ML19340D687
| ML19340D687 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Three Mile Island  |
| Issue date: | 12/22/1980 |
| From: | Knief R, Long R, Newton S, Ross M METROPOLITAN EDISON CO. |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19340D679 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8101050150 | |
| Download: ML19340D687 (60) | |
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' l 15Y 4 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1
- . A*{co g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISS!CN . y m SEFORE THE ATCMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING SOARD In the Matter of )
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METROPOLITAN EDISCN COMPANY ) Docket Nc. 50-239 SP
) (Restart)
(Three Mile Island Nuclear )
Station, Unit No. 1) )
I LICENSEE'S TESTIMONY.OF DR. ROBERT L. LONG, DR. RCNALD A. :Ci:EF ,
MR. SAMUEL L. NEWTCN AND MR. MICHAEL J. RCSS REGARDING CLI-30-5, ISSUES (2), (4), (5) AND (11),
AAMCDT CCNTENTICN NO. 2, CIA CONTENT CN NO. 13,. ANGRY CONTENT CN NO. IV AND SHOLLY CONTENT CN 14 (b) AND (c)
(TRAINING) 81010 5 015D
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- 4 QUTLINE The purposes and objectives of this testimony are to respond to Issues (2), (4), (5) and (11) of Commissien Order CLI-80-5, Aamed: Centention 2, ANGRY Centention P.V, Shelly Contention 14(b) and (c), and CEA Contention 13 insofar as they challenge the adequacy of the training and qualifications of TMI-l personnel. The testimony is that an extensive Training Department dedicated to training TMI-l personnel exists en site; trainee qualifications generally exceed NRC requirements (current and anticipated) and compare favorably with INP0's benchmarks of excellence; the use of a six shift work cycle dedica:es one out of six weeks specifically to training; persennel delegated with responsibility for the safe operation and maintenance of TMI-l are thoroughly trained and tested prior to assuming their responsibilities; the continuous requalification programs for TMI-l personnel assure that personnel with safety-related duties are kept up-to-date on developments in the industry and that initial levels of kncwledge are maintained; and as a result of its training
( progra=s , TMI-l personnel qualifications meet and in =cs:
l if not all cases , significantly exceed current industry I
i requirements and guidelines.
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i INDEX Issues Addressed............................................. 1 Overview of GPU Nuclear's Training and Education Organization................................................. 3 Qualifications of Dr. Rocert L. Long, Director-Training and Education....................................... 7 Overview of TMI-l Training Department........................ 9 i
Qualifications of Dr. Ronald A. Knief, Manager of
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Op e ra to r T rain ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 - 4 2 Cualifications of Samuel L. Newton, Supervisor of Operator Training........................................... 17 Auxiliary Cperator Training................................. 19 Reactor Cperator Training............ ...................... 25 I Senior Reactor Operator Training............................ 37 1
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wn. 3~e Technician Training......................................... 42 I
Training and Educational Development..................... 49-54
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administrative Support...................................... 33 C o n c ., us .4 o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 S
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3Y WITNESSES LONG, KNIEF, NEWTON AND ROSS This testimony, by Dr. Robert L. Long, Director-Training and Education for the Nuclear Assurance Division of the GPU Nuclear Corporation, Dr. Ronald A. Knief, Manager of the TMI-l Training Cepartment, Samuel L. Newton, Supervisor o f TMI-1 Cperator Training, and Michael J. Ross, Supervisor of Operations, TMI-l is addressed to the following questions and contentiens:
CLI-80-5, ISSUE (2)
Whether the operations and technical staff of Uni 1 is qualified Oc cperate Unit 1 safely (the adequacy of the facility's maintenance program should be among the matters censidered by the Scard) .
4 CLI-80-5, ISSUE (4)
Whether the Unit 1 Health Physics program is appropriately organized and staffed with qualified individuals to ensure the safe operation of the facility.
1 CLI-80-5, ISSUE (5)
Whether the Unit 1 Radiation Waste system is appropriately staffed with qualified individuals to ensure the safe opera-tien of the facility.
CLI-80-5, ISSUE (11)
Whether Metropolitan Edison possesses sufficient in-house technical capability to ensure the simultaneous safe operation of Unit 1 and clean-up of Unit 2. If Metropolitan Edison possesses insufficient technical
, resources, the Board should examine arrangements, if any, which Metropolitan Edison has made with its vendor and architect / engineer to supply the necessary technical expe rtise .
l A7010DT CONTENTICN NO. 2 l It is centended that TMI-l should not open until the performance of licensee technicians and management can be demonstra'ted to be upgraded as certified by an independent engineering firm. This upgrading should include 100% test performance of job description with provision for re-training and retest, or discharge of those who cannot consistently and confidently master all necessary information for safe conduct of their job descriptions under all anticipated critical situations as well as routine situations.
ANGRY CCNTENTION NO. IV The Licensee lacks the management capability.to operate a Nuclear Generating Station without endangering the public health and safety.
SHOLLY CONTENTICN 14(b) AND (c)
The Licensee's management capability, in terms of organizational, staffing, and technical capabilities, is not sufficient. Specifically, the following deficiencies in Licensee's management capability are contended:
(b) Licensee's operations and technical staffs are not sufficiently qualified to safely operate TMI-1.
(c) Licensee's Health Physics program is not appropriately organized, nor is i: staffed with sufficiently qualified individuals to ensure safe operation of TMI-1.
! CIA CONTENTION 13 l CEA contends that there is a specific need for the establishment of training for operators that addresses the 2
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problem of a 'mindset' that denies information indicative of serious problems.
3Y WITNESS LCNG The operation and maintenance of a nuclear facility such as Three Mile Island Unit 1 must be supported by an extensive and diversified training program, including formal classroom i
instruction as well as on-the-job training activities. Since the accident at TMI-2, Licensee has e.5 barked upon a major training and retraining effort for both licensed and nonlicen-l sed TMI-1 personnel. Training for operations staff is emphasized through continuous training, retraining, and testing pr og r ams , including increased simulator experience. In addition, Licensee has instituted comparable training programs for other staff, such as its maintenance, health physics and chemistry workers. With the exception of security personnel, all TMI-1 shift workers are scheduled on a six shift work cycle with one of the six shifts dedicated to training. Thus, these l personnel spend one in every six weeks in training. To accomplish this effort, the TMI-1 Training Department has increased its staff from 7 to 45, is diversifying its curriculum as well as the educational opportunities it makes available to TMI-1 personnel, and is developing a much more sophisticated administrative capability in ordet to manage the TMI-1 training program effectively.-
t All training associated with GPU Nuclear Corporation's nuclear facilities is coordinated by the Director-Training and Education of the Nuclear Assurance Division of the GPU Nuclear Corporation, located in Parsippany, New Jersey. The Director-Training and Education's areas of management responsibility include the Training Departments for TMI-1, TMI-2, and Oyster Creek; the Corporate Training Department; and the GPU Nuclear Corporation System Laboratory.
The activities of the Training Departments located at each of GPU Nuclear Corporation's facilities are coordinated and reviewed by the Corporate Training Department. This central-i:ed organization facilitates resolution of problems common to GPU's nuclear facilities. At the same time, each facility's training needs are met independently. Training requirements are developed and inplemented by personnel outside of the unit operations chain of command. The technical content of training programs is reviewed by the Technical Functions Division and agreement is obtained from the supervisor of each group receiving training on the scope and content of applicable programs.
