ML19312C446
| ML19312C446 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oconee  |
| Issue date: | 09/13/1976 |
| From: | Moseley N NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| To: | Parker W DUKE POWER CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7912130973 | |
| Download: ML19312C446 (1) | |
Text
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SEP 13126 In Reply Refer To:
IE:II:NCM IE Circular 76-03 50-269 50-270 50-287 t
Duke Power Cc:pany ATTN:
Mr. William 0. Parker, Jr.
Vice President of Steam Production h22 Scuth Church Street P. O. Box 2178 Charlotte, North Carolina 282h2 Gentlemen:
The enclosed Circular 76-03 is forwarded to you for action. The same document is being transmitted to each applicant for, or holder of a Construction Permit for information. Therefore, if you have a nuclear power plant in the construction stage, you will also receive a copy of Circular 76-03 which will not require a separate response.-
Very truly yours, 1
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Norman C. Moseley
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Director
Enclosure:
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NUCLEAR REGUI.ATORY C0}HISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D. C.
20555
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IE Circular No. 76 - 03 DATE: September 13, 1976 RADIATION EXPOSURES IN REACTOR CAVITIES DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES:
On March 18, 1976, an employee at the Zion station received a "whole body" radiation dose of 8 rems or more upon entering the cavity beneath the reactor vessel during a refueling out-age. On April 5, 1976, a similar reactor cavity entry at Indian Point resulted in a 10-ren whole body dose to a licen-see employee. A similar entry on October 5, 1972 caused a 5-rem dose to a Point Beach employee.
These three overexposures appear to have been caused by failure to appropriately control entry into high radiation areas, failure to conduct adequate surveys and failure to compensate for expo-sure rate variatio,ns that can occur in various areas in power
- reactors, e.g.,
the cavity beneath the reactor vessel. With the incore chimbles and detectors inserted into the core, radiation leve'Is in the cavity appear to be low.
With the thimbles or detectors withdrawn into the cavity, however, exposure rates of hundreds or possibly thousands of roentgens per hour can exist.
Overexposures can occur in seconds.
All three overexposure events involved entry into potentially high radiation areas without surveys and/or special controls over equipment which could cause transients in the exposure rate.
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IE Circular No. 76 - 03 Date:
September 13, 1976 ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY LICENSEES:
While the three exposures above occurred at pressurized water reactors, similar situations could develop at other types of reactors, e.g.,
pneumatic irradi'ation equipnent areas (research reactors) and traveling incore probe equipment areas (boiling water reactors).
Accordingly, holders of power, test and research reactor operating licensas are to complete the following:
1.
Perform a thorcugh review of plant areas and operations to identify high radiation areas, both continuous and transient, as defined in 10 CFR 20.202(b).
2.
Verify that entryways into high radiation areas are conspicuously posted and locked or otherwise controlled in such a manner as to explicitly identify the nature of the hazard, appropriately control entry, and require '~ tate pre-entry surveys, 3.
Ensure that radiation protection procedures and radiation protection training and retraining programs specifically address the matter of control of and access to such areas and initiate appropriate retraining of all plant personnel, 4.
Ensure that the procedures governing personnel entry into all actual or potential high radiation areas permit such entry only after appropriate management review and approval so that conditions within the area are known and not subject to change while the area is occupied, 5.
Periodically audit whatever controls result.from iten 1-4, above, to ensure their continued effectiveness, and 6.
A reply in writing should be submitted within 60 days that the actions for items 1-4 above, have been or are being taken should be submitted directly to the Director, of the NRC Regional Office and a copy should be forwarded to the NRC, Office of Inspection and l
Enforcement, Division of Reactor Inspection Programs, Washington, D. C. 20555.
A record, detailing findings, actions taken, and actions to be taken should be retained for review by NRC during the l
next radiological safety inspection.
This request for information was approved by GAO under a blanket clearance number B-180225 (R0072); this clearance expires July 31, 1977.
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