealed source inventory records and CNSC annual compliance reports.”

As a result, the Commission required the Cross Cancer Institute to take eight specific actions to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future. AHS has informed UNA that seven of these actions have been completed and the eighth, training for staff in accordance with a plan approved by the Commission, is under way.

UNA will report additional developments in this serious situation to members as required in a timely fashion.