ML20197C841
| ML20197C841 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000048, 07001503, 07801053 |
| Issue date: | 09/25/1978 |
| From: | Mechlin G WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY, DIV OF CBS CORP. |
| To: | Mcclintock R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20197C624 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7811210222 | |
| Download: ML20197C841 (3) | |
Text
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W
., 6 Reseae ano oeseemem cemer Westinghouse Electric Carporatlan 1310 Beuian acao Pittsourgh Pennsylvania 15235 September 25, 1978 Mr. Robert D. McClintock, Chief Materials Radiological Protection Section U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region 1 631 Park Avenue King of Prussia, PA 19406
Dear Mr. McClintock:
Re: License Nos. SNM 47 and SNM 1460 Inspection 78-01 Docke t 70-0048, 70-1503 Please be advised that your letter of July 31, 1978 on the above-referenced docket to the attention of Mr. S.A. Rosecrans was not received by our facility, the Westinghouse Resear'ch and Development Center. We were first made aware of the exisence of your letter when Mr. Jack Davis of your office mentioned it during a phone call to our Site Radiation Safety Officer, Mr. Pat Felice. The copy of your letter, which Mr. Davis was kind enough to send to Mr. Felice, arrived at our facility on September 18, 1978.
Your letter carried the mailing address of Westinghouse Nuclear Energy Systems (NES). While the NES mail room had, in the past, promtly forwarded to us previous NRC letters concerning our licenses, they apparently did not do so in this case. The applications that resulted in our being granted NRC licenses SNM 47 and SNM 1460 carried the NES mailing address because the NES License Administrator negotiates all license applications regardless of for which Westinghouse division the license is intended. We would suggest that all future correspondence dealing with facility inspections on SNM 47 and SNM 1460 be sent directly to our mailing address.
Since a copy of your letter reached us so long after the date of your letter, a partial reply is being made now. A complete reply to your letter will be sent postmarked no later than October 3,1978.
Infraction A, Low Level Cell - Bldg. 302A Metallurgical Lab Hot Cell No. 2 Since the work being done in the Low Level Cell (LLC) up to the very recent past involved only low levels of radiation,10 CFR 20.203(c)(2) did not apply.
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. a Now that the current and future work =in the LLC may, at times, be high enough to expose an individual making entry into the cell to a dose of 100 millirem or more in one hour, a control device system is being designed to achieve compliance with 10 CFR 20.203(c)(2) and (c)(3). A RM 16 radiation monitor and a RD 17A high level gamma detector have been ordered from the Eberline Instrument Corporation for use in the control device system. Eberline has advised that delivery of the devices will be made by October 25, 1978.
The control device system being designed for the LLC will incorporate the following:
a) When the level of radiation sensed by the monitors is such that it could result in a 100 millirem per hour or greater exposure to a person entering the cell, a solenoid-operated lock will engage and prevent the cell door from being opened by activation of the door opening control.
b) A sign adjacent to the exterior surface of the cell door and carrying the legend "High Radiation Level" will become illuminated when the cell entry door is locked out, c) The solenoid-operated lock will have a key-operated override.
The only copy'of the key Nill be under the control of the local area manager, Dr. U. Read Holland, and each specific use of the key will require prior authorization by the Site
' Radiation Safety Officer, Mr. Pat Felice.
Infraction B
' When 10 CFR-20,203(c)(3) was recently enacted, the High Level Cell (HLC) in Building 302A and the Hot Cell in Building 302 used for exposure of electronic gear to sealed sources were not considered as being subject to the requirements because it appeared highly improbable that a person could become trapped in these cells.
Since the Commission's (Mr. Epstein's)) interpretation is that compliancet
- probability of entrapment within a cell, but simply if entrapment is possible under any type of circumstance, work is underway in designing emergency escape door controls for installation in the interior of both cells. These emergency door controls will include:
- 1) The emergency door opener cannot be. accidentally activated by a cell manipulator or an object pushed over by the muipulator.
- 2) Each use of the emergency door opener will activate an audible and visible alarm on the IRIS panel in the Main Gate
. Building (802)whichiscontinuouslymanned. The alarm will be responded to immediately by on-Site personnel to ensure that the cell door did open to free the trapped person and to provide any needed care for the freed person.
The presence of the alarm tie-in will also serve to discourage the possible use of the emergency door opener by personnel outside the cell to circumvent the regular cell door opening system.
The same type of emergency escape door opener system will Le installed on the Low Level Cell in Building 302A.
Sincerely,
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George F. Mechlin Vice President Research and Development 9
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