ML19327A817

Ro:On 891005,failure to Perform Reactor Checkout Prior to Operations Results in Reactor Failing to Fulfill Surveillance Requirements in Facility Tech Specs Sections 4.2.3.a,4.2.3.c,4.2.4.a,4.3.3 & 4.6.1

ML19327A817
Person / Time
Site:	Breazeale Nuclear Reactor
Issue date:	10/11/1989
From:	Hosler C PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV., UNIVERSITY PARK, PA
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 8910180188
Download: ML19327A817 (2)

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Charles L. Healer 114 Kern Graduate Building.

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Senior Vice President for Research . ,.The Per.asylvcnia State University >

• __ aad Dean of the Graduate School, ' University Park, PA 16802 U

-October 11', 1989.

m U.S. Nuclear Regulatory,Conrnission h ' ATTN:- Document Control Desk

= Washington, D.C. 20555-

, Re

Tech Spec Violation License R-2, Docket N0. 50-5 1 '

Dear Sir and Madame:

During .the: morning _ reactor. checkout.of 0ctober 5, 1989, it was discovered that.a reactor checkout was'not~per_ formed prior to' reactor. operations on October 4,

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1989..~This failure to_do a checkout prior to operations caused the-Penn State '

• IBreazeale. Reactor to-: fail to fulfill the surveillance requirements of_ sections 4.2.3.a 4.~2.3.c, 4.2.4.a. 4.J 3. , and 4.6.1. of the facility technir.a1

. ' spec ifications- (t. s. )~. This failure to do surveillance requirements is a- .i

+ ireportable occurrence:under section 1.1.33.e of-the facility t.s. . This letter

-issto. fulfill' the requirements of section 6.6.2.a of the facility-t.s. to _ follow >

-within 14 days with a report of the event.

LThe reactor' checkout- on October 5,1989 found all checks- to be within t t..

limitseand there'it nu reason to believe that the reactor was operated outside -

of t.s. limits on-0ctober-4.-

'E0ne cause of the event was a' confusion between personnel; each assumed the other >

bad done'the checkout. Other causes of the-event were the failure of operating personnel'to read the' reactor log prior to startt.p as required by the facility '

" operating procedures and'the fact that entries in the log denoting checkout

completion are not delineated in any manner different than all other entries.

Inynediate action was to have all licensad operators present on October 5 sign (off on a training procedure that explained the-event. Other licensed operators

. signed. off on. the procedure as .they returned to work'the. following days. To

- prevent the recurrence of this event in the future, the checkout procedcre will

-be changed to require the use of a colored stamp to . indicate when the checkout

. i s : done.- The absence of this-stamp in the log should remind the operator that the checkout has not been done, i

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=Page 2-

. October.: 11, :1989 -

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NRC Region'I'was notified on October 5 by phone contact with Noel-Dudley. A

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follow-up: letter: confirming the phone call also went to Region I on October 5: ,

with- a copy to:your of fice.

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Sincerely, WW/ l '

Dr.' Charles L.' Hosler, Jr. .

Senior Vice President-for Research and Dean of the Graduate School CLH/TLF/skr

.cc: Region'I Administrator E T. A.-Seliga ,

M. H..Voth

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