Information Notice 1998-16, Inadequate Operational Checks of Alarm Ratemeters
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UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555
April 30, 1998
NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 98-16: INADEQUATE OPERATIONAL CHECKS OF ALARM
RATEMETERS
Addressees
All Industrial Radiography Licensees
Purpose
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information notice to alert
addressees to the need to follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding proper operational
checks of alarm ratemeters. It is expected that recipients will review this information for
applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems.
However, suggestions contained in this information notice are not new NRC requirements;
therefore, no specific action nor written response is required.
Description of Circumstances
Two radiographers were working under reciprocity in an Agreement State, and both donned film
badges, direct-reading dosimeters (DRDs), and alarm ratemeters. At the start of the shift, the
radiographers checked the operation of their NDS Products (NDS) Model RA-500 alarm
ratemeters by pushing their buttons and hearing audible signals. After an exposure, the crew
became distracted and failed to read their survey instruments when approaching the exposure
area to prepare for the next shot. After set-up of the next shot, the crew returned to the camera
and attempted to expose the source. The crew realized that the source was already exposed, so they retracted the source. The crew checked their DRDs and saw that they were off-scale.
Neither alarm ratemeter alarmed during the event.
The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) performed an operational check of the licensee's entire
inventory of alarm ratemeters soon after the event by pushing a button and hearing an audible
signal. The RSO then tested the response of all its alarm ratemeters by exposing them to
radiation inside of a permanent radiographic installation. The RSO noted that the two alarm
o
ratemeters that were used during the event plus an additional one failed to alarm when tested in
/
a radiation field in excess of 5 mSv/hr (500 mR/hr) even though the operational checks
passed". The RSO sent the three alarm ratemeters back to NDS for repair. NDS reported that
all three alarm ratemeters had dead or weak batteries.
Based on film badge results 'and licensee dose calculations, one radiographer received
approximately 25 mSv (2.5 rem) from the event. The other radiographer received less than
3 mSv (300 mrem).
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IN 98-16 April 30, 1998 NRC learned that NDS' operation manual for the Model RA-500 states that the battery and
audio tone check requires pressing a button after the unit is powered on. The red LED lights up
(visual signal) if the battery is O.K. and the alarm will sound (audible signal). If either the visual
or audible signal fails, the alarm ratemeter must not be used. An NDS representative confirmed
that the audible signal is only a speaker test. The battery check (i.e., voltage across the
detector) requires the visual signal. Therefore, failure to check the LED light equates to failure
to check the battery.
The licensee's operating procedures and instructions to personnel did not include both
operational checks, and this rendered the battery check inadequate. The licensee's failure to
perform adequate operational checks appeared to explain why alarm ratemeters failed during
the event. Had the alarm ratemeters been properly checked, the weakened state of the
batteries could have been detected. The batteries would have been replaced and the alarm
ratemeters would have alarmed and alerted the radiographers to an exposed source, so they
could have taken actions to reduce their radiation exposures.
Discussion:
Licensees are reminded of the need to review and incorporate device manufacturers'
recommended procedures in developing operating procedures, particularly those regarding
operational checks of alarm ratemeters. NRC expects licensees to use safety-related
equipment in accordance with the manufacturers Instructions for operation and maintenance.
Licensees should emphasize to workers, especially in industrial radiography activities, the need
to strictly follow such procedures.
This information notice requires no specific action nor written response. If you have any
questions about the information in this notice, please contact the technical contact listed below
or the appropriate NRC regional office.
Donald A. Cool, Director
Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
CONTACT
S: Robert G. Gattone, RIII
(630) 829-9823 E-mail: RGG@nrc.gov
J. Bruce Carrico, NMSS
E-mail: JBC@nrc.gov
(301) 415-7826 Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices ,9- fa
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2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
h
__,4chment 1 IN 98-16
April 30 1998
Page 1 of -1
LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
NMSS INFORMATION NOTICES
Information
Date of
Notice No.
Subject
Issuance
Issued to
98-12 Licensees' Responsibilities
Regarding Reporting and
Follow-up Requirements for
Nuclear-Powered Pacemakers
April 3, 1998
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission nuclear pacemaker
licensees
98-1 0
98-09
98-08
98-06
98-04
98-01
97-91
Probable Misadministrations
Occurring During Intravascular
Brachytherapy With The
Novoste Beta-Cath System
Collapse of an Isocam II, Dual-
Headed Nuclear Medicine Gamma
Camera
Information Likely to be Requested
if an Emergency is Declared
Unauthorized use of License
to Obtain Radioactive Materials, and its Implications Under The
Expanded Title 18 of the U.S. Code
1997 Enforcement Sanctions for
Deliberate'Violations of NRC
Employee Protection
Requirements
Thefts of Portable Gauges
Recent Failures of Control
Cables Used on Amersham
Model 660 Posilock Radiography
Systems
Distribution of Sources and
Devices Without Authorization
3/5/98
All medical licensees
4/3/98
3/3/98
All parts 30, 40, 70, 72 and 76
licensees and certificate holders
required to have a Nuclear
Regulatory Commission approved
All Medical Licensees
2/19/98
2/9/98
1/15/98
12/31197
12/29/97
All NRC Licensees authorized
to Possess Licensed Materials
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission licensees.
