PNO-I-89-042, on 890601,instrumentation & Control Technician Shirt Contaminated w/Cl-36 While Handling Discarded Radiation Protector.Caused by Leaking Check Source.Skin Dose Estimate for Affected Individual Surveyed

PNO-I-89-042:on 890601,instrumentation & Control Technician Shirt Contaminated w/Cl-36 While Handling Discarded Radiation Protector.Caused by Leaking Check Source.Skin Dose Estimate for Affected Individual Surveyed

ML20244B832
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	06/05/1989
From:	Bellamy R, Nimitz R, Pasciak W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
References
PNO-I-89-042, PNO-I-89-42, NUDOCS 8906130318
Download: ML20244B832 (1)

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DCS No: 50443890601

, Date: June 5, 1989 i

' PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-I-89-42 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Ret,,lon I staff a this date.

Facility: Licensee Emergency Classification:

Public Service Company of Notification of Unusual Event New Hampshire Alert Seabrook Station Site Area Emergency Seabrook, New Hampshire General Emergency DN 50-443 X Not Applicable

Subject:

PERSONNEL CONTAMINATION WITH A CL-36 CHECK SOURCE At about 5:30 p.m. on June 1, 1989, an I&C technician alarmed a whole body frisker when exiting the Radiological Controlled Area (RCA). The individual's shirt was found to be contaminated on the upper left chest with a speck of Chlorine-36 (Cl-36). The licensee's preliminary review indicated the individual was contaminated while handling a discarded radiation detector (General Atomic Model RD-10). The detector, from the station's area radiation monitoring system, was stored in the I&C shop. The detector apparently contained residual contamination from a leaking check source. The leaking check source was originally identified as a problem about two years ago by the licensee. The check source had been epoxy sealed when the leaking was first identified. Although the detector handled in the I&C shop dia not contain a check source (nominally 1 uCi Cl-36, an exempt quantity, as a Nacl salt), the detector apparently had not been thoroughly frisk-checked for contamination. Licensee corrective actions included performance of a skin dose estimate for the affected individual, surveying of the I&C lab and other administrative areas and confiscation of all other detectors located outside the RCA. Four other detectors were found in the I&C shop, one of which contained a source. About twenty detectors and sources were found in warehouse storage. The sources had been sealed and no leakage was identified. The licensee's preliminary skin dose for the indivic;ual was about 300 millirem. One other individual was found to have sustained low level Cl-36 shoe contamination. No conta.ination is known to have been removed from the station.

This inferr.ation is current as of 7:00 a.m. on June 5,1989. NRC radiation specialists are moni;oring the licensee's reviews. The State of New Hampshire has been notified.

CONTACT: R. Nimitz W. Pasciak R. Bellamy FTS 346-5267 346-5281 346-5200  !

DISTRIBUTION:

OWFN MNBB H-St. NL Mail: ADM:DMB Chairman Zech AE00 ACRS TIES DOT:Trans only Comm. Roberts ARM POR Comm. Carr 0GC NRC Ops Ctr Comm. Rogers Comm. Curtiss INP0----

SECY NMSS NSAC----

CA NRR OGC OIA Regional Offices GPA 01 RI Resident Office PA SLITP ED0 OE Licensee:

3' Region I Form 83 (Reactor Licensees)

(Rev. April 1988) r 8906130318 890605 PDR I&E O( I O PND-2-89-042 PNU -

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