ML15113A825
| ML15113A825 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oconee  |
| Issue date: | 04/14/1992 |
| From: | Peebles T NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| To: | Hampton J DUKE POWER CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9205050101 | |
| Download: ML15113A825 (9) | |
See also: IR 05000269/1992302
Text
April 14, 1992
Duke Power Company
ATTN: Mr. James W. Hampton, Vice
President, Oconee Site
P. 0. Box 1439
Seneca, SC 29679
Gentl emen:
SUBJECT: REQUALIFICATION PROGRAM EVALUATION - OCONEE NUCLEAR STATION,
EXAMINATION REPORT NO. 50-269/92-302
Arrangements have been made between Mr. Paul Stovall, Manager, Operator
Training, and Mr. Stephen Cahill, License Examiner, for an evaluation of the
requalification program and licensed personnel at your Oconee Nuclear Station.
The evaluation visit is scheduled for the weeks of July 20 and 27, 1992.
The
requalification examinations and the subsequent evaluation of the facility
requalification program will be performed in accordance with Sections 601
through 604 of NUREG 1021, Operator Licensing Examiner Standards, Revision 6.
You are encouraged to ensure that your training staff and proposed examinees
are familiar with these standards.
For the examiners to adequately prepare for this visit, it will be necessary
for the facility to furnish the approved items listed in Enclosure 1,
"Reference Material Requirements." Failure to supply the reference material
as required by Enclosure 1 may result in postponement of the examination.
The
Chief Examiner may request that the facility submit a proposed examination for
use during the examination week in addition to the material requirements of
Enclosure 1. Submission of a proposed examination, even if requested, is
optional. However, if a proposed examination is submitted, those personnel
participating in its development may become subject to the security
restrictions described below. Mr. Stovall has been advised of our reference
material requirements, whether a proposed examination is requested, and where
these items are to be sent.
Your attention is directed to the guidance promulgated in Revision 6 to
NUREG-1021 pertaining to the content and scope of simulator examination
scenarios. The scenario examination bank should cover the entire spectrum
of Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs), including alternate decision paths
within EOPs, and incorporate a range of failures with.varying degrees of
severity for the same type event.
Each scenario should contain simultaneous
events that require prioritization of actions and allocation of resources, and
should exercise EOPs in-depth, i.e., scenarios require transitions and/or
decisions to be made on actions to take within the EOPs.
You are requested to designate at least one employee to be a member of a joint
NRC-facility examination team. The employee shall be an active SRO (per the
requirements of 10 CFR 55.53(e) or (f) from the Oconee Nuclear Station
Operations Department. You are encouraged to designate a second employee from
9205050101 920414
ADOCK 05000269
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Duke Power Company
2
April 14, 1992
the training staff to be a member of the examination team. This employee
should be an active SRO (per the requirements of 10 CFR 55.53(e) or (f)), but
may be a facility or INPO certified instructor. If desired and agreed to'by
the Chief Examiner, you may designate one additional employee from the
training staff with appropriate qualifications to be a member of the
examination team. In addition to these individuals, a simulator operator must
be made available for scenario preview and validation during the on-site
examination preparation week. In some cases, it may be necessary to designate
a simulator operator during the test item review period. This individual will
also be subject to the examination security agreement.
Any facility representatives under the security agreement shall be restricted
from knowingly communicating by any means the content or scope of the
examination to unauthorized persons and from participating in any facility
programs such as instruction, examination, or tutoring in which an identified
requalification examinee(s) will be present. These restrictions shall apply
from the day that the facility representative signs the examination security
agreement indicating that the representative understands that he or she has
specialized knowledge of the examination. The Chief Examiner will determine
when facility representatives have received specialized knowledge concerning
the examination and require execution of an examination security agreement.
In most cases, the examination.team members will not be required to enter into
an examination security agreement more than 60 days prior to the examination
week. The simulator operator will normally become subject to the requirements
during the examination preparation and validation week, but in some cases,
this may occur as much as 30 days prior to the examination week to support
operating test item review and revision.
Sixty days prior to the examination administration date, the facility training
staff shall identify and provide directly to the NRC's Chief Examiner a list
of the proposed operators, including crew composition, for the examination.
Also, to ensure privacy, the only copy of the current mailing address of each
proposed operator should be mailed in an envelope labeled "To Be Opened By
Addressee Only" to the attention of Mr. Thomas A. Peebles, Chief, Operations
Branch, Division of Reactor Safety, Region .1.
The facility management is responsible for providing adequate space and
accommodations to properly develop and conduct the examinations. Enclosure-2,
"Administration of Requalification Examinations," describes our requirements
for developing and conducting the examinations. Mr. Stovall has also been
informed of these requirements. Also, a facility operations management
representative (as a minimum, first level above shift supervisor) should
observe the simulation facility examination process at the site.