The Corporate Training Department is the organiration which coordinates the development of common training needs of the three GPU Nuclear facilities, e.c., radiological control training. In addition, the Corporate Training Department provides training to GPU Nuclear Corporation employees in l
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1 specific areas where supplemental education is beneficial, e.e., nuclear engineering training for Technical Functions employees with 3.S. degrees in electrical or mechanical engineering. The Corporate Training Department also coordi-nates the development of course plans in management and supervisory skills. These courses are implemented at TMI-l by
, the TMI-l Training Department. (Management courses are also given by the other Training Departments, and by the Corporate Training Department for personnel working in Parsippany.) ,
The Director-Training and Education, with assistance from the Technical Functions Division and the Corporate Training De pa r tme n t , is actively reviewing and upgrading :he simulator training programs for GPU Nuclear personnel. This effort involves preparation of behavioral learning objectives for simulacor training; identification of part-task simulator techniques which can be used to meet some of these objectives; clarification of objectives for the training provided at the B&W simulator in Lynchburg, Virginia and the GE simulator in Morris, Illinois; integration into the training-program of the full-scale mockup of the TMI-l control consoles; and active engineering and training evaluation of simulator vendors, consultants, and industry simulator experience in preparation for acquisition of a TMI-l control room replica simulator.
Finally, under the Director-Training and Education, the GPU Nuclear Corporation System Laboratory provides to all of
the facilities in the GPU system extensive analytical and technical support in the areas of environmental chemistry, operational chemistry, fuel analysis, lubrication and 3
insulation fluids analyses, ion exchange analysis, mechanical and corrosion failure analysis, mechanical testing, and special projects, i.e., non-radiological laboratory work. The Laboratory, with its eight professional and seventeen technical staff members, supplements the technical services available to TMI-1 from Technical Functions and the other Divisions of the i
l GPU Nuclear Corporation. In particular, the Laboratory 1
professional staff conducts reviews and evaluations of power station chemistry procedures. and practices and assists in the development of chemistry technician training programs.
The Director-Training and Education provides policy
- guidance to all of the educational and support organizations for which he is responsible. '4hile technical and administra-tive direction to the TMI-1 training staff is provided by the Manager of the TMI-1 Training Department, the Director-Training l
and Education evaluates the overall training needs of GPU l
- Nuclear Corporation, and assists in the implementation of an effective, formal training program. For example, the Director-
! Training and Education will work with the TMI-1 Training Depar tment to develop effective job descriptions, course objectives, lesson plans, classroom procedures and use of simulators in operator training. In addition, the Director-Training and Education is the liason with the institute of i
Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) and other appropriate industry organizations.
The current Director-Training and Education, Dr. Robert L. Long, not only has had a broad range of experience in the nuclear industry, but also has been actively involved in university and industry nuclear engineering education programs for over fifteen years. Dr. Long received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Bucknell University (1958), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in nuclear engineering from Purdue University (1959; 1962). From 1965 to 1978, Dr. Long was a member of the Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department faculty at the University of New Mexico. In addition to teaching and conducting research in experimental reactor physics, while at the University of New Mexico Dr. Long served as the Assistant Dean of the College of Engineering (1972-1974), the Acting Chairman of the Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department (1974-1975), and the Chairman of the Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department (1975-1978).
Dr. Long also has actively participated in a large number and variety of research projects and industry consultancies while teaching, including serving as Project Engineer for the design of the Sandia Laboratory SPR-II fast burst reactor;.
principal investigator for a contract with Consolidated Edison Company of New York to analyze axial xenon redistribution and power shaping in large pressurized water reactors; supervisor
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in charge of the design, development and installation of a fossil power plant simulator at the University of New Mexico, under sponsorship of the New Mexico Energy Resources Board and the Public Service Company of New Mexico; and consultant for General Physics Corporation with the task of revising the reactor engineering volume of General Physics' " Academic i
Program for Nuclear Plant Personnel."
Dr. Long has over fourteen years of reactor operating l experience including two years as an operator of the Argenne Thermal Source Reactor, two years as Facility Supervisor of the White Sands Fast Surst Reactor, one year as senior reactor physicist on the United Kingdom Pulsed Experimental Reactor, one year as Associate Reactor Engineer at the Con Edison Indian Point Unit 1 Power Reactor, and eleven years as an AEC/NRC licensed SRO on the UNM AGN-201 Training Reactor. In addition he spent one year with the Electric Power Research Insti:ute as project engineer with responsibility for managing projects in availability engineering and development of utility power I
system data bases.
Dr. Long joined GPU in 1978 as the Manager of the newly formed Generation Productivity Department. Dr. Long was a member of the TMI-2 Recovery Team from March through July, 1979. He then served as Director of the TMI Generation Group's Reliability Engineering Division, responsible for thr. direction of the Quality Assurance Department, the System Laboratory, the
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Information Management Department, and the Nuclear Safety Assessment Department. In February 1980, Dr. Long became Director-Training and Education while also serving as Acting 4
Director of the Nuclear Assurance Division of GPU Nuclear Corporation. He continued-in this latter position until l September of 1980, at which time the position of Vice President I
i of the Nuclear Assurance Division was permanently filled.
i In sum, Dr. Long has had extensive technical experience in l
nuclear reactor operations; extensive experience as an educator; and extensive management experience. He is also familiar with personnel at GPU Nuclear Corporation, and understands the nature of and basis for the changes in the training organization since March of 1979.
3Y WITNESS KNIEF The site Training Department is responsible for all classroom training of TMI-l personnel. Since it is part of the Nuclear Assurance Division rather than the TMI-1 Operating Organization, the Training Department functions independently in assessing training needs and developing the requisite training programs. Regularly scheduled meetings between Training and cognizant TMI-1 managers and supervisors, however, provide the interface that assures sensitivity and respon-siveness to the unit's requirements.
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The Training Department is subdivided into four Sections:
Operator Training, Technician Training, Training and Educational Development, and Administrative Support. Each Section is administered by a Supervisor. The Manager of Training directs the activities of the Sections and provides a liaison with the station organi:ation and the Director of Training and Education.
It is the responsibility of the Manager of Training to ensure that TMI-1 personnel receive sound instruction in programs to which Licensee is committed. The Manager accomplishes this task by meeting on a continuing basis with the Supervisors of the various training Sections in order to discuss and resolve on-going problems experienced within the organization. The Manager and Supervisors meet as a group once every two weeks to discuss Department goals, objectives, and policies and to plan and coordinate Department activities.
The Manager of Training is also responsible for ensuring that the TMI-1 instructors are qualified to teach the subjects to which they are assigned and that they employ sound teaching
- methods. The Manager carefully reviews the qualifications and experience of new instructors. The effectiveness of teaching methods and the quality of the course materials is monitored by the Manager of Training, through periodic personal attendance at classes taught by Training instructors and by reviews of critiques from the Supervisors and Group Supervisors as part of
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l a formal monthly audit program. Finally, the Manager of Training must implement those corporate policies, as well as policies established by the Director-Training and Education, l applicable to the TMI-l Training program.
j In the aftermath of the TMI-2 accident, with tha large number and variety of changes in applicable regulatory . .
procedures, as well as ongoing changes in the state-of-the-art, the training given to reactor operators as well aa other facility personnel necessarily must change. It is the job of l the Manager of Training to establish and institute a policy which will enable proper identification of those changes, and their incorporation into the training curriculum. For example, lessons learned from the accident at TMI-2 were identified and incorporated into the TMI-1 training program. The Manager must also see to it that longer term training requirements are addressed, e.c., the development of sound training curricula which effectively utilize the time and resources of the Training staff while concomitantly meeting the changing needs of the facility. The Manager of Training has established an Industry Experience Review procedure whereby significant events at other nuclear plants are identified and information thereon routed to the cognizant supervisors for incorporation into appropriate training programs. Events are identified by members of the TMI Training staff, TMI Operations personnel, and/or engineers from the GPU Nuclear Technical Functions 4
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Division. The Technical Functio:ts organization has its own Operating Experience Review procedure for evaluating Licensee Event Reports and other eports, preparing summaries, acquiring additional information, and disseminating the results to Operations, Training, and/or other organi:ations as appropri-ate. These latter efforts will be assisted greatly in the future by an effort along the same lines which is now being developed for tne whole nuclear industry at the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations.
