PNO-II-89-045, between 890518-0609,13 Util Employees Inadvertently Received Whole Body Exposures of 300 Mrem Each While Cleaning Precipitator Containing 300 Mci Cs-137 Source.Caused by Failure of Shielding Mechanism

PNO-II-89-045:between 890518-0609,13 Util Employees Inadvertently Received Whole Body Exposures of 300 Mrem Each While Cleaning Precipitator Containing 300 Mci Cs-137 Source.Caused by Failure of Shielding Mechanism

ML20245D787
Person / Time
Site:	Crystal River
Issue date:	06/12/1989
From:	Trojanowski R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:
References
PNO-II-89-045, PNO-II-89-45, NUDOCS 8906270231
Download: ML20245D787 (2)

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c June 120 1989 I 4

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PN0-II-89-45 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY. notice. of even.ts: of'.POSSIBLE safety or 1 public interest significance. The information is as . initially' received without verifi-- #

. cation or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region II staff on this:

-date. .,

FACILITY: Weedon Island Facility Licensee Emergency Classification- l F1orida Power Corporation . Notification of Unusual-Event l (A Coal Fired Generating Unit) Alert-St. Petersburg, Florida Site Area Emergency General Emergency j-X Not Applicable SUBJECTi INADVERTENT EXPOSURE OF NONRADIAT:0N WORKERS l- Officials 'of the State of Florida advised Region II that sometime during the period of-l- . May 18,' 1989,- and June 9, 1989, thirteen Florida' Power Corporation- (FPC)J employees inadvertently received an estimated whole body exposure of 300 mrem each.- The FPC Weedon, '

Island facility is a coal fired generating plant and these employees were not equipped with radiation monitoring devices since they do 'not' routinely receive - occupational.

radiation exposures.

The exposure occurred during the time frame noted above while the workers were cleaning a precipitator containing a generally licensed ~ gauge consisting of twelve 100 millicurie  !

Cesium-137 sources. On June 9,1989, FPC representatives realized that this exposure i occurred when it was noted that the gauge shielding mechanism apparently failed and four -j of the sources were totally unshielded while two others were only partially shielded.

l Representatives of the FPC Corporate Health. Physics' staff conducted the initial investigation of this ' matter and calculated the estimated exposures based on interviews A with the employees and consideration of their stay _ times.

Repr'esentatives of both FPC and the State are continuing to-investigate the circumstances of this' incident.

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!- The NRC received initial notification of this event by telephone from the State of Florida at 3:30 p.m. (EDT) on June 9,1989.

1 This'information is current as of 2:15 p.m. (EDT) on June 12, 1989.  !

CO?lTACT: R. E. Trojanowski - 242-5597

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PNO-II-89-045 PNU  ;

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..3 DISTRIBUTION: .

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One White M' land.Nat'l Flint North Bank Bldg Regions MAIL T0: DCS (Original IE 34)

Chairman Zech ARM Region I DOT (Transportation Only)

Comm. Roberts 01A Region II

-Comm. Carr AE00 Region III FAX T0: INP0 -- 3 !ar2>

Comm. Rogers Region IV LICENSEE (Corporate)

Comm. Curtiss Region V RII Resident SECY OGC Nicholson Lane OCA RES GPA/SLITP/PA ED0 01 H Street NRR ACRS NMSS PDR 5520: 6/12/89 0 2:15 p.m. TO REGIONS AND HQ oooo***************.***********************************************************************

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