Information Notice 2011-11, Heat and Smoke Detector Requirements for 10 CFR Part 36 Irradiators
| ML103540028 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/27/2011 |
| From: | Reis T NRC/FSME/DMSSA |
| To: | |
| Herrera, Tomas: 415-7138 | |
| References | |
| IN-11-011 | |
| Download: ML103540028 (6) | |
ML103540028 UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF FEDERAL AND STATE MATERIALS
AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555
April 27, 2011
NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2011-11: REPORTING REQUIREMENT FOR HEAT AND
SMOKE DETECTOR FAILURES IN 10 CFR PART
36 IRRADIATORS
ADDRESSEES
All holders of irradiator licenses issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
under to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 36, Licensees and
Radiation Safety Requirements for Irradiators; Agreement State Radiation Control Program
Directors and State Liaison Officers.
PURPOSE
The NRC is issuing this information notice (IN) to inform addressees that reporting may be
necessary when the smoke or heat detection systems in panoramic irradiators do not function
properly. This IN also reminds licensees that smoke and heat detectors required by 10 CFR 36, are independent systems and the inoperability of either is reportable when there is no redundant
equipment available to perform the required safety function. No specific action or written
response is required. The NRC is providing this IN to the Agreement States for their information
and for distribution to their panoramic irradiator licensees, as appropriate.
DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES
In September 2008, a State of Nebraska panoramic irradiator licensee reported that the smoke
detector used to detect smoke in the radiation room failed to operate during their quarterly
safety maintenance check. The smoke detector was not physically located in the radiation
room, but an inlet allows smoke to travel from the radiation room to the smoke detector. The
smoke detector failed to sense the smoke from a smoke stick. The licensee discovered that a
filter located between the smoke inlet and the smoke detector was clogged with debris and as a
result, the smoke detector was unable to detect the sample. The licensee tapped the filter with
a hammer, and blew compressed air through it to clear it out. The filter was re-installed and the
smoke detector retested successfully.
A State of Nebraska inspector was onsite during the licensees quarterly test. The licensee
informed the inspector that the smoke detector failed the test approximately once a year due to
a plugged filter. The licensee had not reported prior failures to the State regulator. From past
experiences, the licensee had not reported the prior failures because they thought that the heat
and smoke detectors required by the regulations made the two detectors redundant systems
since they both served to lower the source rack.
DISCUSSION
Both a heat and smoke detector were present, as required by the Agreement States regulatory
equivalent of 10 CFR 36.27; however, as already stated, the smoke detector failed its test.
Since this was the only smoke detector the failure required a 24 hour2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> report in accordance with
the Agreement State equivalent of 10 CFR 30.50. 10 CFR 30.50(b)(2), which is applicable to
10 CFR Part 36 licensees under 10 CFR 36.1(a), and the equivalent Agreement State
regulatory requirements, require notification to the NRC or the Agreement State within 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />
after discovery of:
An event in which equipment is disabled or fails to function as designed when:
(i) The equipment is required by regulation or license condition to prevent releases
exceeding regulatory limits, to prevent exposures to radiation and radioactive materials
exceeding regulatory limits, or to mitigate the consequences of an accident
(ii) The equipment is required to be available and operable when it is disabled or fails
to function; and
(iii) No redundant equipment is available and operable to perform the required safety
function.
A similar situation was reported at an NRC regulated facility where a Radiation Safety Officer
was unaware that both smoke and heat detectors were required to function and were not
redundant systems. Other irradiator licensees may not be aware that smoke detectors and heat
detectors are independent requirements and both must be functional at all times. If either
system is not available and operable (e.g., disabled) or fails to function as designed, notice of
the inoperability or failure must be reported in accordance with 10 CFR 30.50(b)(2).
CONCLUSION
The Nebraska licensee resolved its problem by replacing the filters every quarter. NRC
licensees should check their detectors (and applicable filtration systems) at the interval
recommended by the manufacturer of their facility. NRC licensees should also consider
whether more frequent checks are necessary based on the cleanliness of their facility.
CONTACT
This IN requires no specific action or written response. If you have any questions about the
information in this notice, please contact the technical staff members listed below or the
appropriate regional office.
/RA/ by James G. Luehman for
Terrence Reis, Acting Director
Division of Materials Safety
and State Agreements
Office of Federal and State Materials
and Environmental Management Programs
Contacts: Tomas Herrera, FSME/MSSA
(301) 415-7138
Email: Tomas.Herrera@nrc.gov
Jack W. Foster, FSME/MSSA
(301) 415-6250
Email: Jack.Foster@nrc.gov
Enclosure:
List of Recently Issued FSME Generic
Communications
CONTACT
This IN requires no specific action or written response. If you have any questions about the
information in this notice, please contact the technical staff members listed below or the
appropriate regional office.