The commitment to training at TMI-1 is also emphasi:ed by the one million dollars in the 1981 capital budget for an off-site training facility. In late November an offer was made on a building designed as a medical junior college. Should this particular facility not be available to GPU, it is anticipated that a new building will be constructed on about a six-month lead time (as consistent with the experience on the recently completed TMI-2 Administration Building).
The overall training effort is coordinated between the Training Department and the functional operating organi:ations through lesson plan review and approval by and frequent meetings with the cognizant supervisory personnel. For example, the Manager of Training and the Supervisors of Operator Training, Technician Training, and Training and Educational Development meet once every six weeks with the Manager -of TMI-1~, the Superintendents of TMI-1 Cperations and Maintenance, the Manager of TMI-l Plant Engineering, and other designated individuals to discuss and coordinate the training to be conducted in the next six-week cycle. Additional, more frequent meetings are conducted for specific working-level consideration of openator, maintenance, radcon, chemistry, and other training programs.
The current Manager of Training at TMI-l Is Dr. Ronald A.
Knief, who joined the organiration in June of 1980. Dr.
Knief's educational and technical credentials provide to the TMI-l Training Department important leadership in which university-type educational expectations are combined with necessary practical experience and understanding. In 1967, Dr.
Knief graduated with highest honarc from Albion College in Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Physics, Mathematics and Economics. In 1972, he received his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While studying for his Ph.D., Dr. Knief was a Woodrow Wilson National Fellow (1967-1968), and a United States Atomic Energy Commission Special Fellow (1968-1971). From 1972 to 1974, Dr. Knief was employed as a senior physicist for Combustion Engineering, Incorporated, doing reactor physics and computational analysis. Dr. Knief began formal university teaching in 1972 when he worked as an adjunct faculty member in the Physics Department at the University of Hartford. In 1974, he became an assistant professor at the University of New
Mexico, in the Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering.
In 1977, Dr. Knief was promoted to associate professor. While working in New Mexico, Dr. Knief wrote several reports and presented professional papers at local and national meetings.
Most recently, Dr. Knief has completed writing a book entitled Nuclear Energy Technology, to be published by McGraw-Hill and Hemisphere Publishing in Spring 1981. He is also completing a treatise on nuclear criticality safety.
During his six-year stay at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Knief taught graduate-level courses in general nuclear engineering, reactor theory, radiation detection and mea-surement laboratory, reactor design, and reactor safety and safeguards -- all areas with applicability to power reactor training programs. He was also an NRC-licensed senior reactor operator on the University's AGN-201M Training Reactor and served as its Chief Reactor Supervisor for four years.
Dr. Knief has extensive experience in non-university educational activities directed to a wide range of audiences.
He prepared and taught a video-taped introductory nuclear engineering course at Sandia Laboratories for heterogeneous t
audiences that included technicians, scientists and managers l
with educational backgrounds ranging from associates degree to i Ph.D. He has served on the faculty for three International Training Courses on physical protection and material accounta-l bility for nuclear facilities. Dr. Knief was director and lead i
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instructor for seven short courses on Nuclear Criticality Safety. As a consulting fuel-f acility inspector for the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Region III Office, in summer 1977 Dr. Knief conducted a training program on general criticality safety for headquarters staff and a course on ccmputer calculations for fuel-facility inspectors. He also has extensive experience in public-education activities as director of three U.S. Department of Energy sponsored programs
-- two Summer Energy Workshops for.high school science teachers; and the " Citizens Workshops on Energy and Environment" for New Mexico (including over 200 presentations to high school classes and various civic organi:ations).
Dr. Knief's extensive university background adds a new dimension to the capability and experience of the TMI-l Training Department. It is Dr. Knief's personal goal and intent to ensure that the TMI-1 training programs become increasingly acre educational, i.e., that they provide to employe'es the "why's" and the answers to hypothetical, "what if's," in addition to spelling out the requirements for daily routine operation of the facility; that personnel receive sound r
instruction in programs to which Licensee is committed; that t
top notch instructors are employed and motivated to stay at TMI-1; and that instructors use him as a technical and educational resource whenever his counsel would be helpful to them.
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e BY WITNESSES NEWTCN AND RCSS Cperator Traininc Under the direction of the Supervisor of Operator Training, the TMI-l reactor operator training program is being conducted and continuously upgraded toward higher company l
l standards, which also reflect changes in industry standards.
The Operator Training Section is divided into two Groups for the licensed and nonlicensed training curricula, respectively.
It is the gcal of Licensee to ensure that prior to restart, all operators have received a thorough education which includes the lessons learned from the TMI-2 ac.ident and subsequent analyses. Moreover, Licensee intends its current and future
, operator training curricula to alleviate the concerns raised by the Kemeny Commission, the Rogovin Inquiry, and other investigations with respect to necessary training and education-based criteria prerequisite to qualifying individuals l
to operate a commercial nuclear facility. This is clearly not a fixed target. Rather, Licensee's operator training program will provide to operators all of the fundamentals necessary to operate the plant under normal and transient conditions. In order to accomplish this task, the program must have sufficient flexibility to incorporate new material on short notice . At the same time, a basic but thorough curriculum must be l
j escablished and maintained.
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The Supervisor of Operator Training at TMI-l is Samuel L.
Newton. Mr. Newton joined Licensee in April 1980, after spending t.welve years in the Navy. Mr. Newton received a Bachelor of Science from the Naval Academy in 1968. He has a Masters of Science in Management from the Naval Post Graduate School (1969). After attending the U.S. Navy's Basic Nuclear Power School (1969), Nuclear Power Prototype School (1970), and submarine school (1970), he served aboard the USS NAUTILUS for three and a half years. While on board, he was assigned as the reactor controls officer, the electrical officer, the damage control assistant, and the weapons officer. He also qualified as an Officer of the Deck, an Engineering Officer of the Watch, and in 1972 as a Chief Engineer. The latter two positions are roughly romparable to the NRC SRO qualification and Supervisor j of Operations, respectively. After leaving the NAUTILUS, Mr.
I Newton was in charge of the professional training and development of a company of approximately 120 midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy (1974-1976). He then attended the Navy's Submarine Officers Advance Course for six months (1976), after which he was assigned to the USS CAVALLA as that nuclear submarine's Chief Engineer. As the Chief Engineer, Mr. Newton 1
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was responsible for all facets of operation and maintenance of the nuclear propulsion plant including the training and qualification of its operators.
At TMI-1, Mr. Newton reports to Dr. Knief, the Manager of TMI-l Training. It is Mr. Newton's responsibility to develop l
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and institute effective auxiliary operator, CRO, and SRC training programs at TMI-1. Mr. Newton reviews the course outlines developed by the thirteen instructors under his supervision, and in general coordinates the operator-related training activities at TMI-1. In order to accomplish this task, Mr. Newton and/or his Group Supervisors meet regularly with the Supervisor of Operations and the shift supervisors.
The training of licensed control room operators and senior reactor operators (the latter including shift foremen and shift supervisors) as well as the non-licensed auxiliary operators, is continuous; that is, initial training is always followed by requalification training or by training for new positions within the shift operating staff. This is in contrast to qualification programs established for other professions where it is possible to study once, receive a degree once, and/or pass tests once to permanently qualify for the job. The operator's education continues as long as he holds a position on the shift operating staff. This is true for both licensed and nonlicensed (i.e., auxiliary) operators.