All portable gauge licensees
All industrial radiography
licensees
All sealed source and device
manufacturers and distributors
97-89
J
,Attachment 2 IN 98-15
April30, 1998
Page 1 of I
LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
NRC INFORMATION NOTICES
Information
Date of
Notice No.
Subject
Issuance
Issued to
98-15 Intergrity of Operator Licensing
4/20/98
All holder of operating licenses
Examinations
for nuclear power reactors except
those that have permanently
ceased operations and have
certified that fuel has been
permanently removed from the
reactor vessel
98-14
98-13
Undocumented Changes to
Non-Power Reactor Safety
System Wiring
Post-Refueling Outage Reactor
Pressure Vessel Leak Testing
Before Core Criticality
Licensees' Responsibilities
Regarding Reporting and Follow-up
Requirements for Nuclear-Powered
Pacemakers
Cracking of Reactor Vessel
Internal Baffle Former Bolts
in Foreign Plants
4/20/98
4/20/98
4/3/98
3/25/98
All holders of operating licenses
or construction permits for test
research reactors
All holders of operating licenses
for nuclear power reactors except
those that have permanently
ceased operations and have
certified that fuel has been
permanently removed from the
reactor vessel
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission nuclear pacemaker
licensees
All holders of operating licensing
for pressurized-water reactors
(PWRs) except those who have
ceased operation and have
certified that fuel has been
permanently removed from the
reactor vessel.
98-12
98-11 OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit
IN 98-XX
April
, 1998 NRC learned that NDS' operation manual for the Model RA-500 states that the battery and
audio tone check requires pressing a button after the unit is powered on. The red LED lights up
(visual signal) if the battery is O.K. and the alarm will sound (audible signal). If either the visual
or audible signal fails, the alarm ratemeter must not be used. An NDS representative confirmed
that the audible signal is only a speaker test. The battery check (i.e., voltage across the
detector) requires the visual signal. Therefore, failure to check the LED light equates to failure
to check the battery.
The licensee's operating procedures and instructions to personnel did not include both
operational checks, and this rendered the battery check inadequate. The licensee's failure to
perform adequate operational checks appeared to explain why alarm ratemeters failed during
the event. Had the alarm ratemeters been properly checked, the weakened state of the
batteries could have been detected. The batteries would have been replaced and the alarm
ratemeters would have alarmed and alerted the radiographers of an exposed source so that
they could have taken actions to reduce their radiation exposure.
Discussion:
Licensees are reminded of the need to review and incorporate device manufacturers'
recommended procedures in developing operating procedures, particularly those regarding
operational checks of alarm ratemeters. NRC expects licensees to use safety-related
equipment in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions for operation and maintenance.
Licensees should emphasize to workers, especially in industrial radiography activities, the need
to strictly follow such procedures.
This information notice requires no specific-action nor written response. If you have any
questions about the information in this notice, please contact the technical contact listed below
or the appropriate NRC regional office.
Donald A. Cool, Director
Division of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
CONTACT
S: Robert G. Gattone, Rill
(630) 829-9823 E-mail: RGG@nrc.gov
J. Bruce Carrico, NMSS
E-mail: JBC@nrc.gov
(301) 415-7826 Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices
2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
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IN 98-XX
April
, 1998 NRC learned that NDS' operation manual for the Model RA-500 states that the battery and
audio tone check requires pressing a button after the unit is powered on. The red LED lights p
(visual signal) if the battery is O.K. and the alarm will sound (audible signal). If either the vi
al
or audible signal fails, the alarm ratemeter must not be used. An NDS representative co irmed
that the audible signal is only a speaker test. The battery check (i.e., voltage across th
detector) requires the visual signal. Therefore, failure to check the LED light equates
failure
to check the battery.
The licensee's operating procedures and instructions to personnel did not includ both
operational checks, and this rendered the battery check inadequate. The lice
ee's failure to
perform adequate operational checks appeared to explain why alarm rateme rs failed during
the event. Had the alarm ratemeters been properly checked, they likely w
Id have alarmed
and alerted the radiographers of an exposed source so that they could hae taken actions to
reduce their radiation exposure.
Discussion:
Licensees are reminded of the need to review and incorporate de ce manufacturers'
recommended procedures in developing operating procedures, p rticularly those regarding
operational checks of alarm ratemeters. NRC expects licensee to use safety-related
equipment in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions
r operation and maintenance.
Licensees should emphasize to workers, especially in indust al radiography activities, the need
to strictly follow such procedures.
This information notice requires no specific action nor w tten response. If you have any
questions about the information in this notice, please
ntact the technical contact listed below
or the appropriate NRC regional office.
D nald A. Cool, Director
ivision of Industrial and
Medical Nuclear Safety
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
CONTACT
S: Robert G. Gattone, R
(630) 829-9823 E-mail: RGG@n .gov
J. Bruce Carri
,NMSS
E-mail: JBC nrc.gov
(301) 415-
26 Attachments:
1. List of Recently I ued NMSS Information Notices
2. List of Recently ssued NRC Information Notices
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