NRC ORDER – ORDER

On May 23, 2008, a Confirmatory Order (effective immediately) was issued to Global X-ray & Testing (Global) to confirm commitments made as a result of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) settlement agreement. NRC identified four violations during inspection and investigation involving: 1) a willful failure to provide the NRC with complete and accurate information; 2) the failure to prevent workers from resuming work after their pocket dosimeters were found to be off-scale; 3) the failure to ensure that a radiographer was providing personal supervision of the radiographer's assistant through direct observation of the assistant's performance of radiographic operations; and 4) allowing an individual who was not wearing a personal dosimeter to conduct radiographic operations. In response to these violations, the licensee requested ADR. As part of the agreement, licensee agreed to additional management review that will include developing procedures for additional oversight of offshore radiographic operations, obtaining an agreement with lay-barge operators that will address radiographic operations, incidents, and oversight; field audits of lay-barge radiographic operations by licensee management, making arrangements for NRC inspection of radiographic activities on U.S. owned lay-barges, implementation of training on potential consequences for violation of NRC regulations, and delivering a personal letter to each employee regarding the consequences of wrongdoing. Global also agreed to obtain an NRC license with special license conditions for radiographic operations in offshore waters. In exchange for Global's extensive corrective actions and most notably in consideration of costs associated with obtaining an NRC license, the NRC agreed to eliminate the civil monetary penalty.