ENS Event | |
|---|---|
17:00 Aug 31, 2015 | |
| Title | North Carolina Agreement State Report - Nuclear Gauge with Stuck Closed Shutter |
| Event Description | The following information was provided by the State on North Carolina via email:
On 8/31/15, at approximately 1300 EDT, a NASCO worker operating the #4 Protos cigarette making machine noticed that the nuclear gauge seemed to be malfunctioning. The worker immediately reported this observation to the NASCO RSO. The RSO performed a shutter test and determined that the shutter would not open. [RSO] then turned #4 Protos off and established a no-entry cordoned area around the gauge, the radius of the restricted area was and still is about 20 feet. The RSO next contacted Little Creek Electronics, a North Carolina licensee, for assistance in repairing the shutter. The RSO of Little Creek contacted a health physicist inspector with the NC Radiation Protection Section, on 9/2/15 to ask whether they are authorized to perform this repair. This is how the Agency [North Carolina Radiation Protection Section] learned of this incident. [Little Creek] was not authorized and instructions were given not to perform work on the gauge; the Agency decided to investigate first thing in the morning on 9/3/2015 to get the details straight from NASCO. State inspector visited site on 9/3/15 to perform a health and safety assessment. State inspector determined that licensee had confirmed that shutter is closed and that the associated machinery had been deactivated. Furthermore, the licensee had established a cordoned, do-not-enter area of approximately twenty feet in radius around the affected gauge. The inspector's surveys were consistent with the surveys during the last regular inspection (8/6/15) of this license. NASCO arranged with Automated Control Technologies (ACT), a reciprocal license which handles manufacturing and repair of fixed nuclear gauges. [ACT] should be in to the facility before close of this week. The licensee address and location of the event is 321 Farmington Road, Mocksville, NC 27028. Nuclear gauge is a Accuray TG-5 fixed gauge, model number: S-18, serial number S-4086-H containing a Sr-90 25 milliCi source (assay date 04/2001), and last leak test on 4/23/15 was negative. Report identification number: NMED NC150024 |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Nasco Products, Inc. Mocksville, North Carolina (NRC Region 1) | |
| License number: | 030-1338-1 |
| Organization: | Nc Div Of Radiation Protection |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+92 h3.833 days <br />0.548 weeks <br />0.126 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | David Crowley 13:00 Sep 4, 2015 |
| NRC Officer: | Jeff Rotton |
| Last Updated: | Sep 4, 2015 |
| 51370 - NRC Website | |
Nasco Products, Inc. with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 513702015-08-31T17:00:00031 August 2015 17:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State North Carolina Agreement State Report - Nuclear Gauge with Stuck Closed Shutter 2015-08-31T17:00:00 | |