Licensed operators are taught by licensei operators. Most of the licensed-operator instructors hold a senior reactor l operator (SRO) license or certificate. Those instructors that do not have an SRO license or certificate do have a reactor operator ( RO) license and are working towards their SRO. Only the instructors with senior reactor operator licenses teach l
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i courses in systems, integrated responses, or transients, a limitation which comforms with the current guidance provided by the NRC (e.c., in NUREG-0660).
Auxiliary operators are the most junior members of the shift operating staff. There are approximately 42 auxiliary operators employed at TMI-1. These individuals are divided into three levels, C, B, and A, based upon seniority, associated training, and level of responsibility. In order to be admitted into the auxiliary operator training program, an individual must have graduated from high school, with a course in algebra or hold an equivalency certificate. Prospective auxiliary operators are interviewed by the Supervisor of Operations, who considers their maturity and their potential for advancement through the shift operating chain of responsi-bility. During his first 90 days as an auxiliary operator, an individual is on " probation" and can be removed from the i program by the Supervisor of Operations for unsatisfactory performance.
Before describing the present operator training program, the previous program will be briefly reviewed. In the past the Aux Operator "C" would spend approximately 13 weeks in formal I classroom training on areas including basic steam cycle, mechanical fundamentals, electrical fundamentals, secondary i
plant systems, switching and tagging, and plant safety l
"~ ru les/ practices. During this classroom training weekly tests l l I
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and a final comprehensive examination were administered.
Seventy percent (70%) overall with no minimum qualification per section was the minimum passing grade and failures were reexamined approximately one week later. Failure of both the initial exam and reexam of a weekly test or the final exam resulted in dismissal from the program. Following this initial training the operator would spend the rest of his first year as an auxiliary operator in the plant performing on-the-job training and qualification under the supervision of Operations Department personnel. At the end of the first year a comprehensive oral and written exam was administered. The oral exam was graded on a pass / fail basis and the written exam guidelines were the same as those for the initial classroom phase. Additionally, a high school level trigonometry course had to be ccmpleted.
When all these prerequisites were met, the auxiliarv operator was promoted to Aux Operator "3" and advanced to the next stage of training. Failure to meet the prerequisites resulted in his being dropped from the program. During his second year the Aux Operator "B" returned to the classroom for approximately seven weeks of instruction on primary systems and advanced health physics, with the examination being adminis-tered in the same manner as those during the initial classroom phase, except that failures were evaluated on a case-by-case basis rather than resulting in automatic removal from the program. The remainder of the second year was spent on shift conducting on-the-job-training as before. At the end of the second year oral and written exams were administered as at the end of the first year. Also, during the second year the operator must have completed a high school level physics ccurse. Meeting all these prerequisites resulted in promotion to the highest level of Auxiliary Operator "A"; failure to do so resulted in removal from the program.
A new formal training program for auxiliary operators has been developed and is undergoing management review. This formal training program, scheduled to be in effect in January 1981, and starting semi-annually thereafter, will be two years in duration and will begin with approximately one year of classroom instruction followed by approximately one year of on shift on-the-job training and experience. (In this program, it is possible for the new auxiliary operator trainee to spend as much as six months on shift prior to commencement of the formal training program, during which the trainee would serve as a helper under the supervision of a certified aux operator.) The trainee must satisfactorily ccmplete the entire two year program prior to classification as a fully qualified Auxiliary Operator "A". During the initial (classroom) phase of the program the Auxiliary Operator "C" attends lectures, receives assignments, has specified study periods and is periodically tested for eight hours each day, five days each week, in a
large number of subject areas: nuclear power orientation, basic math, basic nuclear concepts, reactor physics, fundamentals of heat transfer and fluid dynamics, mechanical equipment construction / operation, radiation protection, chemistry and water / waste treatment, electrical fundamentals, instrumentation and operational analysis, procedures, fire brigade training, plant safety, and the primary and secondary systems of the reactor. Examinations are given to these operators at the end of each topical section. Individuals who fail (less than 70%) are reexamined within a week. Those individuals who f ail two final examinations on the same topical section are dropped from the program and returned to their prior job. In addition, auxiliary operators in training take a comprehensive exam at the end of the classroom training program. The minimum Iassing score for this exam is also 70%.
i A retest can be taken up to two weeks later. If an individual fails to pass the exam a second time, he is interviewed by the Supervisor of Operator Training for purposes of determining the appropriate course of action.
Auxiliary operators are trained on a particular reactor, i.e., TMI-1. At the end of the extensive classrocm training l
program, auxiliary operators work on shif t as trainees. In this capacity individuals receive on-the-job training (0JT) in the secondary plant systems of approximately 6 months duration.
Because on-the-job training by definition occurs within the I
facility, it is administered by the TMI-1 Operations Depa r tme nt; however, the shift supervisors and shift foremen overseeing this program utilize check-off/ sign-off sheets prepared by the Operator Training staff. These check-off assignments exercise and test the auxiliary operator in systems, procedures and practical factors associated with the secondary side of the plant.
During the final four weeks of secondary CJT, oral exams are conducted by Cperations~ personnel and written exams are prepared and administered by the Training Department. The oral exams must be satisfactorily passed on the basis of materials prepared by Training. If an auxiliary operator receives an "unsatisf actory," he can retake the exam once. Failure to receive a " satisfactory" on the second attempt results in dismissal from the auxiliary operator ranks. The written exam covers the plant's secondary systems an'd procedures, as well as i
reexamination in fundamentals of heat transfer and fluid
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dynamics, mechanical equipment construction / operation, I radiation protection, and chemistry and water / waste treatment.
The passing grade for the written exam is 70%. Like the oral exam, the written exam can be retaken once; if an auxiliary l operator fails a second time, he is dropped from the program.
Af ter satisf actorily completing the secondary CJT program, the auxiliary operator participates in six months of primary system CJT. This program parallels the secondary CJT program in all respects, with comparable check off/ sign off assignments, an oral exam conducted by Operations and a written exam prepared and administered by Training. The oral exam must be satisfactorily completed and the written exam must be passed (70%) in two tries, or the individual is dropped from the program. In addition to covering the reactor primary systems i
and procedures, the written exam again includes fundamentals of heat transfer and fluid dynamics, mechanical equipment construction / operation, radiation protection, and chemistry and water / waste t r e a tme n t .
Once auxiliary operators complete their initial training, they then participate in one week of retraining every six weeks for the duration of their tenure as auxiliary operators. The retraining program consists of reviews of important material taught in the initial program, as well as lectures in subject matter recently introduced in the auxiliary operator training program and new developments in the industry with which auxiliary operators should be familiar.
Auxiliary operators are not licensed by the NRC.
Nevertheless, they must have a working knowledge in subjects impo r tant to reactor safety, as well as matters pertaining generally to operation of the plant. With this goal in mind, Licensee's auxiliary operator training program has been extensively modified and upgraded to include additional course materials, more classroom instruction, much more initial i
instruction prior to receiving on-the-job training, and extensive testing in subjects covered by the auxiliary operator training program.
To become a reactor operator, an individual must meet certain educational requirements, participate in an extensive training program, and pass the NRC-administered reactor operator license examinations designed for the TMI-1 facility.
Licensee's reactor operator training program has changed significantly since the accident at TMI-2, in response to new corporate policy, lessons learned from the accident, an-ticipated NRC requirements and INPO guidelines. Elements of the program include the initial or replacement reactor operator training program; the Operator Accelerated Retraining Program (CARP), a one-time program designed and implemented for the unique circumstances of the long shut down of the TMI-l unit; the reactor operator requalification program; the senior reactor operator training program; and the senior reactor operator requalification program.
