Information Notice 2014-06, Improper Mounting Could Damage Industrial Radiographic Equipment

Improper Mounting Could Damage Industrial Radiographic Equipment

ML14059A195
Person / Time
Issue date:	04/28/2014
From:	Laura Dudes NRC/FSME/DMSSA
To:
Arribas-Colon M
References
IN-14-006
Download: ML14059A195 (3)

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF FEDERAL AND STATE MATERIALS

AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS

OFFICE OF NEW REACTORS

WASHINGTON, DC 20555 APRIL 28, 2014 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2014-06: DAMAGE OF INDUSTRIAL RADIOGRAPHIC

EQUIPMENT DUE TO FALLING EQUIPMENT

AND IMPROPER MOUNTING

ADDRESSEES

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) material licensees possessing industrial

radiographic equipment, regulated under 10 CFR Part 34. All Agreement States Radiation

Control Program Directors.

All holders of and users of a transportation package certificate of compliance under Title 10 of

the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 71, Packaging and Transportation of

Radioactive Material, that possess industrial radiographic equipment regulated under 10 CFR

Part 34.

All holders of and applicants for a power reactor early site permit, combined license, standard

design approval, or manufacturing license under 10 CFR Part 52, Licenses, Certifications, and

Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants. All applicants for a standard design certification, including

such applicants after initial issuance of a design certification rule.

PURPOSE

The NRC is issuing this Information Notice (IN) to inform licensees about the results of a recent

NRC staff analysis involving radiographic equipment. It is expected that recipients will review

the information for applicability to their facilities and temporary job sites to consider appropriate

actions to avoid similar incidents. The NRC provides this IN to the Agreement States for their

information and for distribution to their licensees, as they deem appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES

Recently, the NRC staff conducted an analysis of reported events involving radiographic

equipment documented within the Nuclear Material Events Database (NMED). The data

analyzed covered the period from Fiscal Years 2003 through 2013. The results of the analysis

identified a large number of events in which radiography sources could not be retracted

because the guide tubes (or drive cables) had been damaged after the sources were extended

ML14059A195 into the non-shielded position. Specifically, the analysis showed that equipment damage

resulted either from falling construction equipment which damaged components of the

radiographic equipment or when radiographic equipment fell as a result of inadequate

placement or support.

A summary of similar event notifications received by the NRC which involved radiographic

equipment when guide tubes (or drive cables) had been damaged is listed below. A link to each

events full report is also provided.

• In 2007, radiographers attached the guide tube to a ladder within a tank, after which the

wind blew the ladder over, causing the ladder to fall on the guide tube and put a crimp in

the tube. The crimp prevented the ability to retract the source back into the shielded

position.

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2007/20070920en.html

• In 2008, radiographic equipment fell from the radiographers vehicle and the guide tube

was bent where it attached to the device. The radiographers were able to straighten the

guide tube and to crank the source in and out of the equipment with increased

resistance. The radiographers continued working with the damaged guide tube. Later in

the day, they decided to dismount the device including the guide tube, and when

unscrewing the guide tube they noticed the condition of the cable and realized that the

source was not in the shielded position.

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2008/20080910en.html

• In 2012, radiographic equipment fell to the ground from a valve assembly while

performing operations. The impact from the fall crimped the guide tube. The

radiographer was not able to retract the source into the shielded position due to the

crimped guide tube.

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2012/20121227en.html

• In 2013, a spool fell onto a guide tube during radiography operations, causing crimping

of the guide tube. As a result of deformation of the guide tube, the radiography crew

was unable to retract the source into the shielded position.

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2013/20130801en.html

DISCUSSION

Most of these reportable events with radiographic equipment occurred when the source could

not be retracted into a shielded position and the source was left exposed. In these cases, the

specific causes of the source retraction failures were due to: (1) the falling construction

equipment which damaged components of the radiographic equipment, or (2) the radiographic

equipment itself falling as a result of inadequate placement or support.

Material licensees and transportation package certificate holders and users, possessing

industrial radiographic equipment regulated under 10 CFR Part 34, are being informed of these

events to emphasize the importance of the physical hazards which may be present in the

surrounding areas. Specifically, when performing radiography operations, construction

equipment surrounding the radiographic equipment or inadequate placement of the radiographic

equipment may cause damage to the equipment and prevent the retrieval of the source.

RELATED GENERIC COMMUNICATIONS

IN 1991-23, Accidental Radiation Overexposures To Personnel Due To Industrial Radiography

Accessory Equipment Malfunctions.

IN 1996-04, Incident Reporting Requirements for Radiography Licensees.

IN 2001-03, Incident Reporting Requirements for Radiography Licensees. (Superseded IN 1996-04).

