ML20043H045

Responds to NRC 900509 Ltr Re Violations Noted in Insp Rept 50-333/90-02.Corrective Actions:Refuel Floor Work Stopped, Chief Radiation Protection Technician Disciplined & Importance of Following Procedural Guidelines Reinforced

ML20043H045
Person / Time
Site:	FitzPatrick
Issue date:	06/08/1990
From:	Fernandez W POWER AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (NEW YORK
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
JAFP-90-0455, JAFP-90-455, NUDOCS 9006210490
Download: ML20043H045 (4)

Text

. . . - - - . - . - -

- James A. FitaPetrick

.*. Nucteer Power Plant .

. P.o. pox 41

. (' .

., Lycoming, New York 13093 315 342-3840:

WrkPbwer Ullliam Femandez 11 h0my deu .

R isident Manager I j ..

L June.8, 1990 JAFP-90-0455 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission .

I Mail Station Pl-137 Washington, DC 20555

' ATTENTION: Document Control Desk

SUBJECT:

RESPONSE TO NOTICE OF VIOLATION -

INSPECTION NO. 90-02 (DOCKET 50-333)

Reference:

1) USNRC Letter Dates May 9, 1990

Subject:

Inspection Report No. 50-333/90-02

Enclosures:

1) . Response to Notice of Violation (3 pages)

Gentlemen:

This letter provides the Authority's response (Enclosure 1) to the Notice of Violation transmitted'by Reference (1). .This refers to the_ inspection- conducted by Messrs. Wayne Schmidt and Richard -

Plasse of your office between March 12, 1990 and' April 25, 1990 at .

the-James A. Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant.  ;

Very truly yours,

,, i

/ , -

Il I FERN DEZ WFA*AS/:aml Encle.sure

.CC: R. Beedle, WPO S. Toth, WPO J. Brons, WPO M. Knapp, NRC Region I,DRSS R. Liseno, JAF Document Control Center G. Vargo, JAF WPO Records Management NRC Resident Inspector, JAF CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED 9006210490 900600 W~ / \

PDR ADDCK 050003331 /'

4 .G PNV {. ,

-. 1 -

i

.l i

. =

JAFP-90-0455 l

. United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission June 8, 1990 Docket 50-333/ Inspection No. 90-02 Page 1 of 3

-a Enclosure 1 j NOTICE OF VIOLATION l As a result of the inspectio'n conducted on March 12 to April 25, 1990, and in a'ccordance with NRC Enforcement Policy (10 CFR 2, Appendix C)_the following violations were identified.

10 CFR 20.201 requires that surveys be taken to ensure the measurement- and evaluation of the concentration of radioactive material present at a job site, to ensure adequate respiratory  !

protective measures. NYPA Radiological Work Permit Procedure (RPP-4) ' requires that respiratory protective measures be used in an area where surface contamination is above 50,000 dpm.

Contrary to^the above, on-April 3, 1990, NYPA did not perform a survey and thus did not: evaluate the concentration of radioactive material present at the edge of the reactor vessel cavity, to ensure adequate respiratory protective measures. Respiratory protective measures where not used when surface contamination was above 50,000 dpm '(600,000 dpm). This led to the internal contamination of two maintenance workers.

This is a Severity Level IV violation (Supplement IV).

NYPA RESPONSE TO NOTICE OF VIOLATION The Authority agrees with the violation.

' 1 ', Reasons for the Violation On April 3, 1990 there were several tasks in progress on the y refuel floor that required Radiation Protection coverage. The mechanics were moving-the ladder in the equipment storage pit

' to E another location and were about to install some ball Lvalves' and connections in the cavity weirs for the Operations Department. The decontamination crew was also on the refuel floor performing cavity- cleaning. The Chief Radiation Protection Technician on the refuel floor became preoccupied

- with the cachanics moving the ladder in the equipment storage pit-due to very high contamination ^ levels. He consequently directed les: attention to loosening the plates on the weirs.

The loosening of the plates on the weirs was described by the mechanics as a short and simple task. The Chief Radiation Protection Technician did not perform or direct that a

. contamination survey on the" weir plates be performed because a,

n

'O -

13

'] o JAPP-90-0455

-United States Nuclear Regulatory. Commission. . June 8,a1990 Docket 50-333/ Inspection No.90-02L '

lPage 2 of 3 he assumed that the contamination levels on the weirs were the-sameias the cavity walls-(approximately 60,000,dpm/100;cm8),;

and the heads of the mechanics lwould be 18-20. inches from the' work area.

Radiation Protection ~_ Procedures provide guidelines .that. m normally require respiratory protection for f. contamination ,

-levels greater than 50,000 dpm/100 cm' unless supervisory concurrence is granted otherwise. In this' instance the technician allowed them to perform their task without respiratory protection and without supervisory concurrence.

.This event resulted from the Chief Radiation Protection Technician failing to maintain . a questioning attitude and incorrectly assuming that the contamination- levels on the weirs-were the same as the general reactor cavity surfaces.

,The~ Chief Technician should have exercised his authority to not allow work to proceed, until a survey had been performed.

2. Corrective Action Taken and Results Achieved The Superintendent of Power directed that work be stopped on the refuel floor until a survey of the weir plates was performed and a critique of the event was completed. In addition, both'.' mechanics received whole body counts and exposures in MPC-hours were calculated (3. 2 and = 11. 6 - MPC -

hours)..

3.' -Corrective Action Which- Will -be Taken- to Avoid Future

-Violations The Chief Radiation Protection Technician was disciplined.

The importance of following procedural guidelines and the significance of controlling radiologically sensitive work was strongly reinforced.

In addition, the need for supervisors (especially refuel. floor:-

supervisors) to . be sensitive to the radiological issues continues to-be stressed by management.

The details of this event will be added to the Radiation Protection Tephnician continuing training program and the inpbrtance of following ' procedural guidelines for radiologically sensitive work will continue to be emphasized by management.

l

~ - , . .- . . , - - . .- -

--, . .- 1 .

,J." ,. c,-

4.- .

JAFP-90-0455 'i L -United-~ States-Nuclear Eegulatory Commission June 8, 1990

'- Docket 50-333/ Inspection No. 90 Page'3 of 3:

~

, 4. The ' Date When Full Comoliarice W151' Be Achieved <

All: items were completed April:3, 1990 with the e.'ception;of-, -

continuing training, the continuing training will ne resumed , '

- at the-the conclusion of the= current = refuel-outage.

< s w

+

'f l

\

[:

l-9 i

'i

i.

1 i

. 1

. c.

.