Event Notification Report for February 29, 2016
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
02/28/2016 - 02/29/2016
EVENT NUMBERS
51761
Agreement State
Event Number: 51761
Rep Org: TEXAS DEPT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
Licensee: TICONA POLYMERS INC
Region: 4
City: BISHOP State: TX
County:
License #: 02441
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: GENTRY HEARN
HQ OPS Officer: STEVEN VITTO
Licensee: TICONA POLYMERS INC
Region: 4
City: BISHOP State: TX
County:
License #: 02441
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: GENTRY HEARN
HQ OPS Officer: STEVEN VITTO
Notification Date: 03/01/2016
Notification Time: 13:22 [ET]
Event Date: 02/29/2016
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 04/08/2016
Notification Time: 13:22 [ET]
Event Date: 02/29/2016
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 04/08/2016
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
RICK DEESE (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFIC (EMAI)
RICK DEESE (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFIC (EMAI)
AGREEMENT STATE - STUCK SHUTTER IN THE NORMALLY OPEN POSITION
The following Agreement State Report was received from the State of Texas via email:
"On March 1, 2016, the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] received notice that on February 29, 2016, the licensee had discovered that a Berthold fixed gauge model MB7442D containing 30 milliCuries of cesium-137 had malfunctioned. The shutter was stuck in the open position. The gauge is normally left in the open position, and no exposure to the public is likely. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."
Texas Incident #: I 9383
* * * UPDATE FROM ART TUCKER TO JOHN SHOEMAKER AT 1746 EDT ON 4/8/16 * * *
The following updated report was received from the State of Texas via facsimile:
"The following information was provided by the manufacturer: Celanese of Bishop, TX contacted Berthold in early March [2016], to come out and repair a LB 7442 device with a broke shutter. This device was one of many that was sold by BSI until they went out of business in [approximately] 2003. The cause of the broke shutter was corrosion that had built up on the brass shutter shaft making it hard to turn.
"When the Berthold service engineer was replacing the shaft he noticed that the source holder did not have a lock washer between the source holder and the source. The missing lock washer was not the cause of the broke shutter but has been an issue in the past with a plant in Wyoming that had some of the older BSI devices. Vibration caused the source to come lose from the source holder, the source dropped down into a position that prevented the shutter mechanism from cutting off the radiation beam when rotated which resulted in continuous high readings. Berthold worked with the NRC and the Wyoming plant to inspect the remaining shields to see if there were others that were missing the lock washer. It was noted that some did in fact have the lock washer in place but some did not. The sources that did not have lock washers on them were disassembled from their source holder and lock washers were added.
"[The manufacturer has] not seen any other records of this happening except for the FMC Corp plant in Wyoming in 2010. At Celanese, the Berthold service engineer removed the source from the source holder and added a lock washer before placing it back into the shield. It was noted by the Berthold service engineer that Celanese appeared to have more of the same devices from that era. The issue in Wyoming could have been an isolated incident but definitely worth noting."
Notified R4DO (Kellar) and NMSS Events Notification.
The following Agreement State Report was received from the State of Texas via email:
"On March 1, 2016, the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] received notice that on February 29, 2016, the licensee had discovered that a Berthold fixed gauge model MB7442D containing 30 milliCuries of cesium-137 had malfunctioned. The shutter was stuck in the open position. The gauge is normally left in the open position, and no exposure to the public is likely. Additional information will be provided as it is received in accordance with SA-300."
Texas Incident #: I 9383
* * * UPDATE FROM ART TUCKER TO JOHN SHOEMAKER AT 1746 EDT ON 4/8/16 * * *
The following updated report was received from the State of Texas via facsimile:
"The following information was provided by the manufacturer: Celanese of Bishop, TX contacted Berthold in early March [2016], to come out and repair a LB 7442 device with a broke shutter. This device was one of many that was sold by BSI until they went out of business in [approximately] 2003. The cause of the broke shutter was corrosion that had built up on the brass shutter shaft making it hard to turn.
"When the Berthold service engineer was replacing the shaft he noticed that the source holder did not have a lock washer between the source holder and the source. The missing lock washer was not the cause of the broke shutter but has been an issue in the past with a plant in Wyoming that had some of the older BSI devices. Vibration caused the source to come lose from the source holder, the source dropped down into a position that prevented the shutter mechanism from cutting off the radiation beam when rotated which resulted in continuous high readings. Berthold worked with the NRC and the Wyoming plant to inspect the remaining shields to see if there were others that were missing the lock washer. It was noted that some did in fact have the lock washer in place but some did not. The sources that did not have lock washers on them were disassembled from their source holder and lock washers were added.
"[The manufacturer has] not seen any other records of this happening except for the FMC Corp plant in Wyoming in 2010. At Celanese, the Berthold service engineer removed the source from the source holder and added a lock washer before placing it back into the shield. It was noted by the Berthold service engineer that Celanese appeared to have more of the same devices from that era. The issue in Wyoming could have been an isolated incident but definitely worth noting."
Notified R4DO (Kellar) and NMSS Events Notification.