This request is.
covered by Office of Management and Budget Clearance Number
3150-0101 which expires May 31, 1992. The estimated average burden is 7.7
hours per response, including gathering, copying, and mailing the required
material.
Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of
this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this
burden, to the Information and Records Management Branch, Division of
Information Support Services, Office of Information Resources Management,
Duke Power Company
3
April 14, 1992
U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D. C. 20555, and to the
Paperwork Reduction Project (3150-0101), Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, NE OB-3019, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D. C. 20503.
Thank you- for your consideration in this matter. If you have any questions on
the evaluation process, please contact- Mr. Lawrence L. Lawyer,- Chief, Operator
Licensing Section 1, at (404) 331-4700, or myself at (404) 331-5541.
Sincerely,
(original signed by L. L. Lawyer)
Thomas A. Peebles, Chief
Operations Branch
Division of Reactor Safety
Enclosures:
1. Reference Material Requirements
2. Administration of Requalification Examinations
3.
NRC Rules and Guidance for Examinees
cc w/encls:
H. B. Barron, Station Manager,
Oconee Nuclear Station
L. Wilkie, Training Manager,
Oconee Nuclear Station
P. Stovall, Manager, Oconee
Operator Training
M. E. Patrick, Compliance
R. L. Gill, Licensing
State of South Carolina
bcc w/o encds:
S. Ebneter, RA
A. Gibson,
L. Wiens,
G. Belisle, DRP
L. Lawyer, DRS
R. Baldwin,
G. Hopper, DRS
P. Harmon,
Oconee
-Senior Resident Inspector
bcc w/encls:
Document Control Desk
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Peebles
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ENCLOSURE 1
REFERENCE MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS
Test items to support all aspects of the requalification examination must be
provided to the NRC 60 days prior to the examination date.
All test items should be developed in accordance with the guidelines provided
in Sections 602 through 604 of NUREG 1021, Operator Licensing Examiner
Standards, and their respective attachments.
For the first requalification evaluation at the facility, the submittal must
contain at least:
700 test items for use in the written examination. They should be
equally divided between the two sections of the examination, and there
must be at least 350 test items for use in each section.
.75 Job Performance Measures (JPMs) for use on the walk-through portion of
the operating examination. To the extent possible, approximately 40
percent of the JPMs should evaluate "in plant" tasks (system/component
operation outside the control room).
15 simulator scenarios of approximately 50 minutes each in length for use
on the simulator portion of the operating examination for examinations
administered in one week.
For subsequent requalification examinations facilities are expected to make
submittals reflecting progress toward the following targets over the next five
years after the initial evaluation visit:
A minimum of 700 test items for use in the written examination equally
divided between the two sections of the written examination and which
cover all safety-related elements of the facility Job Task Analysis
(JTA). The bank shall be dynamic in nature, in that at least 150
questions a year shall be reviewed, revised, or generated. New questions
that are developed should cover equipment and system modifications,
recent industry, and licensee events and procedural changes.
JPMs to evaluate each operator and senior operator safety-related task
identified in the facility JTA, which meet the criteria in ES-603. The
JPM bank should expand at a rate of at least ten JPMs per year until, this
goal is reached. It is estimated at 125 -
150 JPMs will be the final
result.. Development of the questions associated with the JPMs shall also
continue, such that there is a representative sample of questions given
the knowledges associated with the task listed in the JTA.
A bank of at least 30 simulator scenarios which reflect all plausible or
expected abnormal and emergency situations to which control room
operators are expected to respond or control.
At least five scenarios
per year should be generated until all aspects of the emergency operating
procedures are covered with sufficient variation in the type and scope of
initiating events and level of degradation.
Enclosure.1
2
For all requalification examination and evaluation visits, the facility shall:
Submit an .Examination Test Outline/Sample Plan which meets the
requirements of ES-601, Attachment 1.
Provide the associated examination banks (written, simulator, and JPM)
and associated reference material to the region and contractor. At a
minimum,.this shall include Technical Specifications, applicable plant
operating, surveillance and administrative procedures, abnormal and
emergency operating procedures, emergency plan procedures, and training
material utilized in the requalification training (including student
handouts and lesson plans). Additional reference material may be
requested by the Chief Examiner.
If a proposed examination is submitted to the region, also submit a copy
of the simulator scenario portion to the Chief, Regional Support and
Oversight Section, Operator Licensing Branch, Division of Licensee
Performance and Quality, Washington, DC 20555, 45 days in advance of the
first day of the examinations. The reason for the increased period of
days is to allow a reasonable amount of time for feedback, discussion and
time to make any necessary changes.
