Unfortunate event at WNP-2

[Ruth Vandegrift <Ruth_Vandegrift@health.ohio.gov>]

     To Radsafe:
     
     Does anyone know anything about this, or the contract tech involved?
     
     *********************************************************************
     FROM EMERGENCY RESPONSE SITE ON INTERNET
     
     Fatality of Contract Health Physics Technician at WNP-2 site
     
     This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of 
     POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance.  The information is 
     as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is 
     basically all that is known by Region IV staff in Arlington, Texas on 
     this date.
     
     On June 2, 1996, at 1:27 p.m. (PDT), during a refueling outage with 
     the plant in Mode 4, Cold Shutdown, a contract Health Physics 
     Technician (Bartlett) apparently suffered a heart attack.  Site 
     personnel immediately began CPR; however, the individual did not 
     respond.  The technician, working in the reactor cavity removing 
     strippable paint, was transported to the local hospital emergency 
     decontamination facility with small amount of facial and hair 
     contamination (areas of 200 to 3K counts per minute).  The licensee's 
     health physics personel accompanied the technician to the hospital.  
     The technician was pronounced dead at the hospital.
     
     The licensee convened an Incident Review Board to investigate the 
     event.  At this time, the licensee has not identified any unusual 
     conditions which contributed to the fatality.
     
     The licensee has issued a press release.  There has been some media 
     interest in the event.  The unit is currently in mode 4.
     
     Region IV received initial notification of this occurrence by 
     telephone call from the licensee at approximately 2:25 p.m. on June 2, 
     1996.
     
     The state of Washington will be informed.  Region IV has informed EDO, 
     NRR, and PA.
     
     The information presented herein has been discussed with the licensee 
     and is current as of 9 a.m. (PDT), June 3, 1996.