Information Notice 1985-70, Teletherapy Unit Full Calibration and Qualified Expert Requirements (10 CFR 35.23 and 10 CFR 35.24)

Teletherapy Unit Full Calibration and Qualified Expert Requirements (10 CFR 35.23 and 10 CFR 35.24)

ML031180643
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, 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:	08/15/1985
From:	Partlow J NRC/OE
To:
References
IN-85-070, NUDOCS 8508130561
Download: ML031180643 (3)

SSINS No.: 6835 IN 85-70

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 August 15, 1985 IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 85-70: TELETHERAPY UNIT FULL CALIBRATION

AND QUALIFIED EXPERT REQUIREMENTS

(10 CFR 35.23 and 10 CFR 35.24)

Addressees

All NRC licensees authorized to possess and use sealed sources in medical tele- therapy units.

Purpose

This information notice is provided to alert medical licensees of a potential

safety problem in reference to 10 CFR 35.23 (requirement to calibrate instru- ments used for full calibration and spot-check measurements) and 10 CFR 35.24 (criteria to determine qualified expert).

It is expected that medical licensees using teletherapy units will review this

notice for applicability to their activities, if appropriate, to preclude

incorrect measurement of teletherapy output that could result in excessive

radiation exposures to patients during therapeutic administrations. However, suggestions contained in this information notice do not constitute NRC require- ments; therefore, no specific action or written response is required.

Description of Circumstances

It was determined during recent routine NRC inspections that full calibration

measurements of Co-60 teletherapy units, performed by a qualified expert, were

conducted using a dosimetry system that was not calibrated by the National

Bureau of Standards or by a Regional Calibration Laboratory accredited by the

American Association of Physicists in Medicine. The institutions where the

events were discovered were requested by the NRC to have their units checked

with a dosimetry system that had been calibrated by an accredited laboratory.

The output check at one facility showed the dosimetry system to be underestimat- ing machine output by 4.8 percent, which is greater than the 3 percent limit

specified in 10 CFR 35.21. The institution had to adjust patient treatments

accordingly. It also was determined that thi-s dosimetry system had been used

at one other institution and a similar request for corrections was made of that

institution.

8508130561

IN 85-70

August 15, 1985 Discussion:

Licensees authorized to possess and use sealed sources in medical teletherapy

units should be aware of their responsibilities with respect to 10 CFR 35.23,

35.24, and 35.27. It is required by 10 CFR 35.23 that full calibration measure- ments of the teletherapy unit be performed using a dosimetry system which has

been calibrated by the National Bureau of Standards or by a Regional Calibration

Laboratory accredited by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. In

addition, 10 CFR 35.21 requires that the full calibration measurements set forth

in 10 CFR 35.23 be performed by a qualified expert who meets the criteria out- lined in 10 CFR 35.24. Records of the full calibration measurements and the

licensee's evaluation of the qualified expert's training must be preserved for

a minimum of 5 years and maintained for NRC inspection pursuant to 10 CFR 35.27.

It is important that licensees are aware that compliance with these regulations

is their responsibility, regardless of who performs the measurements.-

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

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

Administrator of the appropriate NRC regional office or this office.

Jam G r Director

Di sion of Inspection Programs

Office of Inspection and Enforcement

J. R. Metzger, IE

(301) 492-4947 -

Attachment: List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices

Attachment 1 IN 85-70

August 15, 1985 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

IE INFORMATION NOTICES

Information Date of

Notice No. -. Subject . Issue Issued to

85-69 'Recent Felony Conviction For ,.8/15/85 All power reactor

CheatingOn Reactor Operator facilities holding

Requalification Tests an OL or CP

85-68 Diesel Generator Failure At 8/14/85 All power reactor

Calvert Cliffs Nuclear facilities holding

Station Unit 1 an OL or CP

85-42 Loose Phosphor In.Panasonic 8/12/85 Materials and fuel

Rev. 1 800 Series Badge Thermo- cycle licensees

luminescent Dosimeter (TLD),

Elements

85-67 Valve-Shaft-To-Actuator Key 8/8/85 All power reactor

May Fall Out Of Place When facilities holding

Mounted Below Horizontal Axis an OL or CP

85-66 Discrepancies between 8/7/85 All power reactor

As-Built Construction facilities holding

Drawings And Equipment an OL or CP

Installations

85-65 Crack Growth In Steam 7/31/85 All PWR facilities

Generator Girth Welds holding an OL or CP

85-64 BBC Brown Boveri Low-Voltage 7/26/85 All power reactor

K-Line Circuit Breakers, With facilities holding

Deficient Overcurrent Trip an OL or CP

Devices Models OD-4 and 5

85-63 Potential for Common-Mode 7/25/85 All power reactor

Failure of Standby Gas Treat- facilities holding

ment System on Loss of Off- an OL or CP

Site Power

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit