Electrical

SENECA —
Workers at the Oconee Nuclear Station have discovered a problem in a backup safety facility that this week prompted a special federal inspection of the plant.

Duke Energy workers found on June 24 that breakers for an electrical heater in the plant’s containment building would trip when operated from the plant’s backup control room.

The heater is a key part of a larger system that controls the pressure exerted on superheated water in the plant’s containment building, said Joey Ledford, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s regional office in Atlanta. Pressure keeps the 600-degree water, which would otherwise boil, in liquid form and works by forming a steam bubble over the water.

The electrical heater regulates the steam bubble. Should a breaker trip and the heater lose power, Ledford said, the steam bubble would be lost and the system would lose pressure.

“If there’s no pressure control, then you can’t cool the reactor and bad things happen,” Ledford said. “In a shutdown situation, if it’s not cooled, there could be core damage.”

The Oconee plant is on S.C. 130 eight miles north of Seneca and about 30 miles west of Greenville. As a pressurized water reactor, Oconee uses superheated water in tubes to convey heat to a secondary source of water, which becomes steam and turns turbines to generate electricity.

Sandra Magee, a Duke spokeswoman, said breakers for the pressure system’s heater are used every day without incident. It’s only when workers tested the breakers from the plant’s backup control room, also called the standby shutdown facility, that a problem emerged.

She described the standby shutdown facility as a “backup to a backup to a backup” that’s never been needed in the plant’s nearly 40 years of operation.

The standby shutdown facility at a nuclear power plant gives operators a place to safely shut down the reactor in the event of an emergency. This would include a fire or tornado that renders the plant’s main control room inoperable.

“This heater breaker is not a safe operations issue,” Magee said. “There is no impact to public safety.”

Duke reported the problem to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said Ledford, and five specialists will work with resident federal inspectors at the plant to sort out what happened. They will decide after this week whether Duke’s plant operators violated any federal rules and whether they responded with appropriate safety alternatives after spotting the breaker problem.

Magee said Duke operators have developed a way to work around the breakers.

“So we still have that capability,” she said. “And the standby shutdown facility is still operable, but they classify that as being in a less-than-optimal condition. They use the word ‘degraded.’”

She said Duke is working with a test facility to identify other breakers that when used from the backup control room would not be as sensitive to elevated temperatures.

The NRC last sent a special inspection team to the Oconee Nuclear Station in early 2010 when problems with a clogged backup cooling line placed the plant under heightened federal scrutiny for a year.

The NRC will issue a report within 45 days of the completion of the inspection.

The director of South Carolina’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, or LLR, said Friday her agency’s records policy will change. LLR has been reviewing its inspection practices since the March death of a 6-year-old boy on a miniature train ride in Spartanburg County.

State Sen. Wes Hayes of Rock Hill said keeping more detailed records is “the commonsense thing to do. … South Carolina needs to go to school on what North Carolina is doing.”

Catherine Templeton, the LLR director, and a Carowinds spokesman say the amusement park’s rides are safe.

Bryn Winborn, spokeswoman for Carowinds, said safety is the park’s No. 1 priority and rides are inspected daily.

Templeton said no ride is allowed to open if a significant problem is discovered during an inspection.

In fact, all minor issues are resolved before a final inspection report is issued, she said.

“It’s not running if anything is wrong,” she said.

After the Spartanburg train accident, The Herald requested records of Carowinds inspections from both states.

LLR’s records from Carowinds inspections showed no problems at the 26 rides in South Carolina. The inspections were conducted in March.

The records show each ride was rated on 25 factors, including structural integrity, electrical safety and operations. Each ride was given a satisfactory rating in every category.

No details were written in the notes section of the forms. No list was made of what repairs, if any, were required for certification.

The N.C. records show inspectors identified more than 50 issues for the 12 rides north of the border. Some of the problems found in North Carolina were as simple as cutting back landscaping near rides or replacing rotting boards on platforms. Other requests included checking welds and replacing cotter pins on counterweights.

All of the problems were fixed before the rides were certified for operation.

The differences in the two states’ reports are attributed to record-keeping.

South Carolina allows Carowinds and other amusement ride operators to hire inspectors to conduct required annual inspections. The inspectors must be certified by LLR.

For the last two years, Carowinds has hired four special inspectors to examine the S.C. rides. Any problems found are discussed with Carowinds. After the issues are resolved, a final inspection is conducted. If everything is resolved, the final inspection report is turned in to LLR.

S.C. state law does not require the park or the inspectors to turn in to LLR the initial list of requested changes.

The federal government does not regulate amusement parks, which means regulations vary from state to state.

South Carolina’s current reporting system is the norm and North Carolina’s is the exception, said Jim Barber, spokesman for the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials.

State and industry officials hold differing views about how detailed inspection reports should be. Some argue against disclosing what are essentially minor details that are quickly corrected.

North Carolina’s policy is “document, document, document,” said Tommy Petty, deputy bureau chief for the elevator and amusement device bureau of the N.C. Department of Labor.

The policy, Petty said, allows North Carolina to compare information from various operators. “If we see a pattern of problems, we can get in touch with the manufacturer of the ride.”

Barber said documentation has proven important in court cases where he was an expert witness. He said it helped his clients – ride operators – win four recent cases, three in Florida and one in Illinois. Barber ran the state of New York’s amusement inspection program for more than 20 years.

The inspection reports in those four cases showed there were no mechanical deficiencies. In one case, an inspector reviewed a ride operator and determined he did what was required.

Documentation “made a big difference in these court outcomes,” Barber said.

In most cases, according to industry statistics, amusement park ride accidents are caused because either the rider or operator erred, not because the ride malfunctioned.

In the March miniature train accident in Spartanburg, authorities blamed excessive speed. No mechanical issues with the train were discovered.

Immediately after the accident, an LLR inspector resigned after admitting he falsified the miniature train’s inspection report. The inspector had been unable to give the train a required test run, but he still filled out an inspection report allowing it to operate.

After the March 19 accident at Cleveland Park, Templeton said, she talked with the ride’s inspector, who gave her details of the work he did – details not in the formal report.

Last week, LLR announced it was implementing new regulations on Sept. 1. The changes call for all ride and elevator inspections to be done by third-party, special inspectors. State-paid auditors will oversee the special inspectors, becoming a “second set of eyes on the process,” Templeton said.

LLR also plans to adopt a more detailed records system. The need for details was suggested by the state’s OSHA department, Templeton said. State OSHA inspectors are told that if their reports do not have detailed notes, the office assumes “you were not there,” Templeton said.

In the future, “there will be details. I think we’ve got it fixed,” Templeton said.

Austin Smith, special counsel to Templeton, said South Carolina also plans to go to a Web-based inspection system with each inspector having a computer. The computer will have a form to be filled out during the inspection. Smith said the state will determine what information is needed, not an inspector.

By JENNY DeHUFF

UPPER MERION — A failed electrical test has delayed the opening of a local swim club, but its owner is optimistic members will be swimming Saturday.

“This past weekend, [the Upper Merion Swim & Tennis Club was] slated to have their electrical inspection (An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of, and they had a few small snags that prevented them from getting a clean bill of health,” said Upper Merion Park and Recreation Director Dan Russell.

Club owner Rich Frey told The Times Herald he was hopeful the pool would be open this coming Saturday. He said when inspectors powered up the system, a couple circuit breakers sparked in the main electrical garage, where the locker rooms are located.

“We are addressing those problems and hopefully our follow-up inspection is tomorrow,” Frey said.

“I don’t want to make promises because I’ve already been down that road now. We’re shooting for Saturday and looking forward to getting open and having a good summer.”

Asked about the club members who have already been paying fees since Memorial Day, Frey said he will make good on his word.

“We’re tacking on two weeks at the end of the summer to compensate,” he said.

Frey said the club was originally scheduled to close Labor Day weekend.

Board supervisors unanimously approved a lease agreement with the club during their regular meeting Thursday.

The club, located at 431 West Valley Forge Road, already has more than 300 members. Seasonal rates start at $250 for an individual resident and $300 for an individual non-resident.

Filters and pumps were running at the pool Thursday.

The pool is scheduled to be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. until the end of the school year, when it will be open until 9 p.m.