Senior (i.e., level A) auxiliary operators at TMI-l are I
l informed of openings in the ranks of control room operators (CRCs). Those persons interested in advancing in shift responsbility are interviewed by the Supervisor of Operations, 1
l who selects the individual (s) perceived to be most qualified for the position. Another source of candidate control room operators is the nuclear Navy program. Applicants from the l
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e Navy may be accepted directly into the CRO replacement training program; however, it is required that these individuals go through the primary- and secondary-systems training programs developed for the TMI-1 auxiliary operators and spend approximately 12 weeks on shift in on-the-job training in addition to participating in the regular CR0 replacement training program.
As with the Ao trainees, the. previous training program will be briefly reviewed. CR0 candidates formerly' embarked upon a nine month program consisting of self-study, classroom and on-the-job training in areas including primary and secondary plant sysrems, support systems, normal, abnormal, and emergency procedures, technical specifications, reactor theory, fuel handling, heat transfer, fluid flow, and thermodynamics.
The self-study program was divided into six sections with each section requiring completion of questionnaires, two written exams and an oral exam. The oral exam was graded on a pass / fail basis and the written exams required a 70% overall passing score. Failures resulted in a reexam. Failures on the reexam were handled on a case-by-case basis. The on-the-job training was supervised on-shif t by Operations Department personnel and consisted of a practical evaluations sheet requiring discussions, simulation,,and performance of procedures and evolutions. In preparation for his simulator startup certification and licensing examination, the CRC
candidate received approximately five weeks of classroom training near the end of his nine month program. The classroom training consisted of a review of many of the items noted above and was the vehicle for the training in reactor theory and heat transfer, fluid flow, and thermodynamics.
Following the classroom training, the CRO candidate underwent three weeks of simulator training including a startup certification examination by the simulatory instructors at the -
Babcock & ~411cox simulator in Lynchburg, Virginia. At the completion of this training the candidate took a mock NRC written and cral examination. Successful completion of this examination or a reexamination (70% overall for the written) was a requirement for taking the licensing examination administered by the NRC.
Under the new program, scheduled in conjunction with the l new auxiliary operator program to be in effect in January 1981, the candidate CRO will participate in a nine month training program consisting of four phases. Phase one will be six weeks I of classroom training mainly in primary, secondary and support t
t systems. During this phase weekly written topical exams will i be given, with a passing grade of 70% required. Reexams will be given for all failures within one week. Failure of a second written examination will require the Supervisor of Unit 1 Operations and the Supervisor of Operator Training to evaluate the student's performance and decide en the corrective action to be taken.
l Phase two will be 12 weeks of on-the-job training which will consist of mandatory completions by task sheets, oral checkouts by three levels of Operations Department personnel, and spot checking of student progress through oral questioning by Training Department licensed instructors. Failure v; the oral checkout at the third level will require the student's shift supervisor to review his performance and recommend corrective action to the Supervisor of Operations. Using the same criteria as the classroom examinations, written examina-tions will be administered every four weeks with a compre-hensive written examination at the end of this phase covering all areas from phases one and two.
Phase three will be six more weeks of classroom instruc-tion focusing on reactor theory, heat transfer, fluid ficw, and thermodynamics, integrated control system, transient analysis, safety analysis, mitigation of consequences of accidents resulting in core damage, normal and emergency procedures, and technical specifications. Weekly written examinations will be administered as described in phase one.
Phase four will be further on-the-job training adminis-tered as in phase two and concentrating on emphasis of those areas presented during the second classrocm training period.
This period will also include a minimum of three weeks of simulator training during which the startup certification l examination will be administered.
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BY WITNESSES LCNG, NEWTON AND ROSS Simulator training is an essential element of both initial and requalification training programs. Since a control room replica simulator is not yet available at TMI, personnel are sent to the Babcock & Wilecx Nuclear Training Center in Lynchburg, Virginia. This Center includes a control room simulator for a plant which is similar to, but not a replica of, the TMI-l plant or control room.
After the March 28, 1979 accident, TMI-1 control room operators attended two different training sessions at B&W. The first of these sessions, conducted shortly after the accident, consisted of a two-hour discussion / demonstration of the TMI-2 less-of-feedwater incident, followed by a practice session.
The discussion / demonstration session allowed the operators to observe the sequence of events which occurred during the accident as well as the resulting effects on the plant. The practical session included methods for recognition of void formations in the core, pressure recovery and cooldown following loss of pressure accidents.
l The second simulator training session, conducted several i
months later, consisted of 16 hours1.851852e-4 days <br />0.00444 hours <br />2.645503e-5 weeks <br />6.088e-6 months <br /> of classroom time and 16 hours1.851852e-4 days <br />0.00444 hours <br />2.645503e-5 weeks <br />6.088e-6 months <br /> of simulator operations. The classroom sessions reinforced material presented in the OARP and prepared the students for the simulator operations. Evolutions performed on
! I
the simulator included manual and automatic Integrated Control System operations and emergency drills. Procedural use was emphasized, including the reading of the procedure, and verification of critical points in each evolution. Each
" shift" of operators participated in approximately ten emergency drills selected from a list of about 30 possible scenarios. The simulator training was effectively integrated with the on-site OARP training modules and emphasized effective team performance and analysis of multi-failure scenarios. This included discussion and training for handling an emergency which appeared to be outside available procedural guidance.
The TMI-l Training Department provided guidance to B&W for the simulator training cbjectives and reviewed the training plans.
In the Fall of 1980 four trainees participated in an eight-week " cold license" training program for replacement operators. This program was closely monitored by GPU/ Met Ed personnel. Each week a licensed SRO shift foreman or supervisor participated and assisted the B&W staff in relating the simulator performance to actual TMI-l plant experience.
Also during each week a representative of the TMI and Corporate Training Departments or Technical Functions observed several l days of both the classroom and simulator sessions. Exit i
l critiques were provided to the B&W Training Center supervisory personnel and significant improvements incorporated as the program progressed. Similar quality checks will be continued in future B&W simulator training sessions.
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The program administered to candidate CRos at the B&W simulator exposes them to as many abnormal reactor conditions as possible, including severe, unanticipated accidents to which the candidate CRO must rapidly Lnd effectively respond.
Emphasis is placed on effective use of emergency procedures and effective communications among the crew team during the handling of accident transients. While it is neither possible nor desireable to " create" genuine accidents in the plant in order to impose upon the candidate CR0 the actual stressful conditions to which he would be subjected during an accident, the simulator experience is very realistic. As a result, the simulator instructors and the TMI-l staf f member present can evaluate the ability of candidate CROs to respond to stressful situations. With the additional pressure of the simulator examination, administered by B&W, Licensee intends to
" simulate" for the benefit of the candidate CR0 the stressful conditions under which he would be operating in the control room in the event of a serious, unanticipated transient.
3Y WITNESSL3 KNIEF, NEWTCN AND ROSS At the end of the nine month training period, the candidate CROs take a written and oral examination administered by Licensee. These examinations are modeled after the NRC-ad-ministered exams, and are intended to prepare the candidate for and to verify that the candidate is ready to take the NRC license exams. Successful completion of the mock exams requires an overall pass rate of 80% and no less than 70% on each individual topic, (i.e., the same standards as for the NRC exams). Upon completion of the mock exams, the student's training files are sent to the Manager of TMI-l to approve NRC l exams for those who passed and to decide on corrective accion for those who did not pass. The records of those approved are then transmitted to the Director of TMI-l for final approval and transmission of an examination request to the NRC. Upon successful completion of the NRC exam, the candidates receive their licenses and are assigned to shif ts as control room operators.
In accordance with corporate policies and newly issued criteria used by the NRC staff in evaluating reactor operator training and licensing, Licensee has added specific technical material to its candidate CRO and requalification training programs and licensed operations operators. Candidate CRCs and licensed operators receive extensive training in heat transfer, fluid flow, thermodynamics, the use of installed plant systems to control or mitigate an accident in which the core is l severely damaged, and particular topical training in reactor and plant transients. As one step toward accomplishing the l
latter two training objectives, Licensee has developed, through its Technical Functions Division, a transient analysis method l
t L
which plots primary and secondary system pressures and temperatures and compares the multiple routes for various normal and abnormal conditions in the reactor. These computer plots aid the operators in identifying significant transient events by observing the values and trends of key parameters.