CONTACT

This IN requires no specific action or written response. If you have any questions about the

information in this notice, please contact the technical contact listed below or the appropriate

regional office.

/RA/ /RA/

Mark Lombard, Director Laura A. Dudes, Director

Division of Spent Fuel Division of Materials Safety

Storage and Transportation and State Agreements

Office of Nuclear Material Safety Office of Federal and State Materials

and Safeguards and Environmental Management Programs

/RA/

Michael C. Cheok, Director

Division of Construction Inspection

Operational Programs

Office of New Reactors

Technical Contact:

Maria Arribas-Colon, FSME

(301) 415-6026 E-mail: Maria.Arribas-Colon@nrc.gov

Enclosure:

FSME List of Recently Issued

Generic Communications

CONTACT

This IN requires no specific action or written response. If you have any questions about the

information in this notice, please contact the technical contact listed below or the appropriate

regional office.

/RA/ /RA/

Mark Lombard, Director Laura A. Dudes, Director

Division of Spent Fuel Division of Materials Safety

Storage and Transportation and State Agreements

Office of Nuclear Material Safety Office of Federal and State Materials

and Safeguards and Environmental Management Programs

/RA/

Michael C. Cheok, Director

Division of Construction Inspection

Operational Programs

Office of New Reactors

Technical Contact:

Maria Arribas-Colon, FSME

(301) 415-6026 E-mail: Maria.Arribas-Colon@nrc.gov

Enclosure:

FSME List of Recently Issued

Generic Communications

ML14059A195 OFFICE FSME/LB FSME/LB FSME/LB FSME/LB

NAME MArribas-Colon JJankovich THerrera MKotzalas

DATE 3/7/2014 3/10 /2014 3/10/2014 3/13/2014 OFFICE FSME/RMSB NMSS/SFST NRO/DCIP FSME/MSSA

NAME AMcIntosh MLombard MCheok LDudes

DATE 3/14/2014 4/14/2014 4/17/2014 4/28/2014 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

IN 2014-06 List of Recently Issued Office of Federal and State Materials

and Environmental Management Programs Generic Communications

Date GC No. Subject

Addressees

04/16/2014 RIS-2014-02 Withdrawal of NRC Generic All holders of and applicants for

Letter 95-08, 10 CFR 50.54(p) construction permits or operating

Process for Changes to Security licenses for nuclear power reactors

Plans Without Prior NRC under the provisions of Title 10,

Approval Energy, of the Code of Federal

Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50,

Domestic Licensing of Production and

Utilization Facilities. All holders of

and applicants for a combined license, standard design approval, or

manufacturing license under 10 CFR

Part 52, Licenses, Certifications, and

Approvals for Nuclear Power

Reactors. All applicants for a standard

design certification, including such

applicants after initial issuance of a

design certification rule.

03/13/2014 RIS-2014-03 Notice of 10 CFR Part 37 All holders of and applicants for U.S.

Implementation Deadline for Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

NRC Licensees licenses that possess Category 1 and

Category 2 quantities of radioactive

material, NRC Master Material

Licensees, Agreement State Radiation

Control Program Directors, and State

Liaison Officers

03/04/2014 IN-99-03, Exothermic Reactions Involving All operating uranium recovery

Rev. 1 Dried Uranium Oxide Powder facilities that produce uranium oxide

(Yellowcake) powder (yellowcake). All Agreement

States with the authority to regulate

uranium mills (i.e., Utah, Colorado, Texas, Ohio, Illinois, and Washington).

01/10/2014 RIS-2014-01 Regulatory Requirements for All distributors of general license

Withholding of Proprietary devices submitting a request that

Information from Public information be withheld from

Disclosure public disclosure under the provisions

of Title 10 of the Code of Federal

Regulations Section 2.390, Public

Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for

Withholding. All Agreement and Non- Agreement States, and State Liaison

Officers.

IN 2014-06 List of Recently Issued Office of Federal and State Materials

and Environmental Management Programs Generic Communications

Date GC No. Subject

Addressees

11/15/2013 IN-2013-22 Recent Licensing Submittals All materials licensees, certificate

Containing Personally holders, applicants, and other entities

Identifiable Information subject to regulation by the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission for

the use of source, byproduct, and

special nuclear material. All Radiation

Control Program Directors and State

Liaison Officers.

10/17/2013 RIS-2013-17 Resuming Normal Interactions All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Between the NRC and NRC Commission (NRC) licensees, Stakeholders Following an certificate holders, permit holders, Agency Shutdown and applicants; all Agreement and

Non-Agreement States, and State

Liaison Officers; and other

interested stakeholders.

Note: This list contains the six most recently issued generic communications, issued by the Office of

Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs. A full listing of all generic

communications may be viewed at the NRC public Web site at the following address:

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/gen-comm/index.html