ML19261E824
| ML19261E824 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 08/07/1979 |
| From: | Flack E, Higginbotham L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-79-311, NUDOCS 7910150273 | |
| Download: ML19261E824 (2) | |
Text
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PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION August 7, 1979 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-79-311 This oreliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or oublic interest sionificance.
The information oresented is as initially received without verification or evaluation and is basically all tnat is known by IE staff on this date.
Facility:
Metropolitan Edison Company Three Mile Island, Unit 2 Middletown, Pennsylvania (Docket No. 50-320)
Subject:
WORKER OVERCOME DURING RESPIRATOR USAGE At about 2:10 a.m. on August 7, 1979, a contractor supervisor fainted while wearing supplied air respiratory protection equipment.
The individual had b9en supervising work on the alternate decay heat tie-in, a recov- > system in Unit 2 Auxiliary Building and was leaving the area when he cc'T u sed.
The individual pulled off his respirator just before collapsing.
The individual was placed on a stretcher and transported to the health physics control point.
Site first aid responded and an ambulance from offsite was dispatched.
Health physics technicians removed his outer paper coveralls.
The individual hac been working in three sets of coveralls; plastic, cloth, and paper.
Prior to the ambulance leaving for the hospital (the Hershey Medical Center), the licensee notified the hospital that a potentially contaminated individual was being sent.
The individual regained consciousness on the way to the hospital.
The licensee dispatched health physics personnel to the hospital to provide raciological assistance.
The health physics personnel monitored the hospital treatment area, equipment, the ambulance, attending hospital personnel, the ambulance attendant and the patient.
The patient, the ambulance attendant, ar.c the sheets and intravenous apparatus used for treatment of the patient were founc to De contaminated up to 66,000 dpm (disintegrations per minute).
After examination, the hospital released the individual who returned to the sits with the ambulance attendent for decontamination.
The contaminated sneets and intravenous apparatus were disposed of as solid radioactive waste ensite.
The licensee has removed the respirator equipment, which the individuti was using at the time, from service and plans to investigate to determine whether the equipment caused or helped to cause the incident.
The thermal load on the individual due to wearing three pair of coveralls in a thermally hot work area may also have been a contributing factor.
CONTINUED 015 U}
3
August 7, 1979 PNO-79-311 Continued Media interest is expected because of the sensitivity to Three Mile Island activities.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been informed.
A press release is planned by the licensee.
NRC Region I, (Philadelphia) received notification of this occurrence by a telephone call from the head Radiation Specialist, IE Resident Office -
TMI 2, at 9:10 a.m. on Augast 7, 1979.
Contact:
EDFlack, IE x28188 LBHigginbotham, IE x28188 Distribution:
Transmitted H St Chairman Hendrie Commissioner Bradford S. J. Chilk, SECY Commissioner Kennedy Commissioner Ahearne C. C. Kammerer, CA Commissioner Gilinsky ACRS (For Distribution)
?'15 Transmitted:
MNBB P. Bldg :_-6br V. Stello, IE L. V. Gossick, EDO H. R. Denton, NRR R e g i o n ' ~ ~
H-L. Ornstein, EDO R. C. DeYoung, NRR J. J. Fouchard, PA R. J. Mattson, NRR N. M. Haller, MPA D. Vassallo, NRR (MAIL)
R. G. Ryan, OSP D. Eisenhut, NRR J. J. Cummings, OIA H. K. Shapar, ELD SS Bldg R. Minogue, 50 W. J. Dircks, NMSS S. Levine, RES PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION
.