ML20040C871
| ML20040C871 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/12/1982 |
| From: | Kinneman J, Mcginnis J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20040C868 | List: |
| References | |
| 99990001-81-14, NUDOCS 8201290331 | |
| Download: ML20040C871 (4) | |
Text
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a U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT Region I Report No. 99990001/81-14 Docket No. 99990001 License No.
Priority.
Category Licensee: Eastern Technical Services Incorporated 320 Grandview Avenue P.O. Box 1083 St. John, New Brunswick E2L4E6 Facility Name:
Eastern Technical Services Inspection at: 320 Grandview Avenue-Georgia Pacific Corp.
St. John, New Brunswick Woodland, Maine l
Inspection conducted: June 24-25, 1981 Inspectors: 0 0. h N un nte m
/ fl_Q lPL JgA.
nnps,RadiationSpecialist date signed Approved by UV
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IL 6 'n D. Kintieman, Chief, Materials da1(e s/gned adiological Protect." Section Inspection Summary:
Inspection on June 24-25, 1981 Areas Inspected: Special, announcec: inspection of radiography performed with byproduct materials within the. United States and investigation of possible radiation exposure to two individuals who were in an area where radiography work was performed.
Results:
Eastern Technical Services performed radiography in the United States without a valid NRC license.
Investigation of the possible radiation exposure indicates that the exposure received by the two individuals was less than two millirem.
8201290331 820113
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IE GA999 EEC*****
99990001 PDR
>.: n DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted Individual A - Welder, Babcock and Wilcox Leo Georrior - President, Eastern Technical Services, Inc. (ETS)
Joseph Robichaud - Radiography Supervisor, (ETS)
John Moore - Radiographer, (ETS)
Al Goodwin - Safety Supervisor, Georgia Pacific Corp.
Jim Jackson - Maintenance Engineer, Georgia Pacific Corp.
Ken Gorden Chief Mechanical Engineer, Georgia Pacific Corp.
-Masson Pottle - Power and Utilities Engineer, Georgia Pacific Corp.
===2.
Background===
On June' 4,1981, Region I received a telephone call from Individual A who believed he may have been exposed to radiation on May 12, 1981-
~
while working at the Georgia Pacific Corporation papermill in Woodland, Maine. He was working as a welder for Babcock and Wilcox (B&W), who had a contract with Georgia Pacific to perform pipe fitting and welding at'the mill.
Individual A and a co-worker had walked into an area where radiographic work was being performed.
3.
Interviews a.
Individual A In the June 4, 1981 telephone conversation Individual A described the occurrence which led him to conclude that he might have received a radiation exposure.
He stated that he and a co-worker had begun their shift at 7:00 a.m. on May 12, 1981 welding in a "breecher" pipe located behind the No 9 Recovery Boiler _ Tank between the fifth and sixth floor level at-the Georgia Pacific papermill in Woodland, Maine. About.9:00 a.m. they emerged from behind the right corner of the No. 9 Boiler Tank and noticed a radiography exposure device about forty feet away and about ten feet above them. He and his co-worker immediately proceeded to the stairs and exited the area. When he returned fifteen minutes later, the radiographers and equipment were gone.
Individual A said that he filed an accident report with his supervisor on May 14, 1981, but had not received a satisfactory response to his concerns.
b.
Radiographer On June 25, 1981 the inspector visited the Eastern Technical Services, Incorporated (ETS) office in St. John, New Brunswick and interviewed the radiographer involved in the incident. The radiographer stated that he and his assistant had arrived at the Georgia Pacific papermill on May 12, 1981 about 7:00 a.m.
An
o 1.
3 employee of Georgia Pacific showed them to the work area on the sixth floor of the mill near No. 2 Recovery Boiler Tank just after 8:30 a.m.
They placed ropes from the fourth to the seventh floors and cleared these floors of unauthorized personnel. The radiographer stated that he walked behind the No. 9 Boiler Tank and did not observe anyone near.the breecher pipe. The radiographer stated that he then cranked a 20 curie iridium-192 source out for a one minute exposure. During the exposure he and the assistant radiographer stayed about 25 feet from the source behind the corner of the No. 2 Boiler Tenk on the 6th floor level. As the radiographer began to crank the sourcc in he saw two men emerging from behind the No. 9 Boiler Tank on the floor below.
The radiographer's assistant went down to the 5th floor stairway, and took down the rope which was blocking it allowing the two men to continue down the stairs. The radiographer locked the source, removed the film and looked around for any additional individuals in-the area.
None were found.
They continued with a second one minute exposure, took all ropes and equipment to their mobile dark room, processed the two films and waited for their next assignment.
Eastern Technical Services had been notified by B&W that the two men were concerned that they might have been exposed to radiation.
The radiographer stated that he had calculated that the men received less than 1 millirem by considering exposure time, distance and the shielding present.
4.
Independent Dose Determination The inspector visited the paper mill on June 24, 1981, to review the physical layout and independently evaluate the distance between various areas and possible shielding present.
From this visit and the descriptions of the event by Individual A and the radiographer, the inspector estimated that the maximum radiation exposure would occur if both men were at the right corner of the No. 9 9ecovery Boiler Tank with no shielding between the radiography source and them for the duration of both one minute exposures.
The inspector calculated that using this conservative assumption they would have received a maximum dose of about 2 millirem.
Unshielded Dose in Rem = tat x f x QF P'
where r =.48 R/hr 01 meter per curie (for iridium
-192)
A = 20 Curies t = time of exposure = 2 minutes =.033 hr.
r = distance from source = 40 feet = 12.2m f =.957 rad per R QF = 1 rem / rad for Ir-192 gamma rays
s..r. o l-4 5.
ETS Activities in the United States ETS representatives, in response to questions from the inspector, stated that they had _ performed radiography in the United States on at least two other occasions since 1980.
ETS representatives agreed that ETS does not.have a NRC license to perform radiography in the United States.
The finding that Eastern Technical Services, Inc. performed radiography with byproduct material in the United States without an NRC license constitutes noncompliance with 10 CFR 30.3.
6.
Exit Interviews The inspector met with ETS representatives at the conclusion of the inspection on June 25, 1981 and summarized the scope and findings of-the inspection.
ETS representatives stated that they would file an application for an NRC license and would not perform radiography in the United States until the license was issued.
By telephone on August 1, 1981, the inspector reviewed with Individual A the scope and results of the inspection and the conclusion that no significant radiation exposure was received by him or his co-worker.