Information Notice 1991-77, Shift Staffing at Nuclear Power Plants

Shift Staffing at Nuclear Power Plants

ML031190410
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Three Mile Island, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant
Issue date:	11/26/1991
From:	Rossi C Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
IN-91-077, NUDOCS 9111200123
Download: ML031190410 (5)

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 November 26, 1991 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 91-77: SHIFT STAFFING AT NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

Addressees

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power

reactors.

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information notice

to alert addressees to problems that could result from inadequate controls to

ensure that shift staffing is sufficient to accomplish all necessary functions

required by an event. It is expected that recipients will review the informa- tion for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as appropri- ate, to avoid similar problems. However, suggestions contained in this

information notice are not NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or

written response is required.

Description of Circumstances

On April 29, 1991, the Maine Yankee Atomic Power Plant experienced a main

generator hydrogen fire. Although a senior reactor operator (SRO) and

auxiliary operators from another shift were available immediately, the need to

provide personnel for the fire brigade and yet perform the many actions

required by the event caused a heavy workload for the control room staff. This

workload contributed to the licensee's failure to notify some key emergency

response personnel as specified in the licensee's procedure.

On June 15, 1991, at 11:50 p.m., lightning struck the switchyard at the

Yankee-Rowe Nuclear Power Station. The lightning strike caused a fire, a loss

of offsite power, a loss of normal telephone communication, and a reactor trip.

The staff on duty experienced difficulty in its effort to concurrently classify

the event, notify the required people, implement emergency operating procedures, and provide personnel for the fire brigade. The lack of staff contributed to

the licensee's failure to make a timely Notification of Unusual Event to the

State of Vermont and to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Two auxiliary

operators, members of the five man fire brigade, did not respond to the fire

because they were needed to start the steam driven emergency boiler feed pump.

After the plant was initially stabilized, the shift supervisor sent the shift

technical advisor to the central alarm station to report the plant's status to

the plant manager via the loss-of-power telephone. This was done because their

first attempts to report by the control room phones were unsuccessful.

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IN 91-77 November 26, 1991 Discussion

The safe operation of a nuclear power plant and the preservation of the health

and safety of the public depend on the ability of the on duty staff to respond

to an event. The number of staff on each shift is expected to be sufficient

accomplish all necessary actions to ensure a safe shutdown of the reactor to

following an event. Those actions include implementing emergency operating

procedures, performing required notifications, establishing and maintaining

communications with the NRC and plant management, and any additional duties

assigned by the licensee's administrative controls. Many licensees assign

control room staff to be members of the fire brigade. Also, the operations

staff is frequently required to support special security responses such as

plant searches in response to a bomb threat. Section 50.54(m) of Title 10

the Code of Federal Regulations addresses only minimum staffing levels for of

licensed personnel and does not address personnel availability for performing

all of the necessary actions specified in the licensee's administrative con- trols and required by an event. Licensees may wish to carefully review actual

staffing needs to ensure that sufficient personnel are available to adequately

respond to all events. This is especially relevant to the backshift when

staffing levels are usually at a minimum.

Related Generic Communications

1. NUREG-0737, "TMI Action Plan," dated October 30, 1980.

2. NRC Generic Letter 82-16, "NUREG 0737 Technical Specifications," dated

September 20, 1982.

3. NRC Generic Letter 83-02, "NUREG 0737 Technical Specifications," dated

January 10, 1983.

This information notice requires no specific action or written response.

If

you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact

technical contact listed below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear Reactor the

Regulation (NRR) project manager.

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical contact: Jesse Arildsen, NRR

(301) 492-1026 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

Attachment

IN 91-77 November 26, 1991 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NRC INFORMATION NOTICES

Information -Date of

Notice No. Subject Issuance Issued to

91-76 10 CFR Parts 21 and 11/26/91 All holders of OLs or CPs

50.55(e) Final Rules and vendors for nuclear

power reactors.

91-75 Static Head Corrections 11/25/91 All holders of OLs or CPs

Mistakenly not Included for nuclear power reactors.

in Pressure Transmitter

Calibration Procedures

91-74 Changes in Pressurizer 11/25/91 All holders of OLs or CPs

Safety Valve Setpoints for nuclear power reactors.

Before Installation

91-73 Loss of Shutdown Cooling 11/21/91 All holders of OLs or CPs

During Disassembly of High for nuclear power reactors.

Pressure Safety Injection

System Check Valve

91-72 Issuance of a Revision to 11/19/91 All holders of OLs or CPs

the EPA Manual of Protec- for nuclear power reactors.

tive Action Guides and

Protective Actions for

Nuclear Incidents

91-71 Training and Supervision 11/12/91 All NRC medical licensees.

of Individuals Supervised

by an Authorized User

91-70 Improper Installation of 11/4/91 All holders of OLs or CPs

Instrumentation Modules for nuclear power reactors.

