ML20084E973

Ro:On 720503,upon Entering Steam Generator & Starting Grit Blasting Equipment,Workman Discovered Face Mask Not Functioning & Exited Area.Caused by Failure to Tighten Threaded Connection of Air Hose to Mask.Exams Performed

ML20084E973
Person / Time
Site:	Ginna
Issue date:	05/31/1972
From:	Amish K ROCHESTER GAS & ELECTRIC CORP.
To:	Low L US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
Shared Package
ML20084E972	List: ML20084E973
References
NUDOCS 8304190097
Download: ML20084E973 (3)

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.- . mn ROCHESTER GAS AND ELECTRIC CORPORATIGN e 89 EAST AVENUE, ROCHESTER, N.Y.+t&M 14649 JC2U.1 E t t( f p ? C A rete ST R A M May 31,1972 f t k E P*t 0 N f

- " = "a 546-2700 Mr. Lawrence D. Low Director, Division of Compliance U. S. Atomic Energy Commission Washington, D. C. 20545

Subject:

R. E. Ginna Nuclear Power P,lant Unit No.1 Docket 50-244 .

Dear Mr. Low:

Notice is hereby given, as required by 10 CPR 20.405, of the potential exposure of a higher than permissable concentration of radioactive material to a plant workman on the date of May 3,1972.

This workman, an employee of a sub-contractor, was one of several men operating grit blasting equipment in the primary side of the steam generator, preparing the surfaces for examination.

Preparations for the steam generator inspection had included extensive practice in a full sized mock-up. Teams of workmen, health physicists and technicians were established to perform the work under the surveillance and control of the health physicists. Each of these men was issued a dosi-meter and two film badges, one of which was a TLD for daily checks of

, exposure.

- I This workman, upon entering the steam generator and starting the grit 9

, ' blasting equipment became aware that his face mask was not functioning properly and he exited from the area. It is estimated that he was in the

steam generator for 32 seconds.

An examination in the station Health Physics Laboratory showed the presence of Cobalt-58, Cobalt-60 and Iodine-131. Preliminary determination at this point indicated a receipt of less than 20 percent of the alloyiable body burden of conta_minating isotopes. However, it was considered advisable to send him to tife' Radiation Management Corporation laboratories'(RMC) in Phil-adelphia for additional tests, including a whole body count. Prior to the count in the station laboratory, nose blows and irrigation of his throat was done and the subject took two showers which completely removed external contamination.

A whole body count was made by RMC of the subject on the day of the l incident. He was counted in both the prone and supine position and the data averaged. Eleven isotopes were identified with only four isotopes DC 0 h4 PDR 2

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~ . ROCHESTER GA $ AND ELECTRli , R P, N, SHEET NO. 2 cATE May 31,1972 To Mr. Lawrence D. Low being in concentrations considered worthy of investigation, namely Cobalt-60, Cobalt-58, Cerium-144 and Iodine-131.

The whole body count was repeated at RMC on May 4 and again on May 8, 1972. By the latter count 65 percent of the initial activity had been cleared from the body. This was substantiated by RMC from examination of feces and urine samples collected over the period. The isotopes of concern, Cobalt-60, Cobalt-58 and Cerium-144 were determined on this date to be 5, 3, and 4 percent respectively, of the maximum permissable body burden.

The Iodine-131 dose wa.s determined to be 450 mrem in total.

The subject had not worked in a radioactive environment prior to the months of April and May of 1972 and his film badge results for these months were 1490 and 420 mrem, respectively.

The subject returned to work at the station on May 9,1972. The discon-nection of the air hose from the air mask was evidently a result of the fail-ure to tighten the threaded connection. This procedure had been faultless prior to this incident and also since, for the large number of personnel engaged in this particular operation.

Very t ly yours,

& w Keith W. Amish Attachment xc: Mr. James P. O'Reilly

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Attachment to letter to Director, Division of Compliance dated May 31, 1972:

Notice is hereby given, as required by 10 CFR 20.405, of the exposure of Jesse M. Gillespie, Social Security Number 090-38-7523, date of birth February 14, 1945, to a potential radiation dose in excess of allowable.

The individual has been notifipd as required by 10 CPR 20.405b. .

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