Information Notice 1987-55, Portable Moisture/Density Gauges: Recent Incidents of Portable Gauges Being Stolen or Lost
SSINS No. 6835 IN 87-55
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND-SAFEGUARDS
WASHINGTON, ti.C. 20555
October 29, 1987 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 87-55:' PORTABLE MOISTURE/DENSITY GAUGES: RECENT
INCIDENTS OF PORTABLE GAUGES BEING STOLEN
OR LOST
[Refer also to NRC Information Notice No. 86-67, August 1m, 1986, Same subject]
Addressees
All NRC licensees authorized to possess portable gauges.
Purpose
This notice is intended to inform licensees of the recent increase in incidents
of portable gauges being lost or stolen during' use, transportation,' and storage.
It is expected that recipients will review the information for-applicability to
their licensed activities and consider actions, if appropriate, to preclude
similar problems from occurring at their facili-ties.
However, suggestions
contained in this information-notice do not constitute NRC requirements;
therefore, no specific action or written response is required.
Description of Circumstances
Several incidents have occurred recently where portable moisture and density
gauges have been lost or stolen from'licensees, either from job sites or from
vehicles during transportation.
Gauges lost or stolen were not secured or were
stolen while left unattended by the users.
In one recent event, a gauge was stolen after the user failed to lock the case
and failed to chain the case to the truck, which itself was left unattended.
This event resulted in four violations of NRC requiremients.. In another case, a
gauge was stolen after be-ng left outdoors, unattended, over a weekend, at a
construction site.
Discussion:
A primary contributing factor in these incidents was the failure of the gauge
users to secure and maintain control over the gauges.
Title 10 CFR 20.207 requires that licensed material (e.g., portable gauges)
must be under the constant surveillance and immediate control of the licensee, or must be secured in storage. At construction sites, the licensee must
constantly control access to the gauge during use at the site, and keep it in
locked storage when not in use.
8710230213 7-A
IN 87-55 October 29, 1987 NRC licensees transporting portable gauges are subject to the regulations in
Section 71.5(a) incorporates certain regulations (49 CFR
170-189) of the Department of Transportation (DOT), to which these licensees are
also subject. Licensees who transport gauges to and from temporary job sites
in private vehicles are shippers acting as private carriers, and as such, must comply with the DOT regulations governing both shippers and carriers.
Title 49 CFR 177.842(d) requires that packages containing radioactive material
(i.e., the gauge in its case) must be blocked'and braced to prevent movement of
the package during transportation (see Information Notice 87-31, attached). For
pickup trucks, this requirement is usually met when the gauge is secured within
its case, and the case is secured and locked to the bed of the truck.
The NRC has also noted several incidents where gauges were damaged in transporta- tion accidents or by being run over by construction vehicles. The most prevalent
cause of such incidents is the failure by the licensee to secure and lock the
cargo door, combined with a failure to properly secure the device/case to the
bed of the vehicle. Licensees are reminded that they should use care to avoid
these types of incidents. If a gauge is damaged, the area around the gauge
should be restricted, and the licensee's radiation safety officer and NRC should
be promptly notified.
No specific action or written response is required by this notice. If you have
any questions regarding this information notice, please contact the appropriate
NRC regional office or this office.
Richar E. Cunningham, Drector
Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
Technical Contact:
Don Mackenzie, NMSS
(301) 427-4052 Attachments:
1. Information Notice No. 86-67
2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
SSINS: 6835 IN 86-67
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555
AUGUST 15, 1986
IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 86-67:
PORTABLE MOISTURE/DENSITY GAUGES: RECENT
INCIDENTS AND COMMON VIOLATIONS OF REQUIREMENTS
FOR USE, TRANSPORTATION, AND STORAGE
Addressees
All NRC licensees authorized to possess, use, transport, and store sealed sources
contained in portable gauges used to measure the moisture content and/or density
of construction materials.
Purpose
This notice is intended to bring to the attention of licensees the recent
increase in incidents involving the use, transportation, and storage of portable
gauges and the number of common violations identified during NRC inspections.
