ML19308C090
| ML19308C090 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 10/02/1979 |
| From: | Tina Malone ESSEX CORP. |
| To: | Chipman G NRC - NRC THREE MILE ISLAND TASK FORCE |
| References | |
| TASK-TF, TASK-TMR NUDOCS 8001210388 | |
| Download: ML19308C090 (5) | |
Text
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ESSEX October 2,1979 Memorandum For: G.L. Chipman From:
T.B. Malone Essex Corporation Program Manager
Subject:
Status Report, 24 August through 30 September, Human Factors Engineering Evaluation of TMI-2 This report describes the status and progress of the HFE Evaluation Program for TMI-2 for the period 24 August through~30 September.
Progress During Reporting Period TASK A - Control Room Design at TMI-2 e
Essentially all subtasks have been completed and the analysis of obtained data is progressing. A number of trips were made to acquire data on TMI-2 and on two other plants of the same vintage. The trips included:
Two trips to Burns and Roe to interview personnel involved in the design of the TMI-2 control room.
- One trip to Harrisburg to interview Met. Ed. personnel and to visit the TMI-2 control room.
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- A trip to Combustion Engineering in Windsor, CT, to interview per-sonnel concerned with the design of Calvert Cliffs.
- A site visit to Calvert Cliffs.
A trip to Gaithersburg to interview Bechtel personnel concerning the design of Calvert Cliffs.
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- A trip to Baltimore Gas and Electric to discuss Calvert Cliffs.
- A site visit to Okonee Plant Number 3, to interview personnel of Duke Power and Light.
800 12 10 3 dep A
ESSEX CORPORATION
- 333 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. (703) 548-4500
TASK B - Analysis of Control Room Activity e
The mockup is completed. Data for completion of the crew task analysis and time line were obtained in an all-day meeting with the actual TMI-2 crew at the Essex mockup on 27 September 1979. These data are presently being analyzed to update and finalize the task analysis and crew time lines. The final activity to be completed in this task is the video taping of the reenactment of the 150 minutes, which will be based on the final time lines.
e. TASK C - Evaluation of Training All data necessary to complete this task have been obtained and are being analyzed.
A visit was made to examine the facilities of the Babcock & Wilcox Training Center in Lynchburg, Virginia, on 18 September. Met with Mr. Norm Elliott, head of training, and discussed the training services offered by B&W, particularly those employed by Metropolitan Edison in the training of the Unit-2 personnel.
Several potential problems were immediately apparent and are being given further investigation. Among them is the fidelity of the simulator at B&W. The simulator is dissimilar in many respects to the TMI-2 control room in layout and information provided and, more importantly, may differ in responsiveness to operator actions. A determination will be made as to the possibility of negative transfer of training resulting from use of a dissimilar system.
Another potential problem area is that of instructor knowledge and under-standing of the particular system being trained. While the instructors appear to be thoroughly competent and well-versed on the use of the simulator, they are required to instruct personnel from any of the B&W plants, no one specializing in particular plants' control rooms layouts, procedures or idiosyncrasies.
A third problem is one that seems a common one in the industry, and that is one of establishing objective and quantitative measures for training given, learning actually taken place. At B&W, subjective instructor evaluations are the primary measures of student success in initial training courses.
For requalification training, the objective is apparently one of learning by working through problems on the simulator. No measure of success or of pass or fail is given.
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In order to gain some insight into how other organizations train nuclear power plant operators, the TVA Power Operations Training Center, Sequoyah Nuclear
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Plant, Soddy-DL sy, TN, was visited. The facility itself is impressive. It houses simulators for Cumberland (fossile) Browns Ferry, (BWR) and Sequoyah (PWR),
many classrooms and spacious study areas. Dr. R. Joe Johnson and Mr. H.A.
Arnold provided a good tour. The nuclear operator training program is well planned and extensive. The new student spends about 65 weeks in training.
t About 16 months are spent at the Training Center where time is divided between classroom and plant observation. In addition they spend 10 months in classroom and on-the-job training at a nuclear plant before promotion to the next higher level.
The requirements for selection are the same as NRC requirements, i.e., a high school education and an aptitude for mathematics, science and mechanics, as well as good physical health.
New applicants must pass an oral interview.
Students with military nuclear training receive the same training as any other new student.
TASK D - Application of HF Principles to Control Room Design e
Two trips were made to TMI-2 for the purpose of evaluating the man-machine interf aces in the control room. A total of 928 individual evaluations were made of which 401, or 43%, were deemed unsatisfactory in terms of human factors engineering standards. The Critical Decision-Action sequence was completed and an evaluation of controls and displays as they relate to the tasks in the sequence is proceeding. Discussions are underway with Westinghouse concerning advanced CR design.
Flow charts depicting the Army and Navy system development process are in preparation.
Progress During Next Period The draf t report will be prepared during this period and will be submitted to NRC by 22 October.
Problems Encountered During the Report Period The main problem encountered in this period was the lack of adequate funding support to cover completion of the tasks as described above. It is estimated that a total
of $30,000 will be required to complete the draf t report. The primary reason for the over expenditure of funds is the f act that Essex did not receive a complete set of data f rom NRC at the outset of the effort and, in many cases, had to generate the data completely and had to delay initiation of subtasks until the data were made available. Examples of data items which were listed as government furnished material but which were not provided and therefore had to be generated include the following:
Drawings of TMI-2 control panels and layout, in lieu not receiving drawings and e
descriptions of control and display functions, Essex had to develop such descrip-tions based on on-site visits to TMI-2.
e Level of detail of data in the FSAR and associated documentation was not sufficient to support TASK A activities, requiring extensive interviewing to supplement these data.
i List of critical points of action / inaction in the event chronology'which c n Ml e
wm nefcc>pebon m tributed significantly to the course of the accident was-never-received 4nd ad tIbvdl[pbby_E.ssex.
e Met. Ed. documents describing the operator training program, the training received by the operators on shift at the time of the accident, and operator selection criteria and qualification records were never received or were received very late in the effort.
Met. Ed. CR and Human Factors design analysis - never received.
e e Met. Ed. special study reports relating to CR and human factors con-siderations - never received.
In addition to these problems, difficuilties were also encountered in:
Obtaining a complete set of reactor technology memoranda.
e Obtaining out-of-print standards from ANS prior to 1975.
e Developing the full-scale mockup of the control consoles in the absence of panel e
drawings and panel photographs from Met. Ed..
Evaluating control and display relationships without panel drawings.
e Identifying control and display functions in the absence of control-display e
functional descriptions.
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Identifying controls and displays to be evaluated in plants of the same vintage in e
the absence of control-display functional descriptions.
l Scheduling meetings with operators, especially for purposes of having them e
contribute to the completion of the time lines.
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