0041 — The Search for the Lost Radioactive Capsule

A poem about the loss and search for a highly radioactive capsule that fell off a truck during transport in Western Australia, causing public concern and an apology from the mining corporation's CEO.

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A tiny capsule on a journey took,
From desert mine to city look.
With radioactive content so rare,
Its loss caused public to beware.

It fell off on a road, what a shame,
Emergency services searched with great aim.
But the capsule they just couldn't find,
Leaving them and public quite unkind.

The size is small, just millimeters wide,
But the radiation it emits, can't be denied.
It's equivalent to ten X-rays in an hour,
And prolonged exposure could bring cancer's power.

The Western Australia emergency services, in a call,
Sought help from other states and federal, standing tall.
For the caesium 137 ceramic source, so bright,
Could cause skin burns, such a frightful sight!

The chief executive of the mining giant Rio Tinto Iron Ore,
Simon Trott, took this with much more.
He apologized for causing such concern,
And promised to rectify and return.

With efforts of the government, the states and all,
The capsule was found, and the public had no fall.
The danger of radiation was put to rest,
And the CEO, Simon Trott, with his apology was blessed.

So let this be a lesson to us all,
To handle hazardous substances, we must stand tall.
For safety of the public, must be our goal,
And to rectify any mistake, must be our role.