ML18101B213

LER 96-001-00:on 960109,TS Violation Occurred Re Failure to Perform Chemistry Sampling within Required Timeframe.Caused by Personnel Error.Personnel Counseled & Chemistry Dept Shift Turnover Process improved.W/960208 Ltr

ML18101B213
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	02/08/1996
From:	Hassler D, Warren C Public Service Enterprise Group
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
LER-96-001-01, LER-96-1-1, LR-N96027, NUDOCS 9602120274
Download: ML18101B213 (5)

Text

. e . Public Service Electric and Gas Company P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey 08038-0236 Nuclear Business Unit FEB 0 8 1996 LR-N96027 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 Gentlemen:

LER 311/96-001 SALEM GENERATING STATION -UNIT 2 FACILITY OPERATING L.ICENSE NO. DPR-75 DOCKET NO. 50-311 This Licensee Event Report entitled "Technical Specification Violation:

Failure to Perform Chemistry Sampling Within Required Timeframe 11 is being submitted pursuant to the requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations lOCFRSO. 73 (a) (2) (i) (B). Attachment SORC Mtg.96-014 . . JEH/tcp C Distribution LER File 3.7 1)'e r()\\FJ" '1 . .; l*.l, , .. !' :*. *; *1* ,; * : l j l . . . . l ) ...... '. J ' ' -..

c14warren General Manager -Salem Operations I I . I ! Attachment A The following item represents a commitment that Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) made to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) relative to this LER (311/96-001-

-00). The commitment is as follows: 1. A formal Chemistry Department.shift turnover process will be proceduralized by February 29, 1996.

NRCFORMS88 (4-95) U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

• APPROVED BY OMB NO. 3150-0104 EXPIRES 04/30198

• LICENSEE EVENT REPORT (LER) ESTIMATED BURDEN PER RESPONSE TO COMPLY WITH THIS MANDATORY INFORMATION COLLECTION REQUEST: &0.0 HRS. REPORTED LESSONS LEARNED ARE INCORPORATED INTO THE LICENSING PROCESS ANO FED BACK TO INDUSTRY.

FORWARD COMMENTS REGARDING BURDEN ESTIMATE TO THE INFORMATION AND . RECORDS MANAGEMENT BRANCH (T-8 F33), U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION, WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001, AND TO THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION PROJECT (3150-0104), OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, WASHINGTON, DC 20503. FACILITY NAME (t) (See reverse for required number Of dlgltS/characters for each block) SALEM GENERATING STATION -UNIT 2 TITLE (4) DOCKET NUMBER (2) PAGE (3) 05000311 1 OF3 Technical Specification Violation:

Failure To Perfonn Chemistry Sampling Within Required Timeframe EVENT DATE (5) LER NUMBER (6) REPORT DATE (7) OTHER FACILITIES INVOLVED (8) YEAR I FACILITY NAME DOCKET NUMBER MONTH DAY YEAR SEQUENTIAL

!REVISION MONTH DAY YEAR NUMBER-NUMBER 05000 01 09 96 *96 001 00 02 08 96 FACILITY NAME DOCKET NUMBER --05000 OPERATING MODE (9) N THIS REPORT IS PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF 10 CFR §: (Check one or more). (11) POWER LEVEL(10)

NAME 0 20.2201(b) 20.2203(a)(2)(v)

X 50.73(a)(2)(i) 50.73(a)(2)(viii) 20.2203(a)(1) 20.2203(a)(3)(i) 50.73(a)(2)(ii) 50.73(a)(2)(x) 20.2203(a)(2)(i) 20.2203(a)(3)(ii)

50. 73(a)(2)(iii)

73. 71 20.2203(a)(2)(ii) 20.2203(a)(4)

50. 73(a)(2)(iv)

OTHER 20.2203(a)(2)(iii) 50.36(c)(1)

50. 73(a)(2)(v)

Specify in Abstract below -+.,,...,,....,,..,,..,,...,..-,.,...,..,....,....---+---t--......,,...,....,..,.------+---+--....,...,=.-.-------10rin NRC Form366A . 20.2203(a)(2)(iv) 50.36(c)(2) 50.73(a)(2)(vii)

LICENSEE CONTACT FOR THIS LER (12) TELEPHONE NU.MBER (Include Area Coda) Dennis V. Hassler, LER Coordinator 609-339-1989 COMPLETE ONE LINE FOR EACH COMPONENT FAILURE DESCRIBED IN THIS REPORT (13) SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT EXPECTED (14) EXPECTED MONTH DAY YEAR I YES -. . x I NO SUBMISSION (If yea, complete EXPECTED SUBMISSION DATE). DATE (15) ABSTRACT (Limit to 1400 spaces, i.e., approximately 15 aingle*spaced typewritten lines) (16) On January 9, 1996, a waste gas holdup sys,tem sample required to be taken every 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> was collected 85 minutes late .. The follow-up analysis was completed within the authorized 4 hour4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> time period. At the time* of the discovery, both units were in an extended outage with all fuel removed from the reactor vessels, Technical Specification mode "undefined".

