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A radioactive capsule that fell from the back of a truck in the Western Australian outback three weeks ago has left authorities scratching their heads over what went wrong during the 1,400km journey.
Radiation Services General Manager WA Lauren Steen told The Project on Sunday that she had never heard of anything like this happening before, calling it a “one in a hundred year event”.
“It’s the strangest scenario I’ve ever come across before,” he said.
The capsule, which poses serious risks to the public, is believed to have fallen from the back of a truck during transit from Gudai Darri, Western Australia’s Rio Tinto mine, to a depot in the Perth suburb of Malaga.
The incident has left people scratching their heads over how the tiny but deadly capsule was lost during its 1,400km transit.
When asked by Channel Ten hosts how the 6mm by 8mm hazmat unit fell out during transport, Ms Steen replied that she had no idea because regulations are extremely strict.
‘The casings that [the capsules] trips are meant to be there for 15 years,’ he said.
‘Therefore, they undergo rigorous testing to become certified for vibration and heat.
‘You have to have a license [to transport hazardous materials]’, he explained, ‘you have to pass the state exam to get a license and there are a lot of chain of custody forms that need to be filled out and taken care of.’
Ms Steen said that if anyone picked up the capsule, it would cause significant damage.
“What you would probably start to notice is if it was on your hand for any considerable amount of time, you would start to notice some radiation burns and then some tissue damage around the surrounding area,” he said.
WA authorities said the small silver cylinder (left) is similar to the size of an Australian dime (right)
Authorities suspect that a screw came loose inside the large lead-lined indicator that contained it, causing the unit to fall through a hole left by the missing fastener.
An investigation into the mysterious incident has been launched, but the emergency services say they are hampered. in their efforts for lack of equipment.
They have called on the Commonwealth and other states to provide more equipment, while teams with portable radiation detection devices and metal detectors have been deployed by the Fire Department and Emergency Services.
Ms Steen said search teams are now conducting a thorough reconnaissance on foot along the long stretch of desert road.
WA Radiation Services General Manager Lauren Steen (pictured) said the pods undergo rigorous testing for vibration and heat certification.
“They are using radiation study equipment that is calibrated for the correct energies that the source would be emitting,” he said.
‘Doing it step by step, [they’re] using the equipment and looking for the signals that would rise if they were in or around the source.’
Superintendent Darryl Ray said search teams were concentrating on populated areas north of Perth and strategic sites along 36km of the busy Great Northern Highway freight route.
“What we’re not doing is trying to find a small device with the naked eye,” he told reporters on Saturday.
We’re using the radiation detectors to locate the gamma rays.
Authorities are also using the truck’s GPS data to determine the exact route the driver took and where he stopped after leaving the mine around January 10.
There are concerns that the solid capsule has already become lodged in the tire of another vehicle and is potentially hundreds of kilometers from the search area.
Search teams are concentrating on populated areas north of Perth and strategic sites along the Great Northern Highway (pictured)
Health Director Andrew Robertson defended the WA government’s decision to wait two days to inform the public on Friday, saying the mine and deposit had to be searched and debarred, and the route had been confirmed.
He said the capsule was packed in accordance with radiation safety standards and transport in a box bolted to a pallet.
“We think that the vibration from the truck may have affected the integrity of the indicator, that it fell apart and the source actually came out of it,” he said.
“It’s unusual for an indicator to break like this.”
An investigation will look into the handling of the meter and capsule at the mine site, the transport route used and procedures at the Perth depot after its arrival on January 16.
Authorities ruled out theft from the warehouse before the box was opened Wednesday, saying there was tamper-evident tape on the box.
Police have determined that the incident was an accident and criminal charges are not likely to be filed.