An unusual incident: breached 22Na sealed source

A typical laboratory contamination with radioactive materials in an academic institution is the result of a spill or other handling errors with unsealed radioactive materials. An unusual incident occurred in late January 2002 at our institution when a 22Na sealed source was breached, and a small portion of the contents accidentally migrated to various locations in the very large laboratory. Damage control provided a challenge to radiation safety personnel. Resources of the Radiation Safety Office were severely taxed during both the immediate reaction and the subsequent several months of decontamination prior to release of the laboratory for unrestricted use of radioactive materials once again. Salient features of this incident are described in conjunction with a portrayal of measures taken during early damage control and the following deliberate remediation.