ML19269B888
| ML19269B888 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000824 |
| Issue date: | 12/18/1978 |
| From: | Jennifer Davis, Gibson A, Millsap W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19269B886 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-0824-78-14, 70-824-78-14, NUDOCS 7901170437 | |
| Download: ML19269B888 (8) | |
Text
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UNITEo STATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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-'#o REGloN il 101 M ARIETTA STREET N.W.
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ATL ANT A. GEORGI A 30303 I
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J Report No.:
70-824/78-14 Docket No.: 70-824 Licensee: Babcock and Wilcox Compeny Lynchburg Research Center P. O. Box 1260 Lynchburg, Virginia 24505 Facility Name: Lynchburg Research Center Inspection at:
Lynchburg, Virginia Inspection conducted: December 5-8, 1978 Inspectors:
J. H. Davis W.J.Mlispp f O !6 7E Reviewed by:
7 bd A. F. Gibson, Chief Date Radiation Support Section Fuel Facility and Materials Safety Branch Inspection Summary Inspection on December 5-8, 1978 (Report No. 70-824/78-14)
Areas Inspected:
Routine, unannounced inspection covering radiation protection procedures; instruments and equipment; external exposure control; internal exposure control; posting and labeling; contcmination control; surveys; and notifications and reports. The inspection involved 42 inspector-hours on-site by two NRC inspectors.
Results: No apparent items of noncoLpliance or deviations were identified.
7901176431
e RII Report No. 70-824/78-14 I-1 DETAILS I Prepared by:
tLg c//(/7a Date J. K(/ Davis, Radiation Specialict Rad otion Support Section Fuel Facility anu Materials Safety Branch fdA>.. ! Me
/1! /h W. J. Millsap/,) Radiation gecialist Date Radiation S port SectioW Fuel Facility and Materials Safety Branch Dates of Inspection: Decey er 5-8, 1978 12 /I'
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Reviewed by:
J s
A. F. Gibson, Chief Date Radiation Support Section Fuel Facility and Materials Safety Branch 1.
Persons Contacted
- E. D. Lynch, Laboratory Manager
- C.
E. Bell, Facilities Manager
- A.
F. Olsen, Licensing Administrator
- J. W. Cure, III, Supervisor, Health and Safety E. Morgan, Supervisor, Chemical Support Services R. J. Beauregard, Supervisor, Irradiated Material Testing S. W. Croslin, Health Physicist Six technicians and operators
- Denotes those present at exit interview.
2.
Licensee Action on Previous Inspection Findings (Closed) Noncompliance (70-824/78-5/ Item A) Failure to Maintain Airflows in Hot Cell Operations Area Toward Increasingly Hazardous Areas.
Discussions with licensee representatives and airflow tests performed at the request of, and in the presence of, an inspector revealed that corrective actions specified in letters dated June 6, 1978, and October 4, 1978, had been taken and results appeared to be effective.
Corrective actions included use of flow restrictors in the ducts in the uncontrolled area of Building B, redirecting airflows into the hot cell exhaust duct and increasing stack fan speed.
Licensee representatives stated that several air handling system modifications were being considered to further strengthen this aspect of their prograa and decrease the possibility of recur-rence of airflows from controlled to uncontrolled areas of the facility.
RII Report No. 70-824/78-14 I-2 3.
Unresolved Items No unresolved items were disclosed during the inspection.
4.
Radiation Protection Procedures An examination of procedures contained in BAW-381 (license applica-tion document) and Area Operating Procedures for Buildings B and C revealed that procedures vere maintained and modified in accordance with license conditions. Safety Review Committee,(SRC) minutes revealed that the SRC was actively involved in procedure modifica-tions and approvals as required by license conditions.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified in this area.
5.
Instruments and Equipment An inspector selected, at random, six portable radiation detection instruments which were ready for service, and checked calibration records for 1977 and January-December 1978 for proper calibration frequency as required by licensee's procedures. All of the selected instruments were operable and properly calibrated.
