Radioactive tool ejected from vehicle during crash in Val-des-Monts, Que.

A two-vehicle collision caused a briefcase containing a nuclear densometer to be ejected from one of the vehicles and crash through the window of hair salon at the intersection of Routes 307 and 366 in Val-des-Monts, Qc. on Thursday, June 29, 2023. (Ian Urbach/CTV News Ottawa)

A two-vehicle crash caused a radioactive tool used to measure the density of compacted material to be ejected from one of the vehicles and into a business in western Quebec.

Emergency crews responded to a collision at Routes 307 and 366 in Val-des-Monts just after 11 a.m. Thursday.

The MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais police says a briefcase containing a nuclear densometer was ejected from one of the vehicles, ending up in a hair salon near the road.

A security perimeter was set up and the intersection was closed while police investigated whether there was a danger to the public and the condition of the object.

"At around 2:10 p.m., an official from the company owning the device was able to confirm that there was no danger and that it could be recovered," police said.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission says in the event of damage or an incident involving a nuclear densometer, a perimeter of at least two metres should be established around the damaged gauge and officials should ensure radiation levels are safe before entering the area.

A nuclear densometer is a field instrument used to determine the density of a compacted material. The gauges are used in agriculture, construction and civil engineering to measure moisture and compaction levels in soil and asphalt density in paving mixes.