Information Notice 1988-78, Implementation of Revised NRC-Administered Requalification Examinations
I
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555
September 22, 1988
NRC INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 88-78:
IMPLEMENTATION OF REVISED NRC-ADMINISTERED
REQUALIFICATION EXAMINATIONS
Addressees
All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power
reactors.
Purpose
This information notice is being provided to inform addressees of the NRC
staff's intention to implement a revised requalification examination program
beginning in October 1988. It is expected that recipients will review the
information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as
appropriate. However, suggestions contained in this information notice do
not constitute NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or written
response is required.
Background
The regulation 10 CFR Part 55, which became effective on May 26, 1987, pro- mulgated a requirement that each holder of an operator's license in a nuclear
power facility pass "a comprehensive requalification written examination and
operating test administered by the Commission during the term of a six-year
license." The initial program to implement this regulation experienced dif- ficulty because of a number of deficiencies that were made known to the NRC
staff. In September 1987, the staff suspended all NRC-administered requali- fication examinations to evaluate the feedback received from the field and
to consider appropriate revisions to the program. The program now has been
revised and field tested at one site in each of the five regions. Having in- corporated corrections of the known deficiencies of the previous program and
also the lessons from field testing at the five sites, full-scale resumption
of the NRC-administered requalification examination will begin in October 1988.
Discussion:
The requalification examinations conducted by the NRC will consist of the
following:
1. Operating Test
a. Crew Evaluations:
Evaluations of crew performance will be performed
in the simulator.
Individual operator weaknesses will be flagged for
followup evaluation during the plant walkthrough.
08809S190047
§2I2A
< L +-UI I
I-
J
-1 IN 88-78 September 22, 1988 b.
Individual Evaluations:
The NRC will observe plant walkthroughs
during which operators will be expected to successfully implement
job performance measures for selected tasks. Operators also will
be expected to demonstrate understanding of the job performance
measures by satisfactorily answering performance-based questions
related to the tasks.
2. Written Examination
The written examination will be administered in an open-reference format, which allows the use of available reference. materials, and will consist
of the following two sections:
a.
Plant Operations: This section will be administered in a simulator
or an equivalent device. Questions will be based on the status of
the "frozen" simulator (or the equivalent device). The operator will
be able to refer to simulator indications and reference materials
present in the simulator in responding to test questions.
b. Limits and Controls: This section will be conducted in a simulator
or a classroom.
Questions will be asked about plant procedures and
administrative controls. A complete set of reference materials used
-
-to-operatethe-plant will be ava1lableduring-the-writte.rexaminatjon.
Before the examination is administered, all aspects of the examination will be
reviewed by facility representatives to ensure that examination questions, scenarios, and job performance measures are performance based and technically
correct. This revised process will result in an examination that accurately
reflects the ability of operators to satisfactorily perform licensed duties.
The staff fully intends to continue to improve the process on the basis of the
feedback received so as to maximize operational safety.
Addressees
may wish to
provide a copy of this information notice to each licensed operator and senior
operator at their facilities.
No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the technical
contact listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate regional
office.
Division of Operational Events Assessment
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contact:
L. A. Wiens, NRR
(301) 492-3171 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
Attachment
IN 88-78 September 22, 1988 LIST OF RECENTLY'ISSUED
NRC INFORMATION NOTICES
Information
Date of
Notice No.
Subject
Issuance
Issued to
88-77
88-76
88-75
88-74
88-73
88-72
Inadvertent Reactor
Vessel Overfill
Recent Discovery of a
Phenomenon not Previously
Considered in the Design
Pressure Control
Disabling of Diesel
Generator Output Circuit
Breakers by Anti-Pump
Circuitry
Potentially Inadequate
Performance of ECCS in
PWRs During Recirculation
Operation Following a LOCA
Direction-Dependent Leak
Characteristics of
Containment Purge Valves
Inadequacies in the Design
of dc Motor-Operated Valves
Possible Environmental
Effect of the Reentry
of COSMOS 1900 and
Request for Collection
of Licensee Radioactivity
Measurements Attributed
to That Event
Check Valve Inservice
Testing Program
Deficiencies
Movable Contact Finger
Binding in HFA Relays
Manufactured by General
Electric (GE)
9/22/88
9/19/88
9/16/88
9/14/88
9/8/88
9/2/88
9/1/88
8/29/88
8/19/88
All holders of OLs
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for W and
,-B&W-destgneU
nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors, fuel
cycle licensees, and Priority 1 material licensees.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
All holders of OLs
or CPs for nuclear
power reactors.
