ML091890514 

UNITED STATES 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

OFFICE OF FEDERAL AND STATE MATERIALS 

AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS 

WASHINGTON, DC 20555 

 September 18, 2009 

NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2009-18: PERFORMANCE OF REQUIRED SHUTTER 

 CHECKS AND REPORTING OF GAUGE 

 SHUTTER FAILURES 

ADDRESSEES 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) specific and renewal fixed gauge materials 

licensees. All Agreement State Radiation Control Program Directors and State Liaison Officers. 

PURPOSE 

The NRC is issuing this Information Notice to alert fixed gauge specific and general licensees 

about the potential for the failure of shutter closure mechanisms on fixed gauges and the 

requirements for reporting these events to the NRC. It is expected that recipients will review the 

information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid 

similar incidents. Recommendations contained in this Information Notice are not new NRC 

requirements; therefore, neither specific action nor written response is required. Information 

herein is based upon an Information Notice issued by the State of Ohio in December 2008. 

NRC is providing this Information Notice to the Agreement States for their information, and for 

distribution to their licensees as appropriate. 

DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES 

Since 1990, NRC received numerous reports of fixed gauge shutter closure failures occurring 

during shutter closure checks performed by licensees. The initial reports indicated that the 

failures of the shutter open/close mechanisms were sudden and unexpected and most resulted 

in the inability of the licensee to close the shutter on the device. In addition, most of these 

reports indicated a breakage of some part of the shutter closure mechanism. An investigation 

of the circumstances surrounding these events indicated several contributing factors: 

1. The devices were typically operating in harsh environments with the presence of grit, 

dust, and other foreign materials which could get into the shutter operating 

mechanism or otherwise interfere with the movement of the shutter during operation. 

2. Previous shutter checks performed prior to the reported failure may have indicated 

“sticking” or “binding” of the shutter during closure, although the licensee was 

eventually able to get the shutter closed and reopened. 
 IN 2009-18 

Page 2 of 3 

3. Periodic shutter mechanism checks were not always conducted by licensees as 

required, were sometimes neglected over a prolonged period of time, and the result 

was a buildup of foreign material or corrosion within the device and a stuck or frozen 

shutter which could not be closed. 

During the investigation of the reported shutter failures, it was also noted that additional 

mechanical means, such as a pry-bar or hammer, were sometimes used to attempt to move a 

stuck shutter operating mechanism. Furthermore, Ohio’s investigation revealed that many 

additional similar events had occurred involving fixed gauges, but were not reported as required. 

These incidents were identified through service and maintenance reports from manufacturers 

and service providers. 

DISCUSSION 

Fixed gauges containing licensed radioactive materials are used by specific and general 

licensees in a wide variety of manufacturing and processing operations to measure parameters 

such as flow rates, thickness, density, or volume. The shutter on a fixed gauge is a safety 

feature designed to eliminate or significantly reduce the radiation levels at the opening of a fixed 

gauge when the shutter is in the closed position. Additionally, shutter closure is necessary to 

allow licensee or service personnel to perform certain operations or maintenance activities on or 

near the gauge. Therefore, the inability to close the shutter, due to the presence of corrosion or 

foreign materials, breakage of the closure mechanism, or some other cause, is considered by 

NRC to be a failure of equipment to operate as designed and for which there is no redundant 

equipment to perform the required safety function. As such, an NRC licensee which possesses 

a fixed gauge with a shutter that cannot be closed is required to notify NRC within twenty-four 

hours of any such incident, in accordance with 10 CFR 30.50(b)(2). In addition, the licensee is 

required to follow-up the initial report within 30 days with a written report describing the 

circumstances which led to the shutter failure and the corrective actions taken. The 30-day 

follow-up report is required by 10 CFR 30.50(c)(2). 

Fixed gauges routinely operate in a continuous mode with the shutter open, exposing the 

radioactive source inside. A shutter closure check is a periodic maintenance activity to be 

performed by licensees possessing fixed gauges in accordance with the procedures included in 

the manufacturer’s instructions. The requirement for NRC fixed gauge licensees to conduct 

these checks is found in 10 CFR 31.5 (c)(2) for general licensees, and by license condition for 

specific licensees. Licensees are required to document that the checks have been performed. 

The typical timeframe for conducting a shutter check is every six months. 

Licensees should promptly contact the manufacturer or other licensed service provider for 

guidance on necessary maintenance or service and whenever the gauge requires repair. At no 

time should the licensee attempt to apply additional force or pressure to the closure mechanism 

through the use of pry bars, hammers, or other mechanical means. Use of such methods is 

prohibited and may cause damage to or breakage of the operating handle or the bolts used in 

assembly of the device. 

