Information Notice No. 89-47:Potential Problems with Worn or Distorted Hose Clamps on Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus

                                  UNITED STATES
                          NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
                      OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C.  20555

                                  May 18, 1989


Information Notice No. 89-47:  POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH WORN OR DISTORTED 
                                   HOSE CLAMPS ON SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING 
                                   APPARATUS 


Addressees:

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power 
reactors and fuel facilities.

Purpose:

This information notice is being provided to alert addressees to potential 
problems with worn or distorted hose clamps on self-contained breathing ap-
paratus (SCBA).  It is expected that licensees will review the information 
for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, if appropriate, 
to preclude use of a potentially defective respirator.  However, suggestions 
contained in this notice do not constitute NRC requirements and, therefore, 
no specific action or response is required.  

Description of Circumstances:

A Department of Health and Human Services "NIOSH Respirator User's Notice" 
(Attachment 1) described two events in which retaining clamps on the breathing 
tube of a SCBA failed, causing the tube to separate from the facepiece.  These 
failures led to the death of one wearer and serious injury to another.  In both 
cases, the failure was attributed to worn or deformed clamps that may have 
resulted from improper maintenance of the units.  

Discussion:

Hose clamp failures on SCBAs can result in serious personnel safety hazards.  
In order to help prevent these failures, it is important that personnel pay 
particular attention while performing maintenance on the SCBAs.  It is im-
portant that maintenance personnel perform careful visual inspections of 
hose clamps to identify worn or deformed ones and, when replacing these 
defective clamps, adhere strictly to the manufacturer's instructions.  Care
when disassembling or reassembling breathing tube clamps will also minimize
failures.

In the general interest of personnel safety and in order to maintain an ade-
quate emergency response capability, licensees may wish to share this informa-
tion with other potential SCBA users, such as local fire department personnel.  
Also, licensees may wish to consider subscribing to the NIOSH service in order 


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                                                                 May 18, 1989
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to receive prompt notification of significant problems with respiratory equip-
ment.  Licensees can be added to the NIOSH distribution list by writing to 
Mr. Robert Schutz, Respirator Problem Coordinator of the Division of Safety 
Research, at the address in the upper right corner of Attachment 1.  

No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.  
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the technical 
contact listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate regional 
office.  




                                   Charles E. Rossi, Director
                                   Division of Operational Events Assessment
                                   Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation


Technical Contact:  Roger L. Pedersen, NRR
                    (301) 492-1079


Attachments:  
1.  NIOSH Users Notice
2.  List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
..                                                            Attachment 2 
                                                            IN 89-47
                                                            May 18, 1989
                                                            Page 1 of 1

                             LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
                             NRC INFORMATION NOTICES
_____________________________________________________________________________
Information                                  Date of 
Notice No._____Subject_______________________Issuance_______Issued to________

89-46          Confidentiality of            5/11/89        All holders of 
               Exercise Scenarios                           licenses for fuel 
                                                            cycle facilities 
                                                            and byproduct 
                                                            material licensees 
                                                            having an approved 
                                                            emergency response 
                                                            plan. 

89-45          Metalclad, Low-Voltage        5/8/89         All holders of OLs
               Power Circuit Breakers                       or CPs for nuclear
               Refurbished with Sub-                        power reactors.
               standard Parts

89-44          Hydrogen Storage on the       4/27/89        All holders of OLs
               Roof of the Control Room                     or CPs for nuclear
                                                            power reactors.

88-82,         Torus Shells with Corrosion   5/2/89         All holders of OLs
Supp. 1        and Degraded Coatings in                     or CPs for BWRs.
               BWR Containments

89-43          Permanent Deformation of      5/1/89         All holders of OLs
               Torque Switch Helical                        or CPs for nuclear
               Springs in Limitorque                        power reactors.
               SMA-Type Motor Operators

88-97,         Potentially Substandard       4/28/89        All holders of OLs
Supp. 1        Valve Replacement Parts                      or CPs for nuclear
                                                            power reactors.

89-42          Failure of Rosemount          4/21/89        All holders of OLs
               Models 1153 and 1154                         or CPs for nuclear
               Transmitters                                 power reactors.

89-41          Operator Response to          4/20/89        All holders of OLs
               Pressurization of Low-                       or CPs for nuclear
               Pressure Interfacing                         power reactors.
               Systems

88-75,         Disabling of Diesel           4/17/89        All holders of OLs
Supplement 1   Generator Output Circuit                     or CPs for nuclear
               Breakers by Anti-Pump                        power reactors.
               Circuitry
_____________________________________________________________________________
OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit 
..