It is expected that recipients will review the information for applicability
to their facilities and consider actions, if appropriate, to preclude similar
problems from occurring at their facilities.
However, suggestions contained
in this information notice do not constitute NRC requirements; therefore, no
specific action or written response is required.
Description of Circumstances
An abnormally high number of incidents have occurred recently where portable
moisture/density gauges have been damaged at temporary job sites by heavy
construction equipment or where the gauges have been lost or stolen from
licensee vehicles during transportation. Gauges damaged at construction sites
were left unattended.
Gauges lost or stolen from vehicles were not secured to
the vehicle or were stolen while left unattended by the users.
Inspections initiated by these incidents and routine inspections that have been
preformed reveal common violations of NRC requirements.
These violations
include failure to:
(1) have a shipping paper in the transport vehicle
(2) transport gauges in authorized packages
8608120509
-
IN 86-67 August 14, 1986 (3) maintain records of tests performed on transport cases and on sealed
sources
(4) use authorized and/or qualified users
(5) use authorized storage locations
(6) conduct leak tests and physical inventories to conduct those tests and
inventories within the required time interval
(7) wear film or TLD badges or estimate doses to personnel who had lost their
badges or evaluate and report possible overexposures
Discussion:
The cause of these incidents, invariably, is the failure of the gauge users to
secure and maintain control over the gauges.
10 CFR 20.207 requires that licensed material (in these cases the sealed
sources in the gauges) must be under the constant surveillance and immediate
control of the licensee or must be secured in storage when in an unrestricted
area.
An unre-stricted area is defined in 10 CFR 20.3(a)(17) as any area to
which access is not controlled by the licensee for purposes of protection of
individuals from exposure to radiation and radioactive materials and any area
used for residential quarters. A construction site is usually an unrestricted
area; so the licensee must constantly control access to the gauge while in
storage or during use at the site.
NRC licensees transporting portable gauges are subject to 10 CFR 71. 10 CFR
71.5(a) incorporates certain regulations (49 CFR 170-189) of the Department of
Transportation (DOT) to which these licensees are also subject.
Licensees who
transport gauges to and from temporary job sites in licensee or private vehicles
are acting as private shippers and, as such, must comply with the DOT regulations
governing shippers.
49 CFR 177.842(d) requires that packages containing
radioactive material (i.e, the gauge in its case and containing radioactive
sealed sources) must be blocked and braced to prevent movement of the package
during transportation.
For pickup trucks, this requirement is usually met when
the gauge, in its case, is chained or tied to the bed of the truck.
Licensees are reminded that they must use, transport, and store the gauges in
accordance with the conditions of their NRC license, other commitments made to
the NRC, and applicable regulations. A discussion of other requirements and
license conditions commonly violated is attached.
IN 86-67 August 15, 1986 No specific action or written response is required by this notice. If you
have any questions regarding this information notice, please contact the
Regional Administrator of the appropriate NRC regional office or this office.
Jam
G. Partlow, Director
Division of Inspection Programs
Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Technical Contact:
J. R. Metzger, IE
(301) 492-4947 Attachments:
1. Other Common Violations
2. List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices
August 14, 1986
Attachment 1' OTHER COMMON VIOLATIONS
49 CFR 172.201, 172.202, 172.203(d), 172.204, and 177.817(e) specify the contents
of the shipping paper and the location in a vehicle where the shipping paper
must be stored.
Shipping papers must not be stored in or on the case containing
the gauge or in the glove compartment of the vehicle.
49 CFR 173.475 requires that before each shipment the shipper ensures by
examination or appropriate test that'the proper shipping case or box is used, that the case is in unimpaired physical condition, and that each closure device
on the case is properly installed, secured, and free of defects.
49 CFR 172.301, 172.304, 172,308, 172.310, 172.403, and 178.350 specify the
labeling and marking of the case used for shipping.
Vehicles transporting one
or more gauges usually do not require placards (49 CFR 172.504, Table 1).