ENCLOSURE 2
ADMINISTRATION OF REQUALIFICATION EXAMINATIONS
1. An evaluation of at least 12 facility licensed operators is required for
a program evaluation. Normally the crew scheduled for requalification
-training during the period selected for the program evaluation should be
selected. The sample will include other licensed operators who are not
routinely performing shift duties or are not maintaining an active
license per 10 CFR 55.53(3).
The restrictions on crew composition in the
simulator are described in.ES-601 C.1.b. and ES-604.
2 The simulator and simulator operator(s) shall be provided for examination
development. The date(s) and duration of time needed to develop the
examinations will be agreed upon by the Chief Examiner and the facility.
3. The reference material used in the simulator will be reviewed by the
Chief Examiner. No material will be used that is solely used for
training.
4. A single room shall be provided for completing Section B of the written
examination. The location of this room and supporting rest room
facilities shall be such as to prevent contact with all other facility
and/or contractor personnel for the duration of the examination.
5. Minimum spacing is required to ensure examination integrity and will be
evaluated by the Chief Examiner. Minimum spacing consists of one
examinee per table and a 3-foot space between tables. No wall charts,
models, and/or other training materials shall be present in the
examination room.
6. Copies of reference material for Section B of the written examination
shall be provided for each examinee. The reference material will be
reviewed by the Chief Examiner and will consist of Technical
Specifications, operating/abnormal procedures, administrative procedures,
and Emergency Plans as available to the plant operators.
7. Video taping capabilities may be utilized. The facility should contact
the Chief Examiner for restrictions related to its usage.
8. An attempt will be made to distinguish between RO and SRO knowledge and
abilities to the extent that such a distinction is supported by the
facility training materials.
9. Prudent scheduling of exam week activities is important to help alleviate
undue stress on the operators. Your training staff and the Chief
Examiner should work very closely in formulating a schedule which does
not result in excessive delays-in crews or individuals being administered
their examination. The following are some suggestions.for structuring
the exam activities to achieve this purpose:
Enclosure 2
2
-
Don't bring in crews or individuals well before their scheduled exam
times.
-
When examining operators in groups, it is better to hold the group
just completing their exam vice the groups that are taking their
exam later.
Following simulator scenarios, the facility evaluators and NRC
examiners should quickly determine whether follow-up questioning is
required, so that the crew may be released to talk among themselves
about the scenario.
Ensure that time validation of JPMs, particularly those performed in
the simulator, is conducted accurately. A reasonable schedule
should be established to prevent operators from waiting for
simulator availability to complete their JPMs.
ENCLOSURE 3
NRC RULES AND GUIDANCE FOR EXAMINEES
1. Use black ink or dark pencil ONLY to facilitate legible reproduction.
2. Print your name in the blank provided on the cover sheet of the
examination.
3. Fill in the date on the cover sheet of the examination, if necessary.
4. Answer each question on the examination. If additional paper is
required, use only the lined paper provided by the examiner.
5. Use abbreviations only if they are commonly used in facility literature.
6. The point value for each question is indicated in parentheses after the.
question and can be used as a guide for the depth of answer required.
7. Show all calculations, methods, or assumptions used to obtain an answer
to a short answer test item, whether asked for in the question or not.
8. Unless solicited, the location of references need not be stated.
9. Proportional grading will be applied. Any additional wrong information
that is provided may count against you. For example, if a question is
worth one point and asks for four responses, each of which is worth 0.25
points, and you give five responses, each response will be worth- 0.20
points. If one of your five responses is incorrect, 0.20 will be
deducted, and your total credit for that question will be 0.80, even
though you may have listed the four correct responses in the answer key.
10.
Partial credit may be given, except on multiple choice questions.
Therefore, ANSWER ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION,.AND DO NOT LEAVE ANY ANSWERS
BLANK.
11.
If parts of the examination are not clear with respect to their intent,
ask questions of the examiner only.
12.
You must sign the statement on the cover sheet that indicates the work on
the examination is your own and that you have not received or been given
any assistance in completing the examination. This must be signed AFTER
the examination has been completed.
13.
Rest room trips are to be limited, and only one examinee at a time may
leave. You must avoid all contact with anyone outside the examination
room to avoid even the appearance or possibility of examination
compromise.
14.
Cheating on the examination would result in a revocation of your license
and could result in more severe penalties.
Enclosure 3
2
15. Each section of the examination is designed to take approximately 90
minutes to complete. You will be given two hours to complete each
section to allow for thirty minutes of review.
16. The examination has been time validated by knowledgeable persons. You
should be aware that not every answer needs to be verified by consulting
a reference, and excessive usage of reference material may cause you to
not complete the exam in the allotted -time.
17. Due to the existence of questions that will require all examinees to
refer to the same indications or controls, particular care must be taken
to maintain individual examination security and avoid any possibility of
compromise or appearance of cheating.
18. When you are finished and have turned in your completed examination,
leave the examination area.