91-69 Errors in Main Steam Line 11/1/91 All holders of OLs or CPs

Break Analyses for Deter- for pressurized-water reactors.

mining Containment Parameters

91-68 Careful Planning Signifi- 10/28/91 All holders of OLs or CPs

cantly Reduces the Potential for nuclear power reactors.

Adverse Impacts of Loss of

Offsite Power Events During

Shutdown

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit

IN 91-77 November 26, 1991 Discussion

The safe operation of a nuclear power plant and the preservation of the health

and safety of the public depend on the ability of the on duty staff to respond

to an event. The number of staff on each shift is expected to be sufficient to

accomplish all necessary actions to ensure a safe shutdown of the reactor

following an event. Those actions include implementing emergency operating

procedures, performing required notifications, establishing and maintaining

communications with the NRC and plant management, and any additional duties

assigned by the licensee's administrative controls. Many licensees assign

control room staff to be members of the fire brigade. Also, the operations

staff is frequently required to support special security responses such as

plant searches in response to a bomb threat. Section 50.54(m) of Title 10 of

the Code of Federal Regulations addresses only minimum staffing levels for

licensed personnel and does not address personnel availability for performing

all of the necessary actions specified in the licensee's administrative con- trols and required by an event. Licensees may wish to carefully review actual

staffing needs to ensure that sufficient personnel are available to adequately

respond to all events. This is especially relevant to the backshift when

staffing levels are usually at a minimum.

Related Generic Communications

1. NUREG-0737, "1TMI Action Plan," dated October 30, 1980.

2. NRC Generic Letter 82-16, "NUREG 0737 Technical Specifications," dated

September 20, 1982.

3. NRC Generic Letter 83-02, "NUREG 0737 Technical Specifications," dated

January 10, 1983.

This information notice requires ino specific action or written response. If

you have any questions about the Information

l in this notice, please contact the

technical contact listed below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation (NRR) project manager. Original Signed by

Charles E.Rossi

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical contact: Jesse Arildsen, NRR

(301) 492-1026 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

• SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES

• OGCB:DOEA:NRR*RPB:ADM *LHFB:DLPQ:NRR *LHFB:DLPQ:NRR *C/LHFB:DLPQ:NRR

JBirmingham TechEd JArildsen WSwenson JWermiel

11/05/91 11/01/91 11/05/91 11/05/91 11/05/91

• DD/DLPQ:NRR *D/DLPQ:NRR *C/OGCB:DOEA:NRR D/DOE&k:URRsr1 CThomas JRoe CHBerlinger

11/08/91 11/08/91 11/12/91 DOCUMENT NAME: IN 91-77

• IN

- 91-XX

November xx, 1991 Discussion

The safe operation of a nuclear power plant and the preservation of the health

and safety of the public depend on the ability of the on duty staff to respond

to an event. The number of staff on each shift must be sufficient to

accomplish all necessary actions to ensure a safe shutdown of the reactor

following an event. Those actions include implementing emergency operating

procedures, performing required notifications, establishing and maintaining

communications with the NRC and plant management, and any additional duties

assigned by the licensee's administrative controls. Many licensees assign

control room staff to be members of the fire brigade. Also, the operations

staff is frequently required to support special security responses such as

plant searches in response to a bomb threat. Because of the addition of such

duties, minimum staffing levels specified in section 50.54 (m) of Title 10 of

the Code of Federal Regulations and in plant technical specifications may not

ensure that sufficient personnel are available to perform all of the necessary

actions specified in the licensee's administrative controls and required by an

event. Licensees may wish to carefully review actual staffing needs to ensure

that sufficient personnel are available to adequately respond to all

postulated events. This is especially relevant to the backshift when staffing

levels are usually at a minimum.

Related Generic Communications

1. NUREG-0737, "TMI Action Plan," dated October 30, 1980.

2. NRC Generic Letter 82-16, "NUREG 0737 Technical Specifications," dated

September 20, 1982.

3. NRC Generic Letter 83-02, "NUREG 0737 Technical Specifications," dated

January 10, 1983.

This information notice requires no specific action or written response. If

you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact

the technical contact listed below or the appropriate NRR project manager.

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Jesse Arildsen, NRR

(301) 492-1026 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

Document: SHIFT STAFFING IN

OGCB:DOEA:NRR RPB:ADM9W*.6 LHFB:DLPQ:NRR LHFB:DLPWSBS C/L W DLPQ:NRR

JBirmingham TechEDAx,,, JArildsens£ WSwenso JWermiel

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