49 CFR 173.415(a) and 173.476(a) require that shippers maintain on file results
of tests conducted on shipping cases and on the sealed sources contained in the
Licensees can usually obtain these test results from the manufacturer
of the gauges.
Gauges must be used only by properly authorized and trained individuals. A
common license condition usually names individuals who are authorized to use the
gauges or who must be physically present to supervise their use.
Occasionally, licensees are allowed by a license condition to name authorized users.
Authorized
users must have successfully completed an approved training course given by the
manufacturer or a consulting firm.
Certain licensees are authorized to provide
in-house training.
The Radiation Protection Officer (RPO) also may be named
on the license, but is always specified in documents submitted to the NRC.
When
this individual is no longer employed as RPO, the licensee must request an
amendment to the license to name a replacement.
A specific license condition or statement in a submitted document specifies the
temporary and permanent storage facilities for the gauges.
Private residences
(including basements and garages) are usually not allowed as storage facilities.
Vehicles used to temporarily store gauges overnight at private residences must
not be used by individuals who are not authorized users for purposes other than
those authorized on the license.
For example, friends or relatives of an
authorized user must not use a vehicle containing a gauge unless those individuals
are performing a purpose authorized on the license as authorized users.
A specific license condition will specify the interval between leak tests.
This
interval is usually 6 months and may be greater on some licenses for gauges that
are stored and not being used.
Many licensees also are required by license
condition to conduct a physical inventory at 6-month intervals.
August 15, 1986
Attachment 1 Licensees are usually committed by a referenced document to wear film or TLD
badges when using or transporting the gauges.
When not worn by the users, the
badges must not be stored near or on the gauges.
For lost badges, the licensee
is required by 10 CFR 20.201 to estimate the user's dose for the period for
which the badge was lost.
For film or TL badge reports indicating that doses
greater than the limit in 10 CFR 20.101 may have been received, the licensee
must evaluate the reading (10 CFR 20.201) to determine if it has been caused by
an actual exposure to the user.
This evaluation includes, at a minimum, questioning the user about the use of the gauge and badge and having the film
or TLD badge processor reexamine the badge.
Although, true overexposures of
gauge users are rare, the occurrences must be reported to the NRC as required
by 10 CFR 20.405.
Attachment 2
August 15, 1986
LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
IE INFORMATION NOTICES
Information
Date of
Notice No.
Subject
Issue
Issued to
86-66
86-65
86-64
86-63
86-62 Potential For Failure Of
8/15/86
Replacement AC Coils Supplied
By The Westinghouse Electric
Corporation For Use In Class
lE Motor Starters And
Contractors
Malfunctions Of ITT Barton
8/14/86
Model 580 Series Switches
During Requalification Testing
Deficiencies In Upgrade
8/14/86
Programs For Plant Emergency
Operating Procedures
Loss Of Safety Injection
8/6/86 Capability
Potential Problems In West-
7/31/86 inghouse Molded Case Circuit
Breakers Equipped With A
Shunt Trip
Failure Of Auxiliary Feed-
7/28/86 water Manual Isolated Valve
Unanalyzed Post-LOCA Release 7/28/86 Paths
Unauthorized Transfer And
7/14/86
Loss Of Control Of Industrial
Nuclear Gauges
Increased Monitoring Of
7/14/86
Certain Patients With
Implanted Coratomic, Inc.
Model C-100 and C-101 Nuclear-Powered Cardiac
Pacemakers
All power reactor
facilities holding
All power reactor
facilities holding
All power reactor
facilities holding
All PWR facilities
All power reactor
facilities holding
All power reactor
facilities holding
a CP
Allpower reactor
facilities holding
All NRC general
licensees that possess
and use industrial
nuclear gauges
86-61
86-60
86-31 Sup. 1
86-59 (
All NRC licensees
authorized to use
nuclear-powered
cardiac pacemakers
OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit
Attachment 2
October 29, 1987
LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
INFORMATION NOTICES 1987
Information
Date of
Notice No.