This method is useful in discussing how transients affect key parameters, and how key parameters should respond to automatic or operator-initiated corrective actions. Licensee has under development a computer-assisted instructional program using this method for analyzing transients which will become part of the overall simulation training program. In addition, Licensee has contracted with B&W for B&W's Anticipated Transient Operator Guidelines manual, a fault tree diagnostic tool which is an effective aid in training operators in accident conditions and analysis.
In addition to the extensive initial candidate CRO qualification training program, Licensee's TMI-l Training organization conducts an ongoing CRO requalification program.
There are six shifts of CRos, as well as other shift operating staff, with three shifts required to cover each twenty-four hour period (i.e., 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.). On any given day there are three shifts that are not manning the control room. These l
three shifts are divided into one off-duty shift, one relief l
duty shift, and one shift participating in the retraining - -
program. In this manner, each shift spends one out of every six weeks in training.
The CR0 requalification program is designed to keep the operators up-to-date on developments in nuclear technology that have occurred since they were originally trained; to review important subject matter in order to ensure that the operators' level of knowledge is maintained; and to meet specific requirements established by the NRC for requalification and license renewal of reactor operators, including those in 10 CFR Part 55, Appendix A, "Requalification Programs for Licensed Operators of Production and Utiliration Facilities."
The CRO requalification program consists of classroom instruction; twenty-seven specified control manipulations, six of which are annual and twenty-one of which must be performed once every two years; and annual Licensee-administered written and oral examinations, with minimum pass rates of 80% overall, and at least 70% on each section of the exams. Although NRC l regulations and Licensee Administrative Procedure 1006 specify
[
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a minimum of 60 hours6.944444e-4 days <br />0.0167 hours <br />9.920635e-5 weeks <br />2.283e-5 months <br /> of classroom requalification training each year, the TMI-l one-in-six-week shift cycle actually 1
provides in excess of 200 classroom training hours per year.
The classroom instruction portion of the CR0 requalifica-tion program is administered by the Training Department.
Numerous topics are covered in the classroom, including principles of reactor operations, principles of thermodynamics, 1
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heat transfer, and fluid mechanics; features of facility design and unit modifications; general operating characteristics of TMI-1; instrumentation and control; safety and emergency systems; normal, abnormal and emergency operating procedures review; radiation control and safety; technical specifications and safety analysis; major operational evolutions such as refueling; review of regulatory requirements and procedures; mitigation of accidents involving a degraded core; and industrial experience reviews. Although there are certain constant features of the requalification program, such as reviewing reactor theory and normal, abnormal and emergency operating procedures, the requalification program is also the mechanism whereby new material is thoroughly reviewed with the operators and integrated with information previously taught, and whereby the operators have an opportunity to discuss and raise questions concerning such information. In this manner, Licensee ensures that developments in the industry, particu-larly those important to safety, are fully incorporated by the l
operators into their understanding of the plant.
Licensee verifies the effectiveness of its requalification lectures and the extent to which operators are absorbing the material reviewed by administering periodic evaluation quizzes.
Subject matter which is not satisfactorily understood by l
l individual operators is reviewed with them. These makeup 1
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sessions are concluded only when an oral or written evaluation i
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is satisfactorily completed, i.e., a grade of 80% or greater is received by the operator.
The reactivity control manipulations which operators must perform are undertaken while on shift, e.g., the start up manipulations, or during thier annual week at the B&W simulato r , e .c . , various loss of coolant accidents. Cn-the-job manipulations are conducted under the supervision of a senior member of the shift, either the shift foreman or shift supervisor. At the simulator, the abnormal or emergency control manipulations are observed and evaluated by a member of the B&W Training staff.
The annual examinations administered to licensed CRos include a written and oral evaluation. The results of the exams are used to identify specific areas in which retraining is necessary to upgrade an individual's knowledge in a particular area. An individual who receives less than 80% on any section of the exam attends a requalification lecture and another exam on that subject matter. If an individual receives l a grade of less than 30% overall or less than 70% on any single section of the annual exam, he is relieved of his licensed duties and is placed in an accelerated requalification program.
Upon successfully passing a second written and oral exam and receiving certification of a satisfactory rating by the Director of TMI-1, the individual is returned to his licensed duties. Failure to pass the exams a second time prevents the individual from working as a licensed operator.
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l The TMI-l Supervisor of Operations, shift supervisors, and shift foremen are required to hold a senior reactor operator (SRO) license which, like the CR0 license, is awarded by the NRC upon successful completion of SRO examinations. SR0s must also be requalified every two years. In order to qualify to become an SRO, an individual must have served as a TMI-l CRO for a minimum of one year. In the past, Licensee's SRO training programs were primarily self-study programs specified to meet the needs of the individual. Initially, the candidate SRO was given a mock NRC written and oral exam. From these exams, Licensee could discern the subject areas in which the candidate SRO needed additional training. An approximately two hundred hour training program, consisting largely of self-study and hemework was designed for the candidate SRO, ending with a second mock NRC exam. The candidate SRO also paralleled an on-duty shift fereman in order to get on-the-job training. In addition to fully revising its replacement and requalification programs for CRos, Licensee is in the process of devising a more formal program for new SR0s. Licensed SRos presently participate in the regular operator requalification program, but are required to have a higher level of comprehension as demonstrated on the examinations.
3Y WITNESSES LONG, KNIEF, NEWTON AND ROSS The requalification program described above is the program Licensee had in place or has implemented as part of the regular shift activities of the TMI-1 licensed operators. In addition to these programs, in 1979 Licensee designed and implemented a j special five month licensed operator training program, called the Operator Accelerated Retraining Program (CARP), which is described in detail in the TMI-l Restart Report, S 6. The extensive technical subject matter covered in the CARP included a review of TMI-1 plant systems, plant operations, radioactive materials control, and plant transient analysis. CARP specific objectives were: to improve operator performance during small break loss of coolant accidents; to assure that operators are able to recogni:e and respond to situations involving inadequate core cooling; generally to improve operator perfor-mance during transients, including events that are exacerbated by initially inappropriate operator action; to give operators an in-depth understanding of the TMI-2 accident and " lessons learned"; to assure that operators are knowledgeable of operating procedures and actions necessary upon initiation of the engineering safeguards features; to assure that operators understand the manometer effects of water levels in the reactor coolant system under different pressure and temperature conditions; to assure understanding of the significance of simultaneous blocking of both auxiliary feedwater trains; to assure understanding of the NRC prompt notification requirements; to provide operators with an in-depth under-standing of the methods required to establish and maintain i
natural circulation; to assure opertaors are knowledgeable of both short and icng-term plant system modifications; to provide operators with a review of major plant systems; to provide specialized training on operations and procedural guidance requirements; to fully requalify operators through the administration of Licensee and NRC-administered written and oral examinations; to review with operators major administra-tive, normel, abnormal, and emergency procedures; and to provide to all licensed Unit 1 operators extensive experience
- on the B&W simulator, educatinJ them on transients which occurred during the TMI-2 accident, as well as other abnormal reactor condicions.
The CARP was instituted by Licensee o,n its own initiative, to emphasize the lessons learned from the TMI-2 accident and the recognized need for an extensive and thorough training program for licensed reactor cperators. The OARP was presented from August, 1979 through March 1980 to all TMI-l licensed CRCs and SRCs, and the STAS in training. The program consisted of approximately 60 individual lessons or practice sessions.
