ML20198A699
| ML20198A699 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07001193 |
| Issue date: | 03/20/1975 |
| From: | Ridgeway K NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Hind J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20198A623 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-85-647 NUDOCS 8605210194 | |
| Download: ML20198A699 (3) | |
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UNITEo STATES e
j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COP SSION DIRECTORATE OF REGULt. TORY OF.,.ATIONS REGION lit <
799 RooSLVELT ROAD CLEN ELLYN ILLtNOIS 60137 March 20, 1975
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[. f J. A. Hind, Chief, Materials and Plant Protection Branch
-l Ws virm K-M INSPECTIONS OSHA AND NRC AND OCAW During the inspection of February 3-7, 1975 we noted that OHSA had du inspected Kerr-McGee January 8-13, 1975 and had reported violations.
PM I called Jim Knorrp of OSIM in Tulsa to determine their opinion of Kerr-McGee and their inspection history.
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OSIW s first investigation of Kerr-McGee Cimarron was in 1971 following 1
l the accidental death of an employee from a compressor accident.
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(C.O. Inquiry Report No. 1193/71-03) 2
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.In July and August 1972 Ray Stillwell, OCAW local committeeman, sent lL' written letters of complaints to 0S1% on unsafe practices i.e. acid and NH[ fumes,hightemperatures,improperpipeidentificatioh,leakingpipes and poor ventilation. OSHA inspected Kerr-licCee Cimarron in August 1972.
They did not substantiate the unsafe conditions but found 13 nonscrious violations of OSHA regulations.
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,Mr. Knorrp stated that the January 1975 inspection was initiated because
%p OSHA was asking questions about some of the previous inspection areas that f%
they didn't have a good handle on.
The January inspection resulted in 52 M~ 1 nonscrious items, 3 of which we're repeats from the previous inspection.
In general, he stated that Kerr-licGee'Cimarron was "a pretty clean facility" and this number of items in a facility of this size was not unusual.
The c g i M
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citation included such items as covers left off of junction boxes, masks p
left lying in weather, covers off electrical outlets etc.
4M A brief history of our Kerr-McGee Cimarron investigations shows the following:
On September 27,1975 OSHA presented allegations on unsafe working conditions which were investigated in the most part by RO:iV personnel and regardless v
of the statements in the news media, the allegation of unsafe practices p
were for the most part found to be untrue, although many of the happenings g
were substantiated.
(R0 Investigation Report No. 070/1193/74-10)i
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e J. A. Hind..hief ChairmanRayr$ceivedcomplaintsfromtwoanonymous 29, 1973, on August On c=ployees of Kerr-McGee via Mrs. Gaylord Youngheir. of Oklahoma City.
c ty,o wnonymobs per.r-Me, Gee employees contacted Mrs.
September 9, 1973, tly,,fcrred
[i to a van leaking plutonium and a number of Younghcin again aiid're These allegations were reviewed and none of them 6
other unsafe conditions.
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f were substantiated as being health or safety violations (R0 Investigation Report No. 070-1193/73-01)
- v..7 OCAW2Kerr-M. Gee,Cimarron union contracts were as follows:
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A five year contract expired November, 23, 1972. Negotiation for a ncv E) contract started October 17, 1972, but was unsuccessful and OCAW Local ll,
No. 5-283 went out on strike November 20, 1972.
Kerr-McGee continued
,..0d operations until an agreement was reached on February 9, 1973 for a contract 1
Q.l expiring December 1,, 1974.
Nego::iations for a new contract started Novem-gW ber 6,1974 and a new one-year agreement was reached on December 1,1974, y
Prior to the 1974 negotiations NLRB notified Kerr McGee on September 5, tc M
h 1974 that a petition had been-approved for decertifying the OCAW local On October 16, 1974 an representing Kerr-McGee employees at Cimarron.
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election maintained OCAW as the employees union by a vote of 80 to 61.
(Unofficially we learned that well over 80 people had signed the petition.)
During the manaa,cment meeting'on the OCAW allegations investigation the
, '~~"I Morgan Moore, Manager of the Cimarron Facility, pointed out that C
allegations and other problems that Kerr-McGee had been experiencing precee
[1 or coincided with OCAW Local - Kerr-McGee contract negotiations.
He also stated that all employees were required to report unsafe conditions at any
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time and particularly at conthly safety ncetings.
Kerr-McGee made a study c 1974 (145 recorded g.,
all safety meetings held between March 1974 and November-items gq meeting ruinutes which gave the department, number attending, date, discussed, any unsafe conditions or work practices brought up)".
There were
' -i several safety items listed in these meeting minutes but none of then were N>
related to the unsafe allegations brought out in the OCAW - NRC meeting of h:1.
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September 27, 1974.
In addition, any employee of Kerr-McGee who cannot resolve an unsafe condit at first level has the rigt ; to use the Grievance and Arbitration Procedure No safety related items have set out in the OCAW - Kerr-McGee agreement.
' (f.9 been processed in the grievance ' procedure in 1974 or 1973.
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' J. A. Illnd.., Jef P
It has been my experience during the 2 yaarc of inspecting Kerr-McGee that they are concerned about the safety of the employees and have a good job safety attitude.
There are other indications that employees were trying to embarrass
[.3 Ketr-McGee management or put them in bad light.
For instance on July 3-4, 8
1973,7 hiFh. air filte'rs in the Plutonium Laboratory were found to be e
contaminated by a finger or thumb print shapped area and not by the normal This resulted in temporary restriction and biosampling
, uniform distribution.
k' 10 employees in the 11.boratory.
(R0 Inspection Report No. 070-1193/73-06)
S This same type of what appears to be deliberate contamination occurred w'
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again on July 31, 1974 to two airsamplesj as a result Silkwood and another f$/{
employee were restricted and put on biosamples.
(R0 Investigation Report No. 070-1193/74-09).
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,a Pellets have been found in allen bolts of the UO Pellet shipping P p..
2 UO Pellets were scattered around outside the U Plant.
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containers. UO 4:j 2
It doesn't take long to see that the unsafe allegations from OCAW to V;2:
both OSHA & NRC seem to come right before contract, bargaining begins and b.
I believe them to be motivated as bargaining tool and not as a real concern for safety,or all reasonable means of resolving unsafe conditions' would be taken through normal Kerr-McGee employee ur Kerr-McGee union There is no evidence negotiations before contacting Federal agencies.
that OCAW or individual employees have taken Any action with Kerr-McGee 7y to resolve these alleged unsafe practices.
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K. R. Ridg y k-Fuel Fa9111ty Inspector lime
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