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Insp Rept 50-131/97-01 on 970124.Violations Noted.Major Areas Inspected:Reactor Operations & Operator Qualifications
	ML20135A359
Person / Time
Site:	05000131
Issue date:	02/21/1997
From:	; NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:	;
Shared Package
ML20135A273	List: ML20135A270; ML20135A314; ML20135A359;
References
	50-131-97-01, 50-131-97-1, NUDOCS 9702270117
	Download: ML20135A359 (7)
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ENCLOSURE 2

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

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REGION IV

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Docket No.:

50-131

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License No.:

R-57

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Report No.:

50-131/97-01

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Licensee:

Omaha Veterans Administration Medical Center

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Facility:

TRIGA Mark i Nuclear Reactor

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Location:

4101 Woolworth Avenue

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Omaha, Nebraska

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Dates:

January 24,.1997

Inspector:

L. T. Ricketson, P.E., Senior Radiation Specialist

Plant Support Branch

Approved By:

Blaine Murray, Chief, Plant Support Branch

Division of Reactor Safety

Attachment:

Supplemental Information

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9702270117 970221

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ADOCK 05000131

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Omaha Veterans Administration Medical Center

NRC Inspection Report 50-131/97-01

This reactive, announced inspection reviewed the reactor operations and operator

qualifications.

The licensee violated NRC requirements governing the operation of the reactor by

allowing an individual to operate the reactor after the expiration date of the

individual's operator license,

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The operator whose license expired continued to comply with the requirements of

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the operator requalification program.

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Report Details

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l. Operations

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Conduct of Operations

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01.1 Backaround

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The licensee submitted a request to the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

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to terminate the license of one of two senior reactor operators (Operator A). In the

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process of terminating the license, NRR personnel identified that the license of the -

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second senior reactor operator (Operator B) expired on July 2,1996. NRR

personnelinformed Region IV management and a reactive inspection was performed

to determine if the TRIGA Mark I reactor was operated by an individual who failed

to maintain a current operator's license.

In a letter to the NRC dated January 17,1997, the licensee committed that the

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reactor would remain in a secured condition and would not be operated until

Operator B's operator license was reinstated.

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O 1.2 Conduct of Ooerations (40750)

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a.

Scoce of Inspection

The inspector interviewed Operator B and reviewed the following:

Reactor logs

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Employee attendance records

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b.

Observations and Findinas

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The inspector reviewed reactor logs and determined the reactor was operated 52

times from July 3,1996, to January 16,1997. This was approximately 245 hours0.00284 days <br />0.0681 hours <br />4.050926e-4 weeks <br />9.32225e-5 months <br />

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of reactor operation. The individual who signed the logs and who was at the

controls of the reactor was Operator B.

The inspector reviewed employee attendance records and noted that Operator A

was also present, for all or part of the reactor operation on 27 of the 52 occasions

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on which the reactor was operated.

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- The reactor logs contained no information indicating that operational events

impacting on safety occurred July 3,1996, to January 16,1997.

10 CFR 55.3 states:

A person must be authorized by a license issued by the Commission to

perform the function of an operator or a senior operator as defined in this

part,

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10 CFR 50.54(i), states:

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Except as provided in 10 CFR 50.13, the licensee may not permit the

manipulation of the controls of any facility by anyone who is not a licensed

operator or senior operator as provided in 10 CFR Part 55.

10 CFR 50.54(k), states:

An operator or senior operator licensed pursuant to 10 CFR Part 55 shall be

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present at the controls at all times during the operation of the facility.

Operation of the reactor by an individual not authorized by an operator license is a

violation of 10 CFR 55.3 and 10 CFR 50.54(k)(50-131/9701-01).

Operator B and licensee management acknowledged this finding. Operator B

acknowledged that it was in operator's responsibility to maintain an active license,

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but added that it had been the belief of both operators that notice of impending

license expiration would be sent by the NRC or that the license would automatically

be extended, because re-testing of operators by the NRC was no longer conducted,

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Conclusion

The licensee violated NRC requirements governing the operation of the reactor by

allowing an individual to operate the reactor after the expiration date of the

individual's operator license.

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Operator Training and Qualification

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Insoection Scooe (40750)

Documentation of the following items required by the licensee's operator

requalification program were reviewed:

Lectures

Observations of manipulation of controls and understanding of operations

and procedures

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Discussions of fa'cility design, changes, procedures changes, and facility

license changes

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Reviews of abnormal emergency procedures

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Annual written examinations

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b.

Observations and Findinas

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The licensee's records confirmed that the individual whose operator license had

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expired was qualified in accordance with the reactor operator qualification program.

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c.

Conclusion

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The operator whose license expired continued to comply with the requirements of

the operator requalification program.

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Operations Organization and Administration

Operator B was acting as reactor supervisor / manager. Licensee management stated

that administrative responsibilities of the new reactor supervisor would be reduced.

The reactor supervisor will be involved only in the operation of the reactor and will

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not have the responsibility for performing administrative functions related to hospital

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research, as the previous reactor supervisor had. Also, the new reactor supervisor

will not serve as radiation safety officer. Another individual was employed as the

radiation safety officer. The inspector concluded that these changes complied with

the requirements of Technical Specification 6.2 and will allow the new reactor

supervisor more time than the previous reactor supervisor to focus on reactor-

related issues.

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Miscellaneous Operations issues

Facility License No. R-57 expired on August 1,1993. The licensee's application for

renewal was submitted at least 30 days prior to the expiration date, and the NRC

determined the licensee satisfied the requirements of 10 CFR 2.109. Therefore, the

existing license will be deemed not to have expired until the request for renewal has

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been finally determined.

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V. Manaaement Meetinas

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Exit Meeting Summary

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The inspector presented the inspection results to the licensee management on

January 24, 1997. Licensee management acknowledged the findings presented.

The licensee identified no proprietary information.

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ATTACHMENT

PARTIAL LIST OF PERSONS CONTACTED

Licensee

J. Claassen, Reactor Manager / Supervisor

J. Phillips, Director, Veterans Aff airs Medical Center

L. Klassen, M.D., Associate Chief of Staff

INSPECTION PROCEDURE USED

40750

Class 11 Research and Test Reactors Operations Procedure

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ITEM OPENED

Opened

50-131/9701-01

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Reactor was operated by an individual with an expired

license

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LIST OF DOCUMENTS REVIEWED

Reactor logs

Employee attendance records

Reactor operator requalification logs

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ML20135A359

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