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UNITED STATESNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDSWASHINGTON, D.C. 20555

December 12, 1997

**Addressees**

Registered users of the Model No. 660 series packages, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission industrial radiographylicensees.

**Purpose**

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this notice is to alert addressees to additional controls fortransport that have been added to Certificate of Compliance No. 9033, for the Amersham Model No. 660 seriesradiographic exposure devices. It is expected that recipients will review the information for applicability to their operations.However, suggestions contained in this information notice are not NRC requirements, therefore, no specific action norwritten response is required.

**Description of Circumstances**

In October 1997, Amersham Corporation of Burlington, Massachusetts, performed physical testing of the Model No. 660series radiographic exposure devices. During the tests, one of the test units experienced an unexpected failure and did notmeet the external radiation standards specified in 10 CFR Part 71.

Amersham subjected four Model No. 660 test specimens to the hypothetical accident test sequence described in 10 CFR71.73. The test sequence consists of a 9-meter (30-foot) free drop, a 1-meter (40-inch) drop onto a puncture bar, and athermal (fire) test. Because of damage sustained in the drop and puncture tests, the depleted uranium radiation shielding inone test unit was partially exposed during the subsequent thermal test. The exposed depleted uranium shield experiencedsignificant oxidation and degradation during the thermal test. As a result, the test unit no longer provided shieldingsufficient to meet the post-accident radiation limit specified in 10 CFR 71.51(a)(2).

**Discussion**:

Certificate of Compliance No. 9033, for the Model No. 660 series packages, has been revised to specify additional controlsto be used in transport. These controls are needed to ensure that the package does not sustain damage that may reduce itseffectiveness in the event of a transportation accident including a fire. These controls apply to radiographic exposuredevices identified as Model No. 660, 660E, 660A, 660AE, 660B, or 660BE. The additional controls are noted below:

These controls are temporary measures pending the development and testing of package design modifications. Thesecontrols must be implemented until they are removed from the Certificate of Compliance.

This information notice requires no specific action nor written response. If you have any questions about the information inthis notice, please contact one of the technical contacts listed below or the appropriate regional office.****

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