In that records were unclear as to the status of two of the instruments or certain periods of time during the time span stated above, an inspector diseassed with licensee representatives the merits of modifying the calibration records system (see paragraph 11). The inspector had no further goestions regarding instruments and equipment. No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified in this area.
6.
External Exposure Control An inspector examined the results of vendor analysis of dosimeters, designed to measure the whole body dose due to X, gamma and beta radiation, which were exposed during the first three quarters of 1978 and compared these results against the limits given in 10 CFR 20.101. The inspector noted no cese in which the applicable limits were exceeded. The inspector had no further questions concerning external radiation exposure.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified in this area.
7.
Internal Exposure Control a.
Air Sampling Program (1) Air Sampling Examination of "Special Air Sample" records for April-November 1978 and selected routine area air sample records for July-November 1978, revealed that apparently no
RII Report No. 70-824/78-14 I-3 personnel exposures had occurred in excess of limits specified in 10 CFR 20.103. Observations made by the inspectors during facility tours on December 5, 6, and 7 revealed that continuous monitoring air samplers were in operation in the Hot Cell Operations Area, Cask Handling Area and the Radiochemistry Lab. Fixed station air samplers were observed in Building C, along with air monitors at certain locations with higher probabilities for airborne radioactive materials. During the facility tour on December 7,1978, the inspectors observed that an ilot P ant and l
air sampler had been installed in the UF 4 P was operational. The inspector had no further questions pertaining to air sampling.
(2) Air Sampling Filter Penetration and Burial Losses An inspector discussed with a licensee representative his method of accounting for the effects of filter penetration and filter alpha absorption (burial) on measured air concentrations of radioactive materials. The licensee representative stated that at present it was assumed that the filters were 100% efficient and that burial losses were not considered in determining air concentrations of radioactive materials. The inspector stated that these losses might be large enough to significantly prejudice the determination of airborne concentrations of radioactive materials. The licensee representative acknowledged the inspector's comments and stated that a study to determine the losses due to burial would be conducted and that a study to determine the losses due to penetration would be conducted if a suitable test atmosphere could be found.
The inspector stated that he would review the results of the licensee's efforts during a subsequent inspection (78-14-01).
b.
Bioassays (1) Lung Counting An inspector examined the results of vendor lung counts taken on May 17-23, 1978, and compared these against the various maximum permissible lung burden and the conditions of Paragraph 3.3 (Bio-Assay Program) of Appendix H of the license application. Of the persons counted for by-product material, none showed. percent maximum permissible lung burden, for any given radionuclide, greater than 4%.
Of the persons counted for U-235 and of the persons counted for An-241 and Pu-239, none showed a detectable
RII Report No. 70-824/78-14 1-4 lung burden. The inspector had no further questions concerning lung burdens.
(2) Urinalyses An inspector examined the results of vendor urinalysis of urine collected between March 25, 1978, and November 18, 1978, and compared the results against the conditions of paragraph 3.3 (Bio-Assay Program) of Appendix H of the license application. Of the urine sample records examined for various isotopes of plutonium, americium, curium and thorium, none showed a detectable concentration; of the urine sample records examined for uranium, none showed a concentration in excess of action levels specified in license conditions. The inspector had no further questions concerning urinalyses.
c.
Respiratory Protection Prrgram Examination of Health and Safety procedures revealed that respiratory protection procedures had been developed and a policy statement issued from licensee management as required by 10 CFR 20.103. Discussions with licensee representatives and examination of selected training records for January-December 1978 revealed that individuals participating in the respiratory protection program had completed the training program as required by 10 CFR 20.103.
In that training records for one individual were difficult to locate and were in a format which did not clearly indicate the content of the training session, an inspector discussed with a licensee representative the merits of a more systematic approach to the training records.
(See paragraph 11)
Fitting and testing with irritant smoke was performed by health and safety technicians each time respiratory protective equipment was required, according to licensee representatives.
Observations made by the inspector revealed that respirators ready for use were stored in sealed plastic bags and were readily accessible.
An inspector discussed with licensee representatives the licensee's program for issuance and collection, decontari ntion, cleaning, maintenance and storing of respirators.
No ite w, of noncompliance or deviations were identified in the area of internal exposure control.
RII Report No. 70-824/78-14 1-5 8.
Posting, Labeling and Control a.
Posting and Labeling Observations made by an inspector during facility tours on December 5, 6, and 7, 1978, revealed that radiation areas, airborne radioactivity areas, containers of radioactive materials and contaminated areas were posted and/or labelled as required by 10 CFR 20.203 and licensee procedures.
b.
High Radiation Areas Control Observations by the inspectors during facility tours revealed High Radiation Areas were posted and controlled as required by 10 CFR 20.203(c).
c.
Contamination Control Examination of selected contamination control survey records for Controlled Areas of Building B for June-December 1978 and for the Uncontrolled Areas of Building B for August-December 1978 revealed that surveys for contamination control had been performed as required by license conditions.
These records showed that areas found to be above action levels specified in Appendix H to the license application had been cleaned and resu rveyed.
Contamination surveys (smears) were performed at the requast of and in the presence of an inspector.
The smears were counted by licensee representatives on licensee counting equipment and confirmed by the inspectors using NRC counting equipment.
Satisfactory agreement was achieved and no smears were found to be above the licensee's action level.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified in this area.
9.
Surveys a.
Direct Radiation Surveys An inspector examined the results of extern.; radiation level surveys ss recorded in the following time periods and records:
for the " Cell Roof Survey", April to November,1978; for the "C.H.A. and Radiochemistry Radiation and Smear Survey", August 3 to November 30, 1978; and for the " Building J Smear and Radiation Survey" May to November, 1978.
The results of these surveys were compared to the requirements (frequency) in the licensee's procedures and to the requirements of 10 CFR 20.201. The inspector discussed with a licensee representative the precau-tionary responses to certain of the external fields noted in
RII Report No. 70-824/78-14 I-6 the records. All responses were satisfactory and the inspector had no further questions concerning external radiation surveys.
b.
Scaled Source Leak Tests An inspector examined, for 1977 and 1978, the records of the leak testing of all sealed sources c ;trined in the licensee's record of this activity and compared the results of the tests to the requirements of license conditions.
All sealed sources had been tested at the pr'oper frequency and none sucved measurable leaks. The inspector discussed with a licensee representative the method of accounting for the sources and recording the results of leak tests and stated that there was a need for improvement in this area; the licensee representative acknowledged the inspectors comments. (See paragraph 11)
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified pertain-ing to surveys.
10.
Notification and Reports Examination of the terminated employee file for June-November 1978 revealed that a notice of exposure to radiation and radioactive materials had been furnished to the individual as required by 10 CFR 20.409. The licensee had furnished NRC reports required by 10 CFR 20.407, 10 CFP 20.408, and 10 CFR 70.59.
No items of noncompli-ance or deviations were identified in this area.
11.
Records An inspector discussed with licensee management an apparent weakness in the health and safety records systems in that licensee represen-tatives and the inspectors experienced difficulty in locating records which clearly indicated completed respiratory protection training for one individual, status of sealed radioactive sources, and status of calibration of two radiation detection instruments.
Licensee representatives acknowledged the concern of the inspectors and stated that the activities addressed in these records had been performed as required; they acknowledged the comments of the inspec-tors and stated that improvements to the supporting records system would be given careful consideration. An inspector stated that the health and safety records system would be examined during future inspections.
(78-14-02)
RII Report No. 70-824/78-14 I-7 12.
Exit Interview The inspectors met with licensee representatives (denoted in para-graph 1) on December 8, 1978, and summarized the scope and findings of the ir.spection.