NRC fixed gauge licensees are advised that NRC will place additional emphasis during future 

inspections on licensee performance of required shutter checks, documentation of the checks, 

and reporting of equipment failures such as those described in this Information Notice. 
IN 2009-18 

Page 3 of 3 

CONTACTS 

This Information Notice requires no specific licensee action or response. If you have any 

questions about the information in this notice, please contact one of the technical contacts 

below, or the appropriate regional office. 

 

 Terry Reis for /RA/

Robert J. Lewis, Director 

Division of Materials Safety 

 and State Agreements 

Office of Federal and State Materials 

 and Environmental Management Programs 

Technical Contacts: J. Bruce Carrico, FSME 

 (301) 415-7826 

 E-mail: Jbruce.Carrico@nrc.gov

 Jim Lynch, Region III 

 (630) 829-9661 

 E-mail: james.lynch@nrc.gov

Enclosure: List of Recently Issued FSME 

 Generic Communications
IN 2009-18 

Page 3 of 3 

CONTACTS 

This Information Notice requires no specific licensee action or response. If you have any 

questions about the information in this notice, please contact one of the technical contacts 

below, or the appropriate regional office. 

 

 Terry Reis for /RA/

Robert J. Lewis, Director 

Division of Materials Safety 

 and State Agreements 

Office of Federal and State Materials 

 and Environmental Management Programs 

Technical Contacts: J. Bruce Carrico, FSME 

 (301) 415-7826 

 E-mail: Jbruce.Carrico@nrc.gov

 Jim Lynch, Region III 

 (630) 829-9661 

 E-mail: james.lynch@nrc.gov

Enclosure: List of Recently Issued FSME 

 Generic Communications 

ML091890514 

OFC RIII/DNMS RIII/DNMS FSME/RMSB FSME/LB FSME/RMSB FSME/MSSA 

NAME JLynch: sxg6 SReynolds AMcIntosh JFoster CEinberg RLewis 

DATE 07/09/09 07/09/09 07/27/09 07/27/09 08/10/09 09/18/09 

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY 
IN 2009-18 

Enclosure 

Page 1 of 1 

List of Recently Issued Office of Federal and State Material 

and Environmental Management Programs Generic Communications 

Date GC No. Subject Addressees 

03/30/09 IN-2009-07 Withholding of Proprietary 

Information from Public Disclosure 

All current holders of and potential applicants 

for licenses, certificates of compliance, 

permits, or standard design certifications, as 

well as any other persons submitting a request 

that information be withheld from public 

disclosure under the provisions of Title 10 of 

the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 

Section 2.390, “Public inspections, exemptions, 

requests for withholding. 

07/27/09 IN-2009-12 Exempt Distribution Licensing 

Requirements For Irradiated 

Gemstones 

All holders of NRC exempt distribution licenses 

authorized to distribute irradiated gemstones. 

Organizations associated with importing, 

distributing or selling irradiated gemstones or 

jewelry containing irradiated gemstones. All 

Radiation Control Program Directors and State 

Liaison Officers. 

07/29/09 IN-2003-22, 

Supplement 1 

Heightened Awareness for Patients 

Containing Detectable Amounts of 

Radiation from Medical Administrations

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 

medical-use licensees and NRC master 

material licensees; all Agreement State 

Radiation Control Program Directors and State 

Liaison Officers. 

04/29/09 RIS-2009-05 Uranium Recovery Policy Regarding: (1) 

The Process for Scheduling Licensing 

Reviews of Applications for New 

Uranium Recovery Facilities and (2) The 

Restoration of Groundwater at Licensed 

Uranium In-Situ Recovery Facilities 

All holders of operating licenses for uranium 

recovery facilities and all companies who have 

submitted applications to construct new 

uranium recovery facilities of all types 

(conventional mills, heap leach operations, and 

in-situ recovery facilities) or letters of intent to 

submit such applications. 

05/07/09 RIS-2009-07 Status Update for the Implementation 

of NRC Regulatory Authority for Certain 

Naturally Occurring and AcceleratorProduced Radioactive Material 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

material and fuel cycle licensees. All Radiation 

Control Program Directors and State Liaison 

Officers. 

07/13/09 RIS-2009-09 Use Of Multiple Dosimetry and 

Compartment Factors in 

Determining Effective Dose Equivalent 

from External Radiation Exposures 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

licensees, Agreement State Radiation Control 

Program Directors, and State Liaison Officers. 

Note: This list contains the six most recently issued generic communications, issued by the Office of Federal and State 

Materials and Environmental Management Programs (FSME). A full listing of all generic communications may be viewed at 

the NRC public website at the following address: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/gen-comm/index.html