88-71
88-70
88-69 OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit
IN 88-78 September 22, 1988 b. Individual Evaluations:
The NRC will observe plant walkthroughs
during which operators will be expected to successfully implement
job performance measures for selected tasks.
Operators also will
be expected to demonstrate understanding of the job performance
measures by satisfactorily answering performance-based questions
related to the tasks.
2. Written Examination
The written examination will be administered in an open-reference format, which allows the use of available reference materials, and will consist
of the following two sections:
a. Plant Operations:
This section will be administered in a simulator
or an equivalent device. Questions will be based on the status of
the "frozen" simulator (or the equivalent device). The operator will
be able to refer to simulator indications and reference materials
present in the simulator in responding to test questions.
b. Limits and Controls: This section will be conducted in a simulator
or a classroom. Questions will be asked about plant procedures and
administrative controls. A complete set of reference materials used
to operate the plant will be available during the written examination.
Before the examination is administered, all aspects of the examination will be
reviewed by facility representatives to ensure that examination questions, scenarios, and job performance measures are performance based and technically
correct.
This revised process will result in an examination that accurately
reflects the ability of operators to satisfactorily perform licensed duties.
The staff fully intends to continue to improve the process on the basis of the
feedback received so as to maximize operational safety.
Addressees
may wish to
provide a copy of this information notice to each licensed operator and senior
operator at their facilities.
No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the technical
contact listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate regional
office.
Charles E. Rossi, Director
Division of Operational Events Assessment
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contact:
L. A. Wiens, NRR
(301) 492-3171 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
- SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES
C/OGCB:DOEA:NRR
Berlinger
- OGCB:DOEA:NRR *LOLB:DLPQ:NRR *LOLB:DLPQ:NRR
- DQD P :NRR
- RPB:ARM
NPKadambi
LAWiens
JNHannon
JRo
TechEd
09/08/88
09/12/88
09/13/88
09/14/88
09/09/88
IN 88- September xx, 1988 b.
Individual Evaluations: NRC will observe plant walkthroughs during
which operators will be expected to successfully implement job
performance measures for selected tasks.
Operators also will be
expected to demonstrate understanding of the Job performance measures
by satisfactorily answering performance-based questions related to
the tasks.
2. Written Examination
The written examination will be administered in an open-reference format, which allows the use of available reference materials, and will consist of
the following two sections:
a. Plant Operations: This section will be administered in a simulator
or an equivalent device. Questions will be based on the status of
the "frozen" simulator (or the equivalent device).
The operator will
be able to refer to simulator indications and reference materials
present in the simulator in responding to test questions.
b. Limits and Controls:
This section will be conducted in a simulator
or a classroom.
Questions will be asked about plant procedures and
administrative controls. A complete set of reference materials used
to operate the plant will be available during the written
examination.
Before the examination is administered, all aspects of the examination will be
reviewed by facility representatives to ensure that examination questions, scenarios, and job performance measures are performance based and technically
correct.
This revised process will result in an examination that accurately
reflects the ability of operators to satisfactorily perform licensed duties.
The staff fully intends to continue to improve the process on the basis of the
feedback received so as to maximize operational safety. The staff suggests
that a copy of this information notice be provided to each licensed operator
and senior operator at each facility.
No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the technical
contact listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate regional
office.
Charles E. Rossi, Director
Division of Operational Events Assessment
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contact:
L. A. Wiens, NRR
(301) 492-3171 Attachment:
List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
44M
- SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES
D/DOEA:NRR
C/O 9:DOEA:NRR
CERossi
CHBerlinger
Alf
09/
/88
09//v/88
- OiCB:DO1EA:NRR LFLd
PQ:NRR LOL.UPQ:NRR
e
D/
- R
- RPB:ARM
NPKadambi
LAWiens
JNHannon
4 JRoV
TechEd
09/08/88
09//2-/88
09/ /88 q1
09/lk/
09/09/88