Subject
Issuance
Issued to
87-54
87-53
87-52
87-51
87-50
Emergency Response Exercises
Auxiliary Feedwater Pump
Trips Resulting from Low
Suction Pressure
Insulation Breakdown of
Silicone Rubber-Insulated
Single Conductor-Cables
During High Potential Testing
Failure of Low Pressure
Safety Injection Pump Due
to Seal Problems
Potential LOCA at High- and Low-Pressure Interfaces
from Fire Damage
Deficiencies in Outside
Containment Flooding
Protection
Information Concerning the
Use of Anaerobic Adhesive/
Sealants
Transportation of Radio- graphy Devices
Undetected Loss of Reactor
Coolant
10/23/87
10/20/87
10/16/87
10/13/87
10/9/87
10/9/87
10/9/87
10/5/87
9/30/87
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All nuclear power
reactor facilities
All nuclear power
reactor facilities
All nuclear power
reactor facilities
All nuclear power
reactor facilities
All NRC licensees
authorized to manu- facture, distribute
and/or operate radio- graphic exposure
devices and/or
source changers.
87-49
87-48
87-47
87-46 All PWR
holding
facilities
OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit
IN 87- October , 1987 NRC licensees transporting portable gauges are subject to the regulations in
Section 71.5(a) incorporates certain regulations (49 CFR
170-189) of the Department of Transportation (DOT), to which these licensees are
also subject.
Licensees who transport gauges to and from temporary job sites
in private vehicles are shippers acting as private carriers, and as such, must comply with the DOT regulations governing both shippers and carriers.
Title 49 CFR 177.842(d) requires that packages containing radioactive material
(i.e., the gauge in its case) must be blocked and braced to prevent movement of
the package during transportation (see Information Notice 87-31, attached).
For
pickup trucks, this requirement is usually met when the gauge is secured within
its case, and the case is secured and locked to the bed of the truck.
The NRC has also noted several incidents where gauges were damaged in transporta- tion accidents or by being run over by construction vehicles.
The most prevalent
cause of such incidents is the failure by the licensee to secure and lock the
cargo door, combined with a failure to properly secure the device/case to the
bed of the vehicle.
Licensees are reminded that they should use care to avoid
these types of incidents. If a gauge is damaged, the area around the gauge
should be restricted, and the licensee's radiation safety officer and NRC should
be promptly notified.
No specific action or written response is required by this notice. If you have
any questions regarding this information notice, please contact the appropriate
NRC regional office or this office.
Richard E. Cunningham, Director
Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
Technical Contact:
Don Mackenzie, NMSS
(301) 427-4052 Attachments:
1. Information Notice No. 86-67
2.
List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
(*See previous concurrence)
OFC:
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IN 87- October , 1987 NRC licensees transporting portable gauges are subject to the regulations in
10 CFR Part 71. Section 71.5(a) incorporates certain regulations (49 CFR
170-189) of the Department of Transportation (DOT), to which these licensees are
also subject. Licensees who transport gauges to and from temporary job sites
in licensee or private vehicles are acting as private shippers, and as such, must comply with the DOT regulations governing shippers. Title 49 CFR 177.842(d)
requires that packages containing radioactive material (i.e., the gauge in its
case) must be blocked and braced to prevent movement of the package during
transportation (see Information Notice 87-31, attached).
For pickup trucks, this requirement is usually met when the gauge, in its case, is secured and
locked to the bed of the truck.
The NRC has also noted several incidents where gauges were damaged in
transportation accidents or by being run over by construction vehicles.
Licensees are reminded that they should use care to avoid these types of
incidents. If a gauge is damaged, the area around the gauge should be
restricted, and the licensee's radiation safety officer and NRC should be
promptly notified.
No specific action or written response is required by this notice.
If you have
any questions regarding this information notice, please contact the appropriate
NRC regional office or this office.
Richard E. Cunningham, Director
Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
Technical Contact:
Don Mackenzie, NMSS
(301) 427-4052 Attachments:
1. Information Notice No. 87-31
2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
OFC: Editor
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