Press Release-I-96-056, NRC Staff Proposes $2500 Civil Penalty Against National Institutes of Health, Press Release-I-96-056, NRC Staff Proposes $2500 Civil Penalty Against National Institutes of Health
| ML003706349 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 08/23/1996 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs Region I |
| To: | |
| Category:Press Release "PressRelease-I-96-056,NRCStaffProposes$2500CivilPenaltyAgainstNationalInstitutesofHealth" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 20. "PressRelease-I" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value -96. | |
| References | |
| Press Release-I-96-056 | |
| Download: ML003706349 (2) | |
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UnitedStatesNuclearRegulatoryCommissionOfficeofPublicAffairs,RegionI475AllendaleRoadKingofPrussia,PA19401Phone:610/337-5330Fax:610/337-5241Internet:dps@nrc.govorvld@nrc.govI-96-56August23,1996Contact:DianeScrenciFORIMMEDIATERELEASEVictorDricksNRCSTAFFPROPOSES$2500CIVILPENALTYAGAINSTNATIONALINSTITUTESOFHEALTHTheNuclearRegulatoryCommissionstaffhasproposeda$2500fineagainsttheNationalInstitutesofHealth(NIH)forfailing tosecurefromunauthorizedaccesslicensedradioactivematerials usedinresearchattheNIHcampusinBethesda,Maryland.NRCfoundduringinspectionsbeginningonJuly6andOctober23oflastyearthatsmallquantitiesofradioactivematerials werekeptinsideunlockedrefrigeratorswithinunlocked laboratories,withnoonepresenttocontrolaccesstothe
materials.TheviolationsfoundinJuly1995wereidentifiedbyanNRCaugmentedinspectionteam,whilethoseidentifiedinOctober1995 werefoundbyanotherNRCspecialteaminspection.Theaugmented inspectionteamwassenttoNIHastheresultoftheingestionof radioactivephosphorus-32byapregnantresearcherand26 additionalNIHstaffmembers.Investigationsoftheingestionof radioactivematerialhavenotyetbeencompleted,andNRChasnot yetreachedadecisiononenforcementactionfortheseevents.InnotifyingNIHoftheproposedfine,NRCRegionalAdministratorHubertJ.Millersaid,"Itisasignificant regulatoryconcernthatNRCinspectorsrepeatedlyhavebeenable togainaccesstolicensedmaterialsatyourfacilitywithout challenge,becauseitindicatesthatmembersofthepublicmaydo soaswell."TheNRCisparticularlyconcernedwiththenumberofexamplesofthisviolationandthefactthatpreviousviolationsof securityrequirementswereidentifiedduringNRCinspectionsin AprilthroughMay1994,andinJune1995,Mr.Millersaid.NRCacknowledgedthatNIHhasrecentlytakencorrectiveactions,includingimmediateconfiscationofunsecuredradioactive materials,amendmentofitssecuritypolicyandinitiationofa securitymonitoringprogram.However,thesecorrectiveactions werenotappropriatelycomprehensivetopreventrecurrenceofthe securityviolations,NRCsaid.AnadditionalNRCinspectionon November7through9,1995,identifiedthreemoreinstancesinwhichunattendedlicensedradioactivematerialswerenotlocked
up.TheNRCalsocitedNIHforseveralotherviolations,forwhichfineswerenotproposed.Theadditionalviolationsinclude:--Workersnotwearingextremityradiationmonitoringbadges,andnotreturningthefilmbadgesandring badgeseachmonth,asrequired;--Usersobtainingradioactivematerialswithoutprovidingrequiredinformationregardingtheidentityofthe intendedusersorthesignatureofanauthorized
investigator;--Researchersperforminglicensedactivitieswithoutfirstreceivingrequiredtraining;and--FailingtoperformthyroidbioassaymeasurementsofresearcherswhohandledcertainquantitiesofIodine-
125.NIHhas30dayseithertopaythefineorprotestits imposition.