Information Notice 1985-60, Defective Negative-Pressure, Air-Purifying, Full Facepiece Respirators

Defective Negative-Pressure, Air-Purifying, Full Facepiece Respirators

ML031180169
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Three Mile Island, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, 05000000, Zimmer, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant, Skagit, Marble Hill
Issue date:	07/17/1985
From:	Jordan E NRC/IE
To:
References
IN-85-060, NUDOCS 8507120328
Download: ML031180169 (4)

- I

SSINS No.: 6835 IN 85-60

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 July 17, 1985 IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 85-60: DEFECTIVE NEGATIVE-PRESSURE, AIR-PURIFYING,

FULL FACEPIECE RESPIRATORS

Addressees

All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license (OL) or a

construction permit (CP), research and test reactors, fuel facilities, and

certain materials licensees.

Purpose

This notice is provided to inform licensees of a potentially generic problem

with Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) Company's negative-pressure, air-purifying, full facepiece respirator, the ULTRA-TWIN model (NIOSH/MSHA approval number

TC-21C-155).

It is expected that addressees will review the information provided for appli- cability to their respiratory programs and consider actions, if appropriate, to

preclude similar problems at their facilities. Suggestions contained in this

notice do not constitute NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or

written response is required.

Description of Circumstances

On June 3, 1985, the radiation protection manager of the Westinghouse Nuclear

'Fuels Plant in Columbia, South Carolina, notified NRC Region II that the

licensee's maintenance vendor for respiratory protection devices had discovered

defects in MSA ultra-twin masks. Pin holes and small slits, causing penetra- tion of the respirator's facepiece, were found near the metal edge of the clamp

holding the speaking diaphragm cover. The attached Department of Energy (DOE)

safety alert provides further technical discussion/description of a similar

facepiece leakage problem discovered at a DOE facility. This DOE alert was

developed with cooperation of MSA, and it provides sound recommendations for

problem identification and prevention. The National Institute for Occupational

Safety and Health (NIOSH) requested that MSA investigate the respirator prob- lems identified by Westinghouse for possible further generic implications.

Westinghouse and NIOSH report that these physical defects are very difficult to

find with a routine visual check of the respirator. Typical facepiece leakage

reported by Westinghouse was in the range of 2 to 4 percent with two units

8507120328

IN 85-60

July 17, 1985 indicating as much as 50 and 90 percent leakage. While routine, pre-use simple

field tests (e.g., negative pressure test performed in accordance with

NUREG-0041, Sections 8.5.2.3 and 10.2) may not detect facepiece leakage in the

2-to-4-percent range, significant leakages in the 50-to-90-percent range should

be readily detected. With proper implementation of the maintenance and testing

requirements for respirators [10 CFR 20.103(c)(2)], the NRC staff believes

defective respirators with significant leakages would be identified and removed

from service. Thus, the staff believes that no significant increases in

exposures of workers to airborne radioactive material should have resulted from

the reported facepiece penetration problem. Westinghouse reviewed and reevalu- ated potential personnel exposures of all MSA respirator users and found no

overexposures.

No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.

If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the Regional

Administrator of the appropriate regional office or this office.

ward J Jordan, Director

Divisi 4 of Emergency Preparedness

and Engineering Response

Office of Inspection and Enforcement

J. E. Wigginton, IE

(301) 492-4967 R. L. Pedersen, IE

(301) 492-9425 Attachments:

1. DOE Safety Alert, DOE/PE-0051/1, Issue No. 10, September, 1984

2. List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices

Attachment 1 IN 85-60

July 17, 1985 I, ripili11tinipt (.0 rre-lstj ENVIRONMENT, SAFETY & HEALTH Washington, D.C. 20585 Assistant Sercretary, Fivironmental Protection, Safety & Emergency Preparedness

LDlutv Ass:stant Secretary for Environment, Safety & Health

t, ivre[

DOE/PE-0050/ 1 Issue No. 10 September 1984 POTENTIAL: SMALL HOLES IN FULL FACE RESPIRATOR

PRODUCT: RECOMMENDATIONS:

Ultra-Twin Respirator

• Inspect for deterioration by bending or flexing the

Mine Safety Appliance Company (MSA) mask inward.

• Install and remove cartridges by holding the cartridge

receptacle in one hand and snugging it with the other.

PROBLEM:

• Maintain the clamp screw in the 5 o'clock position to

help prevent abrasion (see photo on left).

Small holes or cuts were found in the black rubber

facepiece near the metal edge of the clamp holding the

• Remove the mask by holding the speaking diaphram

speaking diaphram cover. Most of the respirators housing and the exhalation valve rather than by

involved were four years old or older and in many cases holding the filter cartridges.

the holes did not completely penetrate the facepiece.

None of the cuts started from the inside of the mask. NOTE: MSA has already increased the thickness of the rubber in

problem areas and is currently investigating engineering changes to help

The cause is abrasion from twisting the mask which eliminate the problem. For more information, contact Richard D.

occurs if the cartridges are over-tightened and if the Grunberg. Product Line Manager, MSA, 600 Penn Center Boulevard, wearer pulls the masks off by pulling the filter cartridges. Pittsburgh, Pa. 15235.

.4l/ is published for DOE program managers and contractors so they can share information about potential occupational safety problems relevant

t} )(OE operations. For additional copies. contact Nona Gilbert. Editor. PE-241. Performance Measurements Group. Assistant Secretary for Policy.

Satetv and Environment. U.S. Department ot Energy. Washington. D.C. 20545. telephone F rS 233-2958; Commercial (301) 353-2958.

Attachment 2 IN 85-60

July 17, 1985 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

IE INFORMATION NOTICES

Information Date of

Notice No. Subject Issue Issued to I

85-60 Valve Stem Corrosion Failures 7/17/85 All power reactor

facilities holding

an OL or CP

85-58 Failure Of A General Electric 7/17/85 All power reactor

Type AK-2-25 Reactor Trip facilities designed

Breaker by B&W and CE holding

an OL or CP

85-57 Lost Iridium-192 Source 7/16/85 All power reactor

Resulting In The Death Of facilities holding

Eight Persons In Morocco an OL or CP; fuel

facilities; and

material licensees

85-56 Inadequate Environment 7/15/85 All power reactor

Control For Components And facilities holding

Systems In Extended Storage an OL or CP

Or Layup

85-55 Revised Emergency Exercise 7/15/85 All power reactor

Frequency Rule facilities holding

an OL or CP

85-54 Teletheraphy Unit Malfunction 7/15/85 All NRC licensees

authorized to use

teletheraphy units

85-53 Performance Of NRC-Licensed 7/12/85 All power reactor

Individuals While On Duty facilities holding

an OL or CP

85-52 Errors In Dose Assessment 7/10/85 All power reactor

Computer Codes And Reporting facilities holding

Requirements Under 10 CFR an OL or CP

Part 21

85-51 Inadvertent Loss Or Improper 7/10/85 All power reactor

Actuation Of Safety-Related facilities holding

Equipment an OL or CP

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit