Information Notice 2020-01, Increased Electronic Equipment Issues After Electrostatic Cleaning
| ML20232C703 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/08/2020 |
| From: | Chris Miller, Wilins J, Kevin Williams Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Lintz M | |
| References | |
| IN 2020-01 | |
| Download: ML20232C703 (3) | |
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001 September 8, 2020
NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2020-01: INCREASED ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ISSUES
AFTER ELECTROSTATIC CLEANING
ADDRESSEES
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensees, Agreement State Radiation Control
Program Directors, and State Liaison Officers.
PURPOSE
The NRC is issuing this information notice (IN) to inform addressees of recent operating
experience associated with the use of electrostatic spray cleaning. An NRC licensee noticed an
increase in the frequency of issues with control room simulator equipment1 following the routine
use of an electrostatic spray cleaning technique in their simulator facilities. The NRC expects
that recipients will review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems. INs may not impose new requirements, and nothing
in this IN should be interpreted to require specific action.
DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES
While conducting control room simulator activities in June 2020, the simulator staff at an
NRC-licensed power reactor plant informed NRC inspectors that they had noted an increase in
the frequency of issues with simulator equipment. Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic, the training facilities that house the licensees control room simulator employed deep
cleaning methods to treat for potential viral surface contamination. One of the cleaning
methods used for the training facilities, including the control room simulator panels and
surfaces, was an electrostatic spraying technique, also referred to as an antiviral fogging. The
treatment was performed on a weekly basis starting in March 2020.
After starting the treatment, the licensee noted the following control room simulator equipment
issues: instances of sticking control panel pushbutton switches, audio indications of control rod
movement failing intermittently, and sluggish movement when operating pump and valve control
panel switches. Each of these equipment issues had been experienced previously in the
simulator; however, the licensee noted more frequent occurrences following use of the antiviral
fogging treatments. At no time was safety significant equipment exposed to this cleaning
technique and the plant continued to operate safely.
The licensees control room simulator facilities subsequently stopped using the electrostatic
spraying technique and employed other disinfectant techniques.
1 Control room simulator equipment is used as a full-size model version of control room equipment to train reactor plant operators.
The NRC is not aware of any instances of the use of the electrostatic spraying cleaning method in any actual NRC-licensed reactor
plant control rooms.
DISCUSSION
The electrostatic spraying technique uses a device that coats facility surfaces with an antiviral
chemical bound to electrostatically charged particles. The NRC is not aware of any instances of
the use of this electrostatic spray technique in any NRC-licensed control room facilities. The
NRC is providing this operating experience to inform licensees of potential risks posed by
cleaning methodologies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CONTACT
S
Please direct any questions about this matter to the technical contact listed below.
/RA/ M. Ferdas for /RA/
Christopher G. Miller, Director Kevin Williams, Director
Division of Reactor Oversight Division of Materials Safety, Security, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation State, and Tribal Programs
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
Technical Contact:
Julie Winslow, NRR
301-415-0593 E-mail: Julie.Winslow@nrc.gov
ML20232C703 EPIDS No. L-2020-GEN-0007 OFFICE Author QTE NRR/DRO/IOEB/PM NRR/DRO/LA
NAME JWinslow KAzariah-Kribbs BBenney IBetts
DATE 8/31/20 8/20/20 8/31/20 09/09/20
OFFICE NRR/DRO/IOEB/BC NMSS NRR/DRO/D
NAME LRegner KWilliams MFerdas for CMiller
DATE 9/03/20 8/31/20 9/08/20