ML19275F072
| ML19275F072 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane, Sequoyah  |
| Issue date: | 04/21/1980 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Gegenheimer L AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8006020157 | |
| Download: ML19275F072 (2) | |
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MEMORANDUd FOR:
G. H. Smith, Chief, FFMS Branch, Region I
/
J. P. Stohr, Chief.FFMS Branch, Region II
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A. B. Davis, Chief, FFMS Branch, Region III G. D. Brown, Chief, FFMS Branch, Region IV H. E. Book, Chief, FFMS Branch, Region V FROM:
L. B. Higginbothan, Assistant Director, Division of Fuel Facility and Materials Safety Inspection, IE SUDJECT:
NIOSH " RESPIRATOR USERS WARNING" AND " RESPIRATOR USERS NOTICE" Attached are copies of two user announcements received from NIOSH addressing defective respiratory protectica devices. One is a " user warning" advising against the use of certain Norton Safety Products respirator cartridges. The other is a " user notice" reamplifying the regulator malfunctions of the Scott Air Pak II/ IIA and Presur Pak II/ IIA Self-contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).
This previous NIOSH " users warning" was the subject of IE Circular 79-09.
We do not believe that either of these announcements have a direct adverse effect on NRC licensees' use of respiratory protective devices. Norton Safety Products believes their problem to be essentially alleviated, having reccrds of sales and having recovered almost all unused cartridges. Since the Scott Air Pak and Presar Pack was the subject of a previous IE Circular, ample notifica-tion of NRC licensees has been effected. Therefore, we do not intend to provide any further fc. cal NRC notification of licensees. However, during upcoming inspections at licensees which have recpiratory protection program, it may serve as an additional precautionary measure if the IE Radiation Specialist Inspector 3 were to discuss these announcements with the licensees. No formal inspection c'" ort or documentation of the subject is desired; discussion with licensees snould be informal and for informational purposes only.
L. B. Higginbotham Assistant Director
Enclosure:
As stated Division of Fuel Facility and Materials Safety Inspection, IE cc:
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i DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE PUBLIC HEALTH GEnVicE CENTER FoR Ot5E ASE CONTROL SA A O ALTH ALos 944 CHESTNUT RIDGE ROAC l
MORGANTOWN. WEST vlRGINtA 265o5 October 6, 1979 I
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RESPIRATOR USERS WARNING i
I NORTON COMBINATION CARTRIDGES a
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) t E
The National Institute the use of certain Norton Safety Products respirator
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advises against No Norton Saf ety Products combination (piggyback) gas and cartridges.
vapor high efficiency chemical cartridges should be used.
The specific todel numbers are 7500-81 (TC-23C-204), 7500-S2 (TC-23C-207), 7500-83 T
(TC-23C-210) and 7500-84 (TC-23C-213). Anyone having these cartridges A should return them to their local Norton distributor for replacement.
routine NIOSH quality audit has discovered serious defects in the 7500-j 31 cartridge and Norton has voluntarily agreed to recall all piggyback l
cartridges at no expense to the user.
The defects are cracks or concave defornities in the threaded portion of -
g the cartridgd. NIOSH tests indicate that t~
se defects can cause
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significant leakage along the cartridge sea 2_ag edge.
Norten has stopped sale of the 7500-31, 7500-82, 7500-33, and 7500-84 Norton requests these piggyback cartridges be returned to cartridges.
the local distributor and has agreed to replace then with nondefective cartridges.
If you are unable to contact the local distributor, contact Leon Audette, Norton Quality Control Manager, 2000 Plainfield Pike, Cranston, RI 02920, phone number (401) 943-4400.
I The nondefective replace =ent cartridges can be distinguished from the I
defective cartridge previously supplied by Norton by the word " approved" stamped on the replacement cartridge and a white label on the box stating " approved". Only those Norton piggybeck cartridges with the word " approved" should be used.
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(( Director Ja:es A. Oppold,.
.D PE, CSP V Division of Safety Research ge-e
A kh,f DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELF ARE PUDLIC HEALTH SERVICE CENTER FoR otSEASE CONTROL NATICN AL INSTaTUTE FOR oCCUPATICN AL SAFETY AND HEEALTH - ALCSH 9-14 CHESTNIf mCGE QC AO MORGANTOWN. WEST VIRGINIA 26505 January 14, 1980 RESPIRATOR USERS NOTICE SCOTT AIR PAK II/II A and PRESUP, PAK II/ILA SELF-CONTAINED DREATHING APPARATUS The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has learned that many users of Scott Air Pak II/ IIA and Presur Pak II/ IIA self-contained breathing apparatus continue to rely on units with regulators the worker.
A recent NIOSH that ray calf unction and fail to protect telephone survey indicates that rany users have rade no ef fort to modify their units to correct the problem.
NiOSH warned users about the problem on May'3,1979, af ter an investigatica of the deaths of three firefighters in Lubbock, Texas, revealed they had been wearing the Scott respirutor when they died.
Subsequently, Scott redesigned the respirators to prevent regulator malfunction in all future Scott also agreed to provide rodification kits to.corregt the units.
problem in respirators already in use.
Scott will provide the kits at no charge to users who request them before January 31, 1980. After January 31, 1980, Scott will provide the kits at $7.95 per kit, postpaid.
Users of Scott Air Pak II/ IIA and Presur Pak II/ IIA self, contained breathing apparatus who have net yet modified their units may request modification kits from:
Scott Aviation, Inc.
A Division of A-T-0 225 Erie St.
Lancaster, New York 14086 Telephone:
803-828-1577
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u ames A. Oppold, ip., P.E.
[ Director f Division of Safety Research