Teaching rechniques included classroom presentations, TMI-l control room training sessions, and simulator training sessions at the B&W simulator in Lynchburg, Virginia. Shifts partici-I pated as a group; consequently, Licensee was able to focus upon l
both the activities of the operators, such as an individual manipulating the reactor controls, and the aspects of l i
operations which involve team effort and coordination. The program was divided into seven subject area modules including one week at the simulator. Each module consisted of four to five days of training, eight hours each day. Subject matter included the traditional areas of review, such as plant systems and radiation monitoring. However, particular emphasis was placed upon accident and safety analysis.
At the end of the program, OARP participants took written and oral examinations designed and administered by PCS Corporation, an independent consulting firm which provides reactor training program reviews and audits. (See Licensee's Testimony by Mr. Frank Kelly, President of PCS Corporation.)
Individuals who did not score above 70% on any section of the
~
exams, or who failed to achieve an overall score of 80%
received remedial requalification training. (All T.MI-1 licensed operators will also be examined by the NRC prior to restart, as if they were seeking initial licensing.)
An additional one week training session on Decision Analysis which was developed by Management Analysis Company (MAC) of San Diego, California, was given to all SRCs and STAS.
Decision Analysis trains individuals to handle complex situations for which written procedures do not exist; to l
1 develop a technique to cope with uncertainty, stress, and conflicting information, and to make decisions in the f ace of i
i such circumstances; and to make " good" decisions, i.e., to consider fully and understand the significance of alternatives, and to factor in the most important considerations. Decision Analysis training develops in control room supervisory personnel--i.e., SRCs and STAS--the tools and sensitivity to make the right decisions under highly adverse circumstances, and to do so in a systematic and thoughtful manner.
In order to assess the effectiveness of the CARP, Licensee sought the assistance of five highly qualified individuals, expect in relevant fields, to conduct a review analogous to accreditation reviews carried out by professional organira-tions, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology ( ABET) which accredits university engineering degree pecgrams. The Committee members were Dr. Julien M.
Christensen, Director of the Human Factor Division, Stevens, Scheidler, Stevens and Vossier, Inc., Dayton, Ohio, represent-ing human factors engineering; Dr. Eric F. Gardner, Professor of Psychology and Education of Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, representing educational psychology; Dr. William R.
Kimel, Dean of che College of Engineering at the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, representing nuclear engineering education; Mr. Richard J. Marzec, Manager of Technical Training for Duke Power Company, Charlotte, North Carolina, representing nuclear power plant operator training; and Dr. Robert E. Uhrig, Vice President, Advanced Systems & Technology for Florida Power
- & Light Ccmpcny, Miami, Florida, representing nuclear power I
L
generation. The OARP Review Committee familiarized themselves with the basic philosophy of accreditation, including the quality required of an engineering program in order for it to become accredited; attended CARP classes; evaluated the proper role of simulators in an operator training program; and evaluated the OARP in light of NRC requirements and " lessons learned" from the TMI-2 accident. Numerous comments and suggestions were made by the OARP Review Committee in its Report. Upon completing its review, however, the Committee stated:
The conclusion of the Committee was that the Cperator Accelerated Retraining Program carried out by Metropolitan Edison was a high-quality, well-executed program, having many features which should be incorporated into the regular Operator Retraining Program. The Committee further believes that personnel who demonstrate satisfactory performance in the CARP should perform well on the NRC Reactor Operator and Senior Reactor Cperator Examinations.
(The CARP Review Committee findings are discussed further in Licensee's Testimonies by Dr. Julien M. Christensen, and by Dr.
Eric F. Gardner.)
j BY WITNESS KNIIF l
l Technician Traininc Prior te the TMI-2 accident, and consistent with the general practice in the industry, technicians worked at TMI-l l
l l
l with the qualifications to meet the job specifications which included educational and experience prerequisites. Subsequent training was accomplished by on-the-job instruction and experience. Responsibility for ensuring the adequacy of a technician's capability rested with the appropriate supervisor, eg g., the Supervisor of Maintenance or of Health Physics. The cognizant supervisor was also responsible for providing needed training on new equipment. Thus, the Training organi:ation was not substantively involved in technician training. (The TMI-l i
Training Department did keep all documentacion pertaining to employee training at Units 1 and 2.)
Consistent with its commitment to an ongoing formal training program at TMI-l for employeer delegated with safety-related responsibility for the unit, Licensee has expanded its Training organization to include a Technician Training Section, and has embarked upon a number of new formal programs for training and retraining TMI-l technicians in a variety of fields. In addition, many of the courses previously taught by the ccgnizant site organization (such as training I
( given by security management to site security personnel), are now designed and implemented by the Technician Training Section.
l l In addition to the Supervisor of Technician Training, l
t eleven instructors and four group supervisors are employed by Licensee in Technician Training, each with a minimum of three l
l l
s.
years experience in his or her field of instruction or a 1
closely related field, e.a., individuals with extensive nuclear Navy experience. Under the overall direction of the Supervisor and a Group Supervisor, the instructors within the Technician Training organization teach courses in the areas of maintenance, radiological controls, chemistry, security, emergency plan implementation, and general employee training.
The Maintenance Technician Training Program is de' signed around a six shift schedule and provides for up to 320 hours0.0037 days <br />0.0889 hours <br />5.291005e-4 weeks <br />1.2176e-4 months <br /> of training and retraining. Upon implementation of the program, i the first two years of training are designed :o provide a progressive update for the technician by review of basic concepts and basic skills and to provide instruction in plant systems and advanced specific systems, components and concepts.
During subsequent yearly training cycles, Licensee intends to continue to provide progressive maintenance training which will include practical f actors training to assure that the technicians maintain capable technical and professional abilities.
During the first section or basic phase of the Maintenance Training Program, all maintenance personnel are given an appropriate self-study course consisting of fundamental lessons on maintenance tools as well as the major principles involved in mechanical, electrical, I&C, and general maintenance work.
Qui::es are given in each area of the subject matter as it.is 4
completed by the trainee with provision for repeating the area if weak or unsatisfactory performance is exhibited. Also, personnel with emergency duties receive instruction during the.
basic training phase of the Maintenance Training Program on the emergency plan and their emergency responsibilities. The i
second part of the first year of the Program is subdivided into systems training, during which Training gives to Maintenance personnel a functional explanation of selected primary and secondary systems; and constituent theory, during which Maintenance personnel also receive training in their respective disciplines, e.g., electrical maintenance. Phase three of the Maintenance Training Program consists of a review of basic skills, and the use of relevant instruments, e.g., those needed for setting breakers. Finally, during the later half of the second year of the program, maintenance personnel receive advanced instructions in systems, components and concepts relating to their discipline and level of accomplishment.
The Radiological Control Training Program directed by the Technician Training Section consists of two training programs:
the Initial Technician Training Program, and the Technician Training / Retraining Program, called the Cyclic Program. At a minimum, Technician Training ensures that the radiological control training programs for TMI-1 meet the requirements specified in ANS1 N18.1 5 5.5 (1971).
The Initial Technician Training Program consists of approximately eight weeks of training which every new a - - - _. . , ,
. 0 i
radiological control technician must undergo prior to assuming responsibility for radiation control work at TMI-1. Basics of radiological control are taught in classroom sessions. A comprehensive examination is given at the end of the program.
Once a radiological control technician is assigned on shift at TMI-1, he or she participates in the Cyclic Program, which is conducted continuously over a minimum of a forty-two week period, with each shift rotating through the program for one week every six weeks. The initial Cyclic Program consists of three weeks of review of basic health physics principles and plant instrumentation. For the next two weeks, radiological controls technicians review the TMI-1 emergency plan, and their role in the event of an emergency. A week is spent studying plant systems. Finally, problem areas in radiological controls are reviewed. During subsequent yearly training cycles, Licensee intends to continue to provide progressive training to assure that the technicians maintain their technical and professional abilities.