The root cause of this occurrence was personnel A supervisor in the Chemistry Department failed to direct a technician to perform the analysis procedure.

A contributing cause was inadequate communication within the Chemistry Department.

Corrective actions include personnel counseling and improvements in.the Chemistry Department shift turnover process. This event is reportable in accordance with 10 CFR 50. 73 .(a) (2) (i) (B), any condition prohibited by the plant's Technical Specifications.

NRC FORM 368 (4-95)

. ' --NRC FORll 366A (4-95) U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION . . FACILITY NAME (1) LICENSEE EVENT REPORT (LER) TEXT CONTINUATION DOCKET NUMBER (2) LER NUMBER (6) PAGE (3) SALEM GENERATING STATION -UNIT 2 05000311 96 -001 .... 00 TEXT (If more space is required, use additional copies of NRC Form 366A) (17) PLANT.AND SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION Westinghouse

-.Pressurized Water Reactor Sampling and Water Quality System {KN/-}* *Energy Industry Identification System (EIIS) codes identifier codes appear in the text as {SS/CC} IDENTIFICATION OF OCCURRENCE Discovery Date: January 9, 1996 CONDITIONS PRIOR TO OCCURRENCE The plants were defueled at the time of discovery.

and component function The waste gas analyzer became inoperable per Technical Specifications, which initiated the compensatory daily waste gas sampling and analysis.

DESCRIPTION OF OCCURRENCE 3 On December 17, 1995, the Chemistry Department initiated.

compensatory daily Unit 2 waste gas grab sampling and analysis in accordance with Technical Specification 3.3.3.9 after the Unit 2 waste gas analyzer was declared inoperable.

On the morning o-f January 9, 1996, the day shift primary shift technician, who would normally perform the waste gas sampling and analysis, was on authorized absence. This was not noted on the master schedule, so the daily work assignment sheet prepared that day by the senior supervisor still showed the absent primary shift technician as present. The night shift primary shift technician did not perform a person-to-person turnover, but rather provided turnover to the Chemistry Group individuals present that morning. Because the day shift primary shift technician normally leaves the chemistry laboratory area to attend the Operations Department turnover meeting, no Chemistry Department personnel noted his absence. Later that morning, another technician realized that the technician scheduled to perform the waste gas sampling and analysis was absent, and notified -a chemistry supervisor.

Another technician was reassigned to replace the absent individual.

He discovered that the waste gas sample required by technical specifications had not been taken, and he proceeded to obtain one. The time at which this sample was*obtained was 85 minutes later than the technical specification surveillance frequency.

Sample analysis was then completed satisfacto'rily within, the 4 hour4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> window. NRC FORM 366A (4-95) ---------

• NRC FORll 366A U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (4-95) -' "

• LICENSEE EVENT REPORT (LER) TEXT CONTINUATION FACILITY NAllE (1) DOCKET NUMBER (2) LER NUMBER (6) YEAR I SEQUENTIAL I REVISION

• NUMBER NUMBER SALEM GENERATING STATION -UNIT 2 0500031'.I 96 -001 -00 TEXT (If more apace la required, uae additional copies of NRC Form 366A) (17) CAUSE OF OCCURRENCE PAGE (3) 3 OF 3 The root cause of this occurrence was personnel error. A supervisor in the Chemistry Department failed to provide a technician to perform the analysis procedure.

A contributing cause was inadequate turnover within the Chemistry Department.

PRIOR SIMILAR OCCURRENCES A review of LERs for Salem Units 1 & 2 identified one LER related to late performance of compensatory sampling due to personnel error during the last two years. This is: LER 311/95-005 "Technical Specification Violation:

Failure to analyze second sample with Radiation Monitor Inoperable" identified an occurrence where two independent liquid radwaste samples were not analyzed prior to release due to personnel error. SAFETY SIGNIFICANCE The safety significance of this event is low. Technical requires that a sample be taken every 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> and then analyzed for oxygen concentration within the following four hours when the waste gas analyzer is inoperable.

This ensures that the concentration of gas mixtures contained in the waste gas holdup system is monitored to preclude the buildup of flammable gas mixtures.

Sample results on 1/8/96 and* 1/9/96 were 0.41% and 0.32% respectively.

These values were well below the Technical Specification limit of 2%. The grab sample discussed in this LER was analyzed in 35 minutes. The total time between completion of the _ analysis of this sample and the taking of the prior sample was 26 hours3.009259e-4 days <br />0.00722 hours <br />4.298942e-5 weeks <br />9.893e-6 months <br />. Based on the above, the health and safety of the public were not affected.

CORRECTIVE ACTIONS 1. The immediate corrective action taken was to complete grab sample .analysis within the four hour period. 2. Personnel involved in the event have been counseled.

3. A formal Chemistry Department shift turnover process will be proceduralized by February 29, 1996. NRC FORM 366A (4-95)