ML20232C703

UNITED STATES 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION 

WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001 

September 8, 2020 

NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2020-01: INCREASED ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ISSUES 

AFTER ELECTROSTATIC CLEANING 

ADDRESSEES

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensees, Agreement State Radiation Control 

Program Directors, and State Liaison Officers. 

PURPOSE

The NRC is issuing this information notice (IN) to inform addressees of recent operating 

experience associated with the use of electrostatic spray cleaning. An NRC licensee noticed an 

increase in the frequency of issues with control room simulator equipment1

 following the routine 

use of an electrostatic spray cleaning technique in their simulator facilities. The NRC expects 

that recipients will review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, 

as appropriate, to avoid similar problems. INs may not impose new requirements, and nothing 

in this IN should be interpreted to require specific action. 

DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES

While conducting control room simulator activities in June 2020, the simulator staff at an 

NRC-licensed power reactor plant informed NRC inspectors that they had noted an increase in 

the frequency of issues with simulator equipment. Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) 

pandemic, the training facilities that house the licensee’s control room simulator employed deep 

cleaning methods to treat for potential viral surface contamination. One of the cleaning 

methods used for the training facilities, including the control room simulator panels and 

surfaces, was an electrostatic spraying technique, also referred to as an antiviral “fogging.” The 

treatment was performed on a weekly basis starting in March 2020. 

After starting the treatment, the licensee noted the following control room simulator equipment 

issues: instances of sticking control panel pushbutton switches, audio indications of control rod 

movement failing intermittently, and sluggish movement when operating pump and valve control 

panel switches. Each of these equipment issues had been experienced previously in the 

simulator; however, the licensee noted more frequent occurrences following use of the antiviral 

“fogging” treatments. At no time was safety significant equipment exposed to this cleaning 

technique and the plant continued to operate safely. 

The licensee’s control room simulator facilities subsequently stopped using the electrostatic 

spraying technique and employed other disinfectant techniques. 

 

1 Control room simulator equipment is used as a full-size model version of control room equipment to train reactor plant operators. 

The NRC is not aware of any instances of the use of the electrostatic spraying cleaning method in any actual NRC-licensed reactor 

plant control rooms. 
IN 2020-01 

Page 2 of 3 

DISCUSSION

The electrostatic spraying technique uses a device that coats facility surfaces with an antiviral 

chemical bound to electrostatically charged particles. The NRC is not aware of any instances of 

the use of this electrostatic spray technique in any NRC-licensed control room facilities. The 

NRC is providing this operating experience to inform licensees of potential risks posed by 

cleaning methodologies during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

CONTACTS 

Please direct any questions about this matter to the technical contact listed below. 

/RA/ M. Ferdas for /RA/ 

Christopher G. Miller, Director Kevin Williams, Director 

Division of Reactor Oversight Division of Materials Safety, Security, 

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation State, and Tribal Programs 

Office of Nuclear Material Safety 

 and Safeguards 

Technical Contact: Julie Winslow, NRR 

301-415-0593 

E-mail: Julie.Winslow@nrc.gov 
IN 2020-01 

Page 3 of 3 

NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2020-01, “INCREASED ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ISSUES 

AFTER ELECTROSTATIC CLEANING,” DATE: September 8, 2020 

ADAMS Accession No.: ML20232C703 EPIDS No. L-2020-GEN-0007 

OFFICE Author QTE NRR/DRO/IOEB/PM NRR/DRO/LA 

NAME JWinslow KAzariah-Kribbs BBenney IBetts 

DATE 8/31/20 8/20/20 8/31/20 09/09/20 

OFFICE NRR/DRO/IOEB/BC NMSS NRR/DRO/D 

NAME LRegner KWilliams MFerdas for CMiller 

DATE 9/03/20 8/31/20 9/08/20 

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY