ML20059F755

Responds to Unresolved Item 50-334/90-16-01 Noted in Insp Rept 50-334/90-16.Corrective Actions:Initial Training for Maint Group Personnel Responsible for Maintaining Supplied Air Respirators Will Be Supplemented W/Biennial Retraining

ML20059F755
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley
Issue date:	08/29/1990
From:	Sieber J DUQUESNE LIGHT CO.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9009110341
Download: ML20059F755 (3)

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4 a ley Power Station

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.I sosN o sitetsi - Mia mmo I ve. e. .a.ni - u.r*., o*'

August 29 1990 l I

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1 Attnt Document Control Desk j tfashington, DC- 20555 l

Reference:

Beaver' Valley Power Station, Unit No. 1 and No. 2 DV-1 Docket No. 50-334, License No. DPR-66 L BV-2 Docket No. 50-412, License No. NPF-73 h Combined Inspection Report Nos. 50-314/90-16 and j- 50-412/90-16 q j

l j Gentlement The above referenced NRC Inspection Report dated July 11, 1990 l 7,. requested. a ' response to unrosolved item 334/90-16-01 which- )

concerne.f -respiratory protection program weaknesses. Attached is i our reply which reviews the cause of the weaknesses and provides 3x appropriate corrective action. j If there .are any questions concerning this response, please l contact my office. <

1 Very truly yours, h,h ,

!. . D.

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sac /cer (NL  !

I L :Vice President-  !

l Nuclear Group l

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! , .J cct Mr.' J. Beall, Sr. Resident Inspector i Mr. T. T. Martin, NRC Region I Administrator 1 Mr. R. R. Bell ey, Chief Facilities Radiological Safety and Safeguards-Branch .l Mri A. W.-DeAgazio, Project Manager  !

Mr. R. Saunders (VEPCO) 0T54~" p, [

E 9009110341 900829 i PDR ADOCK 05000334  ;

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• 3 DUQUESNE LIGHT COMPANY NUCLEAR GROUP  !

Beaver Valley Power Station Unit 1 and 2 Reply to Identified ResDiratory Procram Weaknesses Combined Inspection Report 50-334/90-16; 50-412/90-16 ,

i Unresolved Item (50-334/90-16-01) l l

Currently the responsibility for various aspects of the respirator i maintenance program is divided between four groups. Building .

maintenance is responsible for washing, disinfecting, storing, and issuing air purifying respirators. Radiological Controls is ,

responsible for inspecting and performing maintenance on air I I

purifying respirators. Operations is responsible for inspecting and performing maintenance on SCBAs. Maintenance is responsible for i inspecting and performing maintenance on supplied air respirators. ,

The inspector reviewed the 1989 Respirator Protection Program ,

Evaluation which included the results of several surveillances of the respirator maintenance program. These surveillances. identified i several weaknesses which included: improper fittings on the air-line '

regulators in the Control Room, SCBA facepieces missing parts, and -

the lack of proficiency in emergency respirator inspection and repair i by the responsible foremen. The inspector also noted that some.of these deficiencies had been noted during surveillances in 1988.

Although the licensee immediately corrected the noted weaknesses, the licensee does not appear to have addressed long term corrective actions to address the root cause of the weaknesses. The inspector noted that weaknesses in the retraining program for respiratory protection workers was also a concern identified.

1 The -inspector reviewed the training records of several .of the  !

individuals who perform maintenance on respirators and noted that the individuals did not receive periodic retraining on maintaining the respirators. The licensee stated that individuals involved with t respirator maintenance are only given initial' training and that under their current program they do not receive periodic retraining. An individual could be assigned the task of performing maintenance on respiratory protection equipment even if the individual had not been ,

retrained or otherwise involved in respirator maintenance for several years. The lack for a retraining program for these individuals is-an area that needs improvement.

The long term corrective actions to address the root causes of the weaknesses identified in the respiratory protection program is an unresolved item (50-334/90-16-01).

Corrective Actions Taken or Planned We have reviewed the respirator maintenance program including the weaknesses identified in the inspection report. At Beaver Valley, responsibility for the various aspects of the program is divided between four groups. The results of our review are as follcws:

...N

• i Reply to UnrCO31v0d It03 (50-334/90-16-01)

Page 2 j An overall satisfactory level of performance was found in the aspects for which Radiological Control is responsi' " due to (1) the work involves straight-forward respirator inspent'sn that can be easily completed following approved procedures; (2) the functional leak test 1 of respirators gives immediate results of successful inspection; and j (3) supervisory oversight.

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An overall satisfactory level of performance was found in Operations' responsible areas due to: (1) the routine assignments, drills, and  ;

training by Operations personnel maintains their proficiency and (2) I the Operating Surveillance Tests (OSTs) provide the specific steps necessary for successful inspection.

Effective performance was also found to occur during the washing, I disinfecting, issuina and storing of respirators which are the ,

responsibility of the Building Maintenance personnel. l Our review determined that the _ majority of the respirator deficiencies were limited to supplied air respirators which are maintained by the Maintenance department. In order to address these  :

concerns the following corrective actions are being implemented:

• Initial training for Maintenance group personnel responsible-for maintaining supplied air respirators will be supplemented by biennial retraining.

• Tne work control system will be upgraded to incorporate the biennial retraining requirements.

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• Periodic surveillances by the Health Physics Department will evaluate the effectiveness of the maintenance program.

These corrective actions above will be implemented by December 31, ,

1990. l L In addition, respirator ucer refresher training is being developed l and will be given on a periodic basis. The frequency and scope of  ;

this training will be based on actual erperience with specific respirators. The refresher program based on the results of available respiratory protection evaluations will be developed by December 31, 1990 and implementated in the first quarter of 1991.

This program will be monitored by the respiratory protection r/roup to ensure that performance of respirator maintenance and respirator use i remain at a high level of proficiency. Any organizational interfaces l and performance problems that are noted will be expeditiously addressed.

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