ML20209C548
| ML20209C548 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07109033 |
| Issue date: | 06/28/1999 |
| From: | Boyle R TRANSPORTATION, DEPT. OF |
| To: | Osgood N NRC |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9907120085 | |
| Download: ML20209C548 (5) | |
Text
7/-9 33 te k,s 3
)d ut T FACSIMILE COVER SHEET E
DATE: June 28,1999 NUMBER OF PAGES (including this page):
TO:
Nancy Osgocs Nuclear Regulatory Commission Phone: 301-415-8513 Fax: 301-415-8555 FROM: Rick Boyle DOT /RSPA/HMS/OHMT/DHM-23 Phone: 202-366-4545 Fax: 202-366-3753
SUBJECT:
Amersham 660 Incident Letter Good morning Nancy, i
Here is the letter we discussed. Let me know if you get any further information from AEA Technology. If you have any ideas on this issue, please pass them on.
- Regards, I
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- RMTD, Zone 4/16, Mr R Boyle.
Oreat Minster House, Office of Hazardous Materials TechnoloEY 76 Marsham Street, Research and Special Programs Administration, London, SWIP 4DR.
US Deptitment of Transportation, United Kingdom.
Washington, DC 20590.
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' k; Dear 28 Jawa 1999 AMERTEST 660 : USA /9033/B(U) FOUND WITH COUNTERFEIT COMPONENTS T am writing to inform you of a recent finding in the UK of an AMERTEST 660 radiography equipment which has been found to comprise a large number of imitation or counterfeit components. I expect that you will be interested to 1-rn of this incident as it involves a package which has primary US approval as a Type B package for transport. The details are described below.
In March 1999 Kyung Do Industries, Souti> Korea despatched a 660 radiography projector to AEA(T) at Amersham Laboratories, in the UK, for refurbishment and subsequent loading of a 3.7Tbg (100Ci) iridium -192 source for onward shipment to Hojin industries in Vietnam. Or, re:eipt at Amersham Laboratories, doubts were expressed concerning the authenticity of the 660 projector equipmen:. The projector had a number of features and components visible from the outside that were incorrect er badly worn.
This Department was informed of the state of the 660 projector and I subsequently visited AE A(T) at their Amersham facility to examine the package. It was confirmed that there were several ttbgs wrong with the projector which indicated a serious and deliberate attempt to imitate the genuine article. It was judged prudent to dismantle the projector in a suitable glove box facility to safely determine what other false or non-compliant parts had be:n used. A report detailing all counterfeit and worn pans has been produced and I have attached a pan of that report for your information.
From the report you will see that this particular itern would not pass the regulatory requirements for transport as many of the genuine parts were badly worn, damaged or modified, including the Depleted Uranium shielding. Furthermore the counterfeit parts have not been made in accordance with approved specification and/or the correct materials have not been used.
The complete report should be available to you from the AEA Technology QSA Inc. offices in Burlington Mass. I understand that Mr Richard Hunter of AEA Technology QSA in the UK will be visiting their Burlington offices this week (commencing 28 June 99), and that he is intends to discuss the matter with your colleagues in the NRC. I presume that you will liaise with the NRC on this matter as your certificates as well as theirs are involved.
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From the amount of counterfeiting effort that has been put into this panicular package, it would seem likely that there are other similar packages that have been put together using incorrect and substandard components. Such packages could be anywhere in the world, be.sring the US A/9033/B(U) Competent Authority Identification Mark.
I would hope that you will agree that the wholesale production /use of counterfeit parts and the reuse of badly worn original pans is a real threat to the safe transpon of radioactive materials, as well as a threat to the safety of people actually operating the equipment. As the UK Competent Authority for radioactive material transpon we are considering what can be done to prevent or discourage thir. type of situation and would welcome your thoughts on the matter. Meanwhile if you want any more information on this panicular matter, or if we can be of assistance in other ways, please do not hesitate to contact me.
1 intend to contact the relevant Authorities in South Korea shortly to aquaint them with this incident, so that they can have the opponunity to investigate the situation their county which led to this particular package being in its current condition.
Yours sincerely
^ wM C.J Pecover 1
Head of Compliance and Quality Assurance Branch l
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28-06-99 22:34 FROM:CETR Rr7TD 0$7k67621 Err TO 202 366 3733 PAGEt04
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Nycomed Amersham plc j
i Quality at Safety Assurance Manufacturing l
Investimation Recoet on Imitation Project 9I Backrround In March 1999 Kyung Do Enterprises, South Korea, despatched a 660 radiography projector to Amersham Laboratories for refurMAr-r and for the loading of a 3.7TBq (100Ci) iridium-192 source for onward shipment to Hojin Industries in Vietnam.
On receipt at Amersham Laboratories, Manufacturing personnel expressed doubt as to the authenticity of the projector, which carried the identiScation T4114.
The projectorwas transported by air on AWB 12512813872 and received at Amersham 1.aboratories on 8 March 1999, see Radioactive Materials Receipt B27686.
This issue has been recorded within the QSA customer feedback system with reference j
CFF99017.
j PA.;ng The rojector was received in a non-standed steel drum that had been over packed in brown card oard-not a cardboard box.
J The dmm was sealed with a closing band that had been cut down to fit the drum. h clasp on the modified closing band had been re riveted (see photograph 1).
The drum handles were attached with screws (see photograph 2) and had sharp edges which could have caused damage to the hands when lifting the drum with the projector inside.
Proiector The body of the projector appeared new but the end plates were severely worn. Visual inspection of the projector base showed that the ' skin' was not the correct size and had been in-filled. The ' skin' had been spot and tack welded ir, place (see photograph 3).
The labels on the projector were the wrong colour and gauge and had been attached to the projeaor body using aluminium rivets. The identi6 cation label stated the information one would expea from an authentic Sentinellabel but stated 'Sedal Namber'widi the number T4114 etched on the label.
Insoection of comoonent narts The projector was systematically striped down to its component parts, identified and autherwimad (see photographs 4 and 5).
The components identified as authentic Sentinel parts are severely wom and or damaged, in particular the springs and the ' selector' mechanism which failed the T661 calibrated gauge check at 0.175 inches (pass level >0.182 inches) (see photograph 6).
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i Insocction of component cam _(continued) l Visualinspection of both end plates of the projector shows excessive wearirdicating that the feet to the projector body would have been worn out (see photograph 7). To overcome this the projector body has been 're slonned', this operation caused extensive damage to the foam insert thereby reducing the integrity of the projector (see photograph 8). The projector front plate showed that it had been modified and an extra hole bored into the handle (see photograph 9).
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A modification has been made to the 'S' tube by inserting a piece of metal tubing so that the 'S' tube continues to the end plate (see photograph 10).
Visual inspection of the projector lock mechanism shows extensive wear and damage. It was noted that the locking pin was only half protruding (see photograph 11).
Recommendation Container to be despatched to AEA Technology QSA Inc., Burlington for furtherinvestigations into the ore,n of the projeaor.
Conclusion The 660 projector, serial number T4114, supplied by Kyung Do Enterprises to Nycomed Amersham for refurbishment and reloading contabis components that are not authentic Sentinel i
parts. It is apparent that the projector has been constmeted using components of a dubious f
nature and unknown origin.
Note: As a consequence of this conclusion, the projeaor has not and will not be returned to Kyung Do Enterprises.The projector is quarantmed swaiting a decision on an appropriate route for disposal.
R T Dawson Date: 18" Le146.
QSAMar dacturing
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J D Benn Date: iae677 UK Design Authority,QSA 90/50'd ES/.C 992 E0E SWH00/OdSd 00:1T 666'-B?-Nnf