ML20127H455

Forwards IE Bulletin 78-07, Protection Afforded by Air-Line Respirators & Supplied-Air Hoods

ML20127H455
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello
Issue date:	06/12/1978
From:	James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Wachter L NORTHERN STATES POWER CO.
References
IEB-78-07, IEB-78-7, NUDOCS 9211180518
Download: ML20127H455 (1)

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i Docket !;o. 50-282 - D[d Docket tio. 50-306 ' ~/ Yg l

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t;orthern States Power Company

' ATT!!: tir. Leo Wachter t

Vice President Power Production and System l Operation 414 tiicollet !!a ll

!  !!inneapolis , fUt 55401 ie Centlemen:

Enclosed is IE Bulletin flo. 76-07 which requires act ion by you with ,

regard to your r2wer reactor facilities.

f Should you have questions regarding this Bulletin or the actions

' required of you, please contact this office.

i Sincerely, I

O> e: S Y *~

[ Janes C. Kepf"lNr Director

Enclosures:

l 1. Bulletin No. 78-07

2. List of IE Bulletins

Issued in 1978 i

cc w/encla:

tir. L. R. Eliason, Plant !!anager fir. F. P. Tierney, J r. ,

Plant tianage r Central Files Director, 11RR/DPt1 Director, NRR/ DOR PDR Local PDR USIC TIC Anthony Roisman, Esq.,

l Attorney J

i 9211180518 780612 PDR ADDCK 05000263 G PDR

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U.S. NUCLEAR RECULATORY COHHISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT REC 10N I1!

I June 12,1978 IE Bulletin No. 78-07 PROTECTION AyFORDED BY AIR-LINE RESPIRATORS AND SUPPLIED-AIR HOODS Description of Circu= stances:

k' hen the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) established its current I regulations and guidance on20.103(c) acceptable andprograms for respirato Regulatory n pro-Guide 8.15), it l tection (10 CFR Part 20, announced its intention to revise the guidance as better information could be obtained and made available. The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) has been developing pertinent information under NRC contract and has submitted a Progress Report on protection f actors for air-line supplied-air respirators, LA-7098-PR, and an Informal l

Report on supplied-air hoods, LA-NUREG-6612-MS.

A. Air-line supplied-air respirators The report on air-line respirators indicates that the protection provided (protection f actor) by certain full f acepiece and half-mask f acepiece, demand-mode-operated, air-line, supplied-air respirators is significantly less than was previously estimated from the limited information that was available when the protection factors in the current NRC guidance were published (Regulatory Guide 8.15. Table 1) . - Specifically, the current guidance lists protection factors of 10 for half-mask facepieces and 50 for full facepieces that are used with air-line equipment that is operated in the demand mode. The information in the LASL report indicates that much of the equipnent of this type, even though NIOSH-MISA* tested and certified, does not achieve a protection f actor greater than 5. The report recommends that such equipment no longer be certified I by N10SH nor approved by NRC for use.

B. Supplied-air hoods The report on supplied-air hoods emphasizes the importance of maintaining a minimum air flow of 6 cubic feet per minute (approximately 170 1p=),

and recommends a protection factor of 1,000 at this air flow if calibrated

• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration. responsible for respirator certification.

MESA is now designated MSHA, Mining Safety and Health Administration.

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June 12, 1978 l IE Bulletin No. 78-07 A

air-line pressure gauges or flow measuring equipment are used.

protection factor of 2,000, as given in the current URC guidance, is reco== ended for supplied-air hoods only when air flows are maintained at the manufacturer's recommended maximum rate. I The NRC vill f urther evaluate the information in these reports and other l pertinent information and vill revise its guidance as appropriate, e.g.,

by reducing the protection factors permitted, or by elicinating the approvals for or specifying particular conditions for the use of such equipment.

It is recommended that the following actions be considered by all licensees who have respirstory protection programs:

1. A protection factor of no more than 5 should be utilized for half-mask and full facepieces that are used with approved air-line equipment operated in the demand mode.

2. A protection factor of no more than 1,000 should be utilized for approved supplied-air hoods when the air flov is maintained at 6 cubic feet per minute and calibrated air-line pressure gauges

' or flow measuring equipment is used.

3. A protection factor of 2,000 should be utilized for approved supplied-air hoods only when the air flow is maintained at the manufacturer's recommended maximum rate, this rate is greater than 6 cfa, and calibrated air-line pressure gauges or flow measuring equipment is used.

Actions To Be Taken By Licensees

! For all power reactor facilities with an operating license, all research reactors with an operating license, all fuel cycle f acilities with an i operating license and all material licensees receiving this Bulletin:

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1. If your respiratory protection program includes the use of air-line supplied-air respirators operated in the decand mode (not respirators operated in continuous-flow or pressure-demand modes) or supplied-air hoods, describe the actions you plan to take to assure proper protection of personnel in consideration of the information provided by this Bulletin.

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l IE Bulletin No. 78-07 i

2. If your respiratory protection program includes the use of f air-line supplied-air respirators operated in the demand code i

(not respirators operated in continuous-flow or pressure-demand

!, modes), determine the manuf acturer, model and number of half-mask and full facepiece equipment used in this mode.

f 3. Report in vriting within 60 days the inf ormation required in items 1 and 2, if applicable. Reports are to be submitted to i

the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office listed in

' Appendix D of 10 CFR Part 20 and a copy forwarded to the Director, Division of Tuel Facilities and Materials Safety Inspection, U.S.

20555.

NRC, Of fice of Inspection and Enforcement Washington, D.C.

l i, Approval Approval by GAO. B180225tR0072); clearance expires 7/31/80.

l was given under a blanket clearance specifically for identified generic 1 i

problems.

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o IE Eulletin No. 78-07 June 12,1978 I j LIST!!!G OT IE BULLETINS ISSUED Ill 1978 Date issued Issued To Bulletin Subject 18 0 .

1/16/78 All Power Keactor 78-01 T1ammable Contact -

Arm Retainers in C.E.

Tacilities with an CR120A Relays OL or CP Terminal Block 1/30/78 All Power Reactor 78-02 Qualification Facilities with an OL or CP Potential Explosive 2/8/78 All BVR Power 78-03 Cas Hixture Accumula- Reactor Tacilities tions Associated with with an OL or CP BVR Offgas System Operations Environmental Quali- 2/21/78 All Power Reactor 78-04 Facilities with an l

fication of Certain OL or CP Sten Hounted Limit Switches Inside ,

Reactor Containment

' Ha1 functioning of 4/14/78 All Power Keactor 78-05 Facilities with an Circuit Breaker OL or CP Auxiliary Contact Hechanism-General Hodel CR105X Defective Cutler- 5/31/78 All Power Reactor 78-06 Tacilities with an llammer, Type H Relays OL or CP With DC Colls Enclosure

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