/RA/ by James G. Luehman for
Terrence Reis, Acting Director
Division of Materials Safety
and State Agreements
Office of Federal and State Materials
and Environmental Management Programs
Contacts: Tomas Herrera, FSME/MSSA
(301) 415-7138
Email: Tomas.Herrera@nrc.gov
Jack W. Foster, FSME/MSSA
(301) 415-6250
Email: Jack.Foster@nrc.gov
Enclosure:
List of Recently Issued FSME Generic
Communications
ML103540028 OFC
MSSA/LB
MSSA/LB
MSSA
MSSA
MSSA
NAME
THerrera
JFoster
AMcIntosh
BJones via
JLuehman
TReis
(JLuehman for)
DATE
12/21/11
1/4/11
1/20/11
4/5/11
3/8/11
4/18/11 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY List of Recently Issued Office of Federal and State Material
and Environmental Management Programs Generic Communications
Date
GC No.
Subject
Addressees
11/13/09 IN-2009-27
Revised International Nuclear and
Radiological Event Scale Users Manual
All holders of an operating license or construction
permit for a power reactor, test reactor or research
reactor issued under 10 CFR Part 50; holders of or
applicants for an early site permit, standard design
certification, standard design approval, manufacturing license, or combined license issued
under 10 CFR Part 52; holders of a materials license, certificate, approval, or registration issued under 10
CFR Parts 30, 31 through 36, 39, 40, 61, 70, 71, 72, and 76; Agreement State Radiation Control Program
Directors and State Liaison Officers.
11/19/2010
IN-2010-24 Notice of Possible Source Leakage During
Non-Routine Maintenance on a Gammacell
40 Irradiator
All academic Type A broad scope licensees; all
medical institutions; all self shielded irradiators
less than or equal to 10,000 cues licensees; all
Radiation Control Program Directors and State
Liaison Officers.
01/21/10
RIS-2010-02 The Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI)
Federally Funded Voluntary Security
Enhancements for High-Risk Radiological
Material
All holders of operating licenses for nuclear power
reactors and research and test reactors
under the provisions of Title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Domestic
Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, except those that have ceased operations and
have certified that fuel has been permanently
removed from the reactor vessel and have no
spent fuel stored on-site. All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) fuel cycle facilities licensed under
10 CFR
Part 40, Domestic Licensing of Source Material or
10 CFR Part 70, Domestic Licensing of
Special Nuclear Material and gaseous diffusion
plants certified under 10 CFR Part 76, Certification of Gaseous Diffusion Plants.
All holders of site-specific licenses for independent
spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs)
under the provisions of 10 CFR Part 72, Licensing
Requirements for the Independent Storage
of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-level Radioactive Waste, and Reactor-related Greater than Class C
Waste, and all holders of 10 CFR Part 50 licenses
with ISFSIs under the general license
provisions of 10 CFR Part 72.
All NRC materials licensees authorized to possess
Category 1 or Category 2 quantities of
radioactive materials, under the provisions of 10 CFR
Parts 30, Rules of General Applicability
to Domestic Licensing of Byproduct Material, 40,
and 70. List of Recently Issued Office of Federal and State Material
and Environmental Management Programs Generic Communications
Date
GC No.
Subject
Addressees
05/25/10
Monitoring the Status of Regulated Activities
During a Pandemic
All holders of operating licenses for nuclear power
reactors and research and test reactors under the
provisions of Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Domestic Licensing of
Production and Utilization Facilities, except those
that have ceased operations and have certified that
fuel has been permanently removed from the
reactor vessel and have no spent fuel stored on-site.
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) fuel
cycle facilities licensed under 10 CFR Part 40,
Domestic Licensing of Source Material or 10 CFR
Part 70, Domestic Licensing of Special Nuclear
Material and gaseous diffusion plants certified
under 10 CFR Part 76, Certification of Gaseous
Diffusion Plants. All holders of site-specific licenses
for independent spent fuel storage installations
(ISFSIs) under the provisions of 10 CFR Part 72, Licensing Requirements for the Independent
Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-level Radioactive
Waste, and Reactor-related Greater than Class C
Waste, and all holders of 10 CFR Part 50 licenses
with ISFSIs under the general license provisions of 10
CFR Part 72. All NRC materials licensees authorized
to possess Category 1 or Category 2 quantities of
radioactive materials, under the provisions of 10 CFR
Parts 30, Rules of General Applicability to Domestic
Licensing of Byproduct Material, 40, and 70.
09/10/10
RIS-2010-09 Radiation Safety Officers For Medical-Use
Licenses Under 10 CFR Part 35 All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
medical-use licensees, NRC master material
licensees, Agreement State Radiation Control
Program Directors, and State Liaison Officers.
01/25/11 RIS-2011-01 NRC Policy On Release Of Iodine-131 Therapy Patients Under 10 CFR 35.75 To
Locations Other Than Private
Residences
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
medical-use licensees, NRC master material
licensees, Agreement State Radiation Control
Program Directors, and State Liaison Officers.
Note: This list contains the six most recently issued generic communications, issued by the Office of Federal and State Materials and
Environmental Management Programs (FSME). A full listing of all generic communications may be viewed at the NRC public website at the
following address: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/gen-comm/index.html