“Special thanks to everybody that’s helped,” Frey said Thursday in an address to the board of supervisors. “The electricians, the plumbers, the average guy off the street saying, ‘what can we do to help get this thing rolling.’ It’s been a good community project in its entirety.”

Board Chairman Edward McBride thanked Frey for his work.

“You did a great job coordinating the efforts, and I want to thank my fellow supervisors for being flexible as we went through the negotiating process on the lease,” he said.

“I believe we have a solid lease, and this is a great opportunity for the township, where you’ll be using our resources without using our cash, and you’re going to coordinate it and run a great swim and tennis club.”

Board supervisors said the agreement is for a long-term lease, with the township having the right to opt out after a few years.

• Return to Paging Mode

West Patterson, NJ (PRWEB) September 15, 2009

Accurate Inspections, a leading New Jersey Home Inspection company, is now offering homebuyers a simple, guide about home inspections, home inspectors and the home inspection process. The guide is available on line at Home Inspection Free Information. Michael Del Greco, president of Accurate Inspections, is the consummate expert; he has conducted thousands of home inspections over his 15 year career. He knows exactly where to look to uncover potential property problems. He warns that a quality home inspection takes time and that homebuyers should expect to pay a reasonable amount for a professional inspector.

“Many home buyers have been deceived into believing a home inspection takes only two or three hours. A quality home inspection by a trained and experienced individual usually takes about six hours for the average home. ( ½ hour travel to the home, inspectors usually arrive a ½ hr early, 2 to 3 hours at the home with you, ½ hour back to office, 1 hour to type the report, ½ hour to print copy and post the report to the web site, ½ hour back to the home to pick up the radon canister, ½ hour back to the office and ½ hour for the time spent at the home picking up the radon canister and final paperwork).

“Hiring a real professional for six hours for less than one would pay a taxi driver is not at all realistic,” said Del Greco, president of the West Patterson firm. “With a surplus of properties on the market, available home buyers have their choice of exactly what properly to purchase, However, more properties on the market mean more potential headaches. Often distressed properties have not been properly maintained and if buyers are not careful, they will end up purchasing someone else’s’ problem.”

Del Greco has also assembled an invaluable home inspection checklist of essential items to assess before purchasing a new home home inspection checklist “If any of these problems occur after the purchase of the home, the problems are yours and you’ll be stuck with thousands of dollars in repairs for problems you could have easily discovered,” he said.

The checklist is divided into separate areas covering interiors, exteriors, heating and cooling, plumbing, electrical, and kitchens.

Uncovering problems before a home purchase gives buyers a key upper hand – they can either walk away from the transaction or can attempt to factor repair costs into a discount on the asking price. Either way, an inspection is a vital ingredient for an informed decision.

In addition, homebuyers using a single checklist on each home have a single frame of reference to compare multiple properties.

Most buyers might find are not confident in carrying out their own inspections. If so, Del Greco recommends using a qualified and experienced home inspector to conduct a thorough property evaluation. But buyers should be realistic about the amount they pay. Home Inspectors are professionals and homebuyers are paying for both their services and their expertise.

“Just like any other industry there are good home inspectors and bad ones,” Del Greco cautions, “Home buyers have an obligation to themselves to seek out referrals from friends, relatives and their attorney in order to select a qualified and experienced home inspector. Those sources are free from all conflicts of interest and are more likely to provide referrals to home inspectors who can be candid about what they find wrong with the home and to provide repair suggestions.

“If you buying a $450,000 home and the inspection fee is around $600, the inspection fee is less than 0.14 percent of the cost of the home. The cost of a quality home inspection is a bargain,” Del Greco said.

To view more information visit Local Home Inspections

About Accurate Inspections and Michael Del Greco

Michael Del Greco is President of Accurate Inspections, Inc. The New Jersey home inspection firm has performed thousands of NJ Home Inspections since 1993, taught the New Jersey Home Inspector Licensing classes and New Jersey Home Inspector CEU classes as well as participated in developing questions for the National Home Inspector Exam.

For a list of home inspectors in New Jersey.

Contact

Michael Del Greco

973-812-5100

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