ML18096B002

Special Rept 92-7:on 920826,auxiliary Bldg 100-ft Elevation Corridor Fire Door Found Impaired & Not Returned to Operability within 7 Days.Caused by Broken Internal Hinge Plate Welds.Damaged Door Will Be Replaced

ML18096B002
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	09/24/1992
From:	Vondra C Public Service Enterprise Group
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
92-7, NUDOCS 9210010134
Download: ML18096B002 (4)

Text

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Public Service Electric and Gas Company P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey 08038 Salem Generating Station September 24, 1992

u. s. Nuclear Regulatory Commission*

Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555

Dear Sir:

SALEM GENERATING STATION LICENSE NO. DPR-70 DOCKET NO. 50-272 UNIT NO. 1 SPECIAL REPORT 92-7 This report addresses the inoperability -0f a fire door for greater than seven (7} days. This report has been prepared in accordance with the reporting requirements of Technical Specification 3. 7 .*11

. Action "a" pursuant to Technical_ Specification 6. 9. 2.

Sincerely yours,

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c. A. Vondra General Manager -

Salem Operations MJP:pc.

Distribution 800G8~

9210010134 920924 PDR ADOCK 05000272 S PDR

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.SPECIAL REPORT NUMBER 92-7

,, PLANT IDENTIFICATION:

Salem Generating Station - Unit 1 Public Service Electric & Gas Company Hancock's Bridge, New Jersey 08038 IDENTIFICATION OF OCCURRENCE:

Technical Specification 3.7.11; Fire Barrier Impaired For Greater Than Seven (7) Days Discovery Date: 9/2/92 Event Date: 11/13/90 Report Date: 9/24/92 Per Tech~ical Specification Action Statement 3.7.11.a, a Special Report is required when fire barrier penetrations are impaired for greater than seven (7) days. This report satisfies this requirement.

This report was initiated by Inciderit Report No. 92-~60.

CONDITIONS PRIOR TO OCCURRENCE:

Mode 1 Reactor Power 100% - Unit Load 1140 MWe DESCRIPTION OF OCCURRENCE:

On August 26, 1992, during normal-power operation, the Auxiliary Building 100 1 Elevation corridor fire door located between Salem Unit 1 and Salem Unit 2 was found impaired by a roving fire watch during patrol. The fire door was misaligned and would not close and latch.

The fire door was declared inoperable and ~echnical Specification 3.7.11 Action "a" was applied.

Inspection of the fire door revealed that the internal hinge plate welds were broken and the internal frame was loose. The fire door could not be ~epaired, therefore, a new fire door was* orde~ed~ Also, during this inspection, it was discovered that the damaged fire door was a 1.5 hour5.787037e-5 days <br />0.00139 hours <br />8.267196e-6 weeks <br />1.9025e-6 months <br /> fire-rated door. The fire barrier in which the door is located is rated as a 3 hour3.472222e-5 days <br />8.333333e-4 hours <br />4.960317e-6 weeks <br />1.1415e-6 months <br /> barrier. The fire door had last been replaced on November 13, 1990, as part of corrective maintenance.

An hourly roving* fire watch had previously been established for the fire door {see Analysis of Occurrence section); therefore, the requirements of Technical Specification Acti6n Statement 3.7.11.a, were.met.

Technical Specification 3.7.11 states:

"All fire penetrations (including cabl~ penetration barriers, fire doors and fire dampers), in fire zone boundaries; protecting safety related areas shall be functional."

e UNIT 1 SPECIAL REPORT 92-7 DESCRIPTION OF OCCURRENCE: (cont'd)

Action Statement 3.7.11.a states:

"With one (1) or more o;f the above required fire barrier

penetrations non-functional, within one (1) hour either establish a continuous fire watch on at least one (1) side of the affected penetration, or verify the OPERABILITY of fire detectors on at least one (1) side of the non-functional fire barrier and establish an hourly fire watch patrol. Restore the non-functional fire barrier penetration (s) to functional status

• within.7 days or, in lieu of any other report required by Specification 6.9.1, prepare and submit a Special Report to the

.Commission pursuant to Specification 6.9.2within the next (30) days outlining the action taken, the cause of .the non-functional penetration ~nd ~lans and schedule for restoring the £ire barrier penetration(s) to functional status."

APPARENT CAUSE OF OCCURRENCE:

The cause of the August 26, 1992 fire door inoperability is equipment failure. The damage was such that the fire door had to be replaced.

A replacement fire qoor was ordered since the fire doors are not a stock item. The new fire door could not be received (and installed) within seven (7) days to satisfy the Technical Specification Action Statement.

• Investigation identified that this fire door is found non-functional at least once each year. The fire door is part of a high traffic pattern. "Additionally, the Auxiliary Building is maintained at negative pressure. Doors such as this, which access the Auxiliary Building, tend to close "hard" promoting a potentially higher failure rate. 'l;'he concern for continued functional reliability of these doors has been previously identified. Until the ventilation concerns*

are resolved, PSE&G has committed to maintaining an hourly fire watch rove for all subject fire doors (i.e., reference response to NRC Inspection Report 272/90-01).

The root cause of the installation of .an improperly rated fire door is personnel error due to inattention to detail. On November 13, 1990, when the fire door was previously found damaged, a Site services planner located a similarly configured fire door and had it installed. The planner failed to verify that it was rated for 3 hours3.472222e-5 days <br />8.333333e-4 hours <br />4.960317e-6 weeks <br />1.1415e-6 months <br /> as required by the design specification.

ANALYSIS OF OCCURRENCE:

The functional integrity of fire barrier penetrations ensures that fires will be confined or adequately retarded from spreading to adjacent portions of the facility. This design feature minimizes the possibility of a single fire involving several areas of the facility. Fire doors are a passive element in the facility fire protection program and are subject to periodic inspections. +/-his report satisfies reporting requirements of Technical Specification Action statement 3.7.11.a, pursuant to Technical Specification 6.9.2 since the time between discovery and eventual repair of the fire door

e UNIT 1 SPECIAL REPORT 92-7 ANALYSIS OF OCCURRENCE: {cont'd) impairment is greater than seven (7) days. Due to other fire protection concerns, an hourly roving.fire wa~ch has been in place during the period of inoperability since November 13, 1990 in accordance with the requirements of Technical Specification Action statemen~ 3.7.11.a.

The subject fire areas contain detection devices in addition to the roving fire watch patrol. A fire in the areas would be detected before it could involve.an adjacent area. This occurrence, therefore, involved no undue risk to the health or safety of the public.

CORRECTIVE ACTION:

The repair of th:e impaired fire door was not accomplished within seven (7) days as discussed previously. The damaged fire door will be replaced upon receipt of the new fire door. The roving hourly firewatch will remain in effect. (after door replacement) until the other fire protection *concerns are resolved.

The concern for continued functional reliability of the subject fire doors has been previously identified. Implementation of corrective action, as committed to in PSE&G's response to NRC Inspection Report 272/90-01, is continuing. *

• Site Services Department management has reviewed this event and disciplinary action has been taken with the individual involved.

Site Services will develop a workshop session, for their planners, stressing the importance of reviewing fire door specifications when preparing work packages involving fire doors. This training will be incorporated into continuing training given to site Services planning personnel.

The work control process, including materiel procurement, for fire door corrective maintenance activities will be reviewed and enhanced as appropriate.

site Services has initiated a random sample inspection of *the fire doors for both units to verify that the correct fire rated doors are installed.

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