PNO-IV-88-048, on 880516,EBASCO Employee Working in Refueling Area Received Approx 22 Rem Dose to Skin of Whole Body. Caused by Lodging of Hot Particale (Fuel Flea) on Employee Thigh After Passing Through Protective Clothing

PNO-IV-88-048:on 880516,EBASCO Employee Working in Refueling Area Received Approx 22 Rem Dose to Skin of Whole Body. Caused by Lodging of Hot Particale (Fuel Flea) on Employee Thigh After Passing Through Protective Clothing

ML20154S777
Person / Time
Site:	Waterford
Issue date:	05/31/1988
From:	Chaney H NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
To:
References
PNO-IV-88-048, PNO-IV-88-48, NUDOCS 8806090186
Download: ML20154S777 (2)

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May 31,1988 s

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE -- PNO-IV-88-48 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 Region IV staff on this date.

FACILITY: Louisiana Power & Light Co. Licensee Emergency Classification:

Waterford ? Notification of Unusual Event Taft, Louisiana Alert DN: 50-382 Site Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable  ;

SUBJECT:

EMPLOYEE RADIATION OVEREXPOSURE DUE TO HOT PARTICLE

, On May 16, 1988, an EBASCO employee working in the refueling area received a dose of approximately 22 rem to the skin of the whole body. A bot particle (fuel flea) had lodged on the employee's thigh after passing through his protective clothing. The quarterly skin dose limit is 7.5 rem. The exposure was based on  ;

- exposure of the skin (1 cm2 ) to 2.12 microcuries of 101 day old irradiated fuel for a time period of approximately 120 minutes. This overexposure was not identified by the licensee until May 26, 1988, during a routine review of previously documented hot particle exposures. The licensee determined that both

, the initial estimate of the particle's radioactivity (less than 1 microcurie) and the estimated time the worker was exposed to the hot particle area (30 minutes) were in error.

Since this identification of an overexposure was made after the reported

overexposure of May 18, 1988, (NRC PNO-IV-88-44) involving an employee in the same work area, the corrective actions taken by the licensee in regard to the i

May 18, 1988, incident are still appropriate. The licensee intends on issuic] a l 30 day report to the NRC that will include both overexposures. The licensee has '

initiated additional corrective actions to ensure that appropriate radiation monitoring equipment and techniques are used in future incidents of this type.

Waterford-3 is currently in Mode 4 following completion of the secund refueling ,

outage. r

) The resident inspectors are monitoring the licensee actions.

i j The licensee does not plan to issue a press release at this time.

! The state of Louisiana will be informed by the licensee.  ;

1 This information has been confirmed with a licensee representative.

CONTACT: H. D. Chaney (FTS 728-8229)

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DISTRIBUTION:

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POR SLITP OGC-H GPA ACRS 5520: / /88 9 REGIONS & HQ i

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