ML16211A052

Press Release-I-16-024: NRC Proposes $7,000 Fine for Georgia Firm for Violations Involving Radiography Work

ML16211A052
Person / Time
Issue date:	07/28/2016
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
References
Press Release-I-16-024
Download: ML16211A052 (1)

See also: see also:Press Release-I-16-024

Text

No. I-16-024 July 28, 2016

Contact: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330

Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331

NRC Proposes $7,000 Fine for Georgia Firm for Violations

Involving Radiography Work

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing a $7,000 civil penalty for a Georgia-based

company for failing to comply with agency requirements while performing industrial radiography work

at a job site in Virginia.

On Oct. 20, 2015, a radiographer for Applied Technical Services (ATS) Inc., of Marietta, Ga.,

was using radiography equipment to check on a pipe weld at the National Aeronautics and Space

Administrations (NASA) Langley Research Center when the NRC conducted an unannounced safety

inspection and identified several concerns. Issues found during that inspection also triggered an

investigation by the NRCs Office of Investigation.

Based on the results of both the inspection and investigation, the NRC has identified three

violations of NRC regulations: 1) a failure to post conspicuous radiation or high radiation signs to

establish a clear boundary in an area where industrial radiography was being performed; 2) a failure to

conduct a radiological survey of the camera guide tube after taking a pipe weld image; and 3) a failure

to comply with a condition of the companys nuclear materials license from the State of Georgia that

requires continuous direct visual surveillance of the radiography work to guard against unauthorized

entries into the radiation area.

ATS is a consulting engineering firm that holds nuclear materials licenses from both the NRC

and Georgia. Georgia, as an NRC Agreement State, issued the company a license allowing it to perform

radiography work within its borders and in other Agreement States. When the firm is working at federal

facilities, such as the NASA site, it falls under the jurisdiction of the NRC.

The NRC is also issuing a Severity Level III Notice of Violation to the radiographer for

deliberately failing to post warnings in the area where the industrial radiography was being performed.

Contrary to NRC regulations, radiography work was being performed in this case without the

proper precautions in places. These steps are required for the protection of both the public and those

performing the activities, NRC Region I Administrator Dan Dorman said. While no one was harmed

by this breach of requirements, the lack of adherence to these important requirements is unacceptable.