The Chemistry Training Program taught by the Technician Training Section also consists of an initial Technician Program and a cyclic training / retraining program. The newly hired technician receives six weeks of classroom lectures followed by four weeks in the laboratory. This program must be completed prior to receiving a shift assignment. Included in the initial chemistry training program is a review of basic chemistry principles, e.c., titration; of laboratory procedures, e.c.,
the use of a multi-channel analyzer; and of TMI-1 water chemistry specifications, including an explanation of why certain chemicals are necessary while others are not allowed into the reactor primary and secondary systems. Like the other cyclic programs, the chemistry retraining program consists of a review of important facts and principles, with emphasis on changes in relevant plant procedures. A progressive training program will be provided to maintain the technical and professional capabilities of the chemistry technicians.
The Security Training Program, formerly taught by the Security Department at TMI, is now under the direction of the Technician Training organization. In accordance with the requirements of Reg. Guide 5.20 (1974) and 10 CFR Part 73.55, Appendix S, Licens,e reviews with its new security personnel the TMI-l security plan, legal issues of import, how security equipment works, methods to use in the event of a security alert, and other pertinent information.
Basic General Employee Training (GET) consists of a four hour course for individuals working on Three Mile Island.
During this session, employees as well as contractors working at TMI-l are lectured on procedures in the event of a site emergenc;*, basics of health physics, and basics of radiation, as specified in ANSI /ANS 18.1 (1971). Every person taking GET must receive at least a seventy percent ca..the written exam v47-
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4 administered by Licensee in order to be badged to work at TMI-1.
In addition to basic GET, individuals who require access into radiological controlled areas receive an additional eight 1
.i hours of training. This supplemental GET consists of a much i
more detailed review of radiation protection principles and ;
4 procedures; four hours of practical factors training, e.g.,
i procedures to follow in donning and removing the radiation I
protection clothing required in certain areas; and methods for j minimizing radwaste. Written and practical exams are also i
given on this portion of the GET Program. An individual is not allowed to work in a protected area until he or she receives at least seventy percent on this exam.
The annual retraining GET Program consists of a review of emergency-related procedures, followed by a written test.or tests similar to those originally taken. If an individual does not receive the required seventy percent score on these exam (s), the entire applicable portion of the GET Program must t be repeated.
In conjunction with GET, Technician Training conducts special sessions on fire brigade procedures and duties for.
personnel with fire brigade responsibilities. This instruction is given by a certified Pennsylvania fire instructor.
1 Radwaste personnel receive additional training, taught by_
the Technician Training section, on shipping and receiving i
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--r , -r-.
radwaste in acrordance with the criteria set forth in I&E Bulletin 79-19.
General emergency plan training at TMI-l is taught as a part of the GET Program, and repeated once every year. In addition, training is given to those individuals assigned to the Emergency Plan Organization in the specific duties of his position. An extensive emergency planning training manual has been developed hy the TMI-l Emergency Planning Group, as described in Licensee's Testimony on Emergency Planning.
Although emergency plan implementation training is administered by the Training Department, Emergency Planning technical personnel are called upon to teach emergency plan procedures.
In addition, appropriate groups such as the fire departments, the air national guard, rescue squads, hospital emergency staffs, etc., are invited to attend on-site briefings on TMI-l's Emergency Plan, emergency procedures, and the role of these organizations in the event of a site emergency.
Representatives of the Training Department and Emergency Planning group also go into the community to provide briefings.
3Y WITNESSES LCNG AND KNIEF Trainine and Educational Develocment The third branch of the TMI-1 Training Organization is the Training and Educational Development Section. This is an
administrative and service group which provides TMI-1 personnel resources for additional technical and management training, is responsible for Shift Technical Advisor (STA) training, and ensures that sound educational principles are used throughout the Training Department (both in material development and lesson presentation.)
A major focus of Training and Educational Development is to actively encourage TMI-l professionals such as site engineers to enhance their capabilities, both tachnically and as potential management personnel. In addition, Licensee is cognizant of the current discussions within the industry as to whether on-site professionals, particularly licensed reactor operators, ought to be working towards or have received a Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited institution. In order to promote this goal informally (regardless of whether it l
1s adopted by the NRC as a recommendation or a requirement) the TMI-1 Training and Educational Development Section is actively seeking college level educational options for TMI-1 employees.
Licensee is involved in ongoing discussions with Pennsylvania State University for the purpose of developing at
( Penn State's Capitol campus, located in Middletown, a nuclear l
engineering curriculum which could lead to the receipt of an l
Associate degree, or be applied toward a Bachelor of Science degree. Already, Training and Educational Development has been
-- -successful in contracting for a basic nuclear engineering l
course and a graduate level reactor shielding course at the Capitol campus, attended respectively by thirty-five and fifteen TMI staff members including operators (AQs, CRos and SRos). Additional courses are expected to be offered in the future, open both to Licensee's employees and the general public.
Training and Educational Development is also pursuing with New York State University the possibility of instituting an extensive external degree program in nuclear engineering at TMI, with review and approval by NYSU of the program, the teaching methods, and the instructor qualifications. The purpose of the external degree curriculum would be to develop an educational program at TMI for which attendees could receive some university credit that could be applied toward a degree.
In additicn, in order to ascertain the needs and interests of TMI-l employees, Training and Educational Development periodically conduct polls of individuals. As a result of rhese polls, evening courses have been instituted at TMI, taught by faculty members from Harrisburg Area Community l
College, e.c., a course in the principles of management.
The second area for which Training and Educational Development has major responsibility is in the development and l
implementation of the STA Training Program.
l Phe concept of having a degreed technical advisor on shift i
l l in the control room to provide assistance to the shift t
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supervisor is new in the nuclear industry. Although the NRC has not adopted any criteria for qualifying STAS, recom-mendations for the proper role of the STA and the necessary training to which~he should be subject were published by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INFO) in April 18, 1980.
Consistent with these guidelines, Licensee has implemented an extensive 640-hour, two-year training program for its six STAS and two STA trainees, all of whom previously have received B.S.
degrees from accredited institutions. After completing this program, including periodic testing on areas covered, it is Licensee's intention that STAS will have received training equivalent to that received by Licensee's SROs. Although a firm standard has not yet been set, to date Licensee has used an 85% grade or better as the guideline for allowing STAS to continue on to new material. Individuals who do not pass topical exams with this score must review course materials and be retested. At the end of the program, Licensee intends to conduct a thorough examination of the STAS through use of both a comprehensive written exam, and a thorough oral examination conducted by a professional final review board.
m art One of the STA Training Program, to be completed by l
January 1, 1981 with the exception of one postponed week of t
simulator training, consists of a thorough exposure to TMI-l reactor specific material. Like the training programs developed for. the auxiliary and the licensed operators,
detailed attention is paid to individual systems on both the primary and secondary sides of the plant. Also, lectures and study are devoted to auxiliary systems, engineered safeguards, instrumentation and control, electrical systems, procedures, documentation (including Technical Specifications, the CA Plan and the E=ergency Plan), accident analysis, unusual event recognition and responses, Bsw simulator training, nuclear power fundamentals, and health physics. In addition, STAS participated with the operating shifts in modules two through six of CARP (they reviewed by videotape CARP module one), and in Decision Analysis and related command training.
STA courses are taught by an instructor dedicated solely to the STA Training Frogram, as well as by individuals with designated expertise, e.g., health physics, emergency planning implementation, simulator training. Also, self-study is used on certain portions of the program, e.g. , systems, procedures.
Attached to this testimony is a sample self-study program.
By January 1, 1982, TMI-1 STAS will have completed Part Two of the STA Training Program, which consists of college level courses in subject matter of particular importance. The areas to be covered are math, chemistry, physics and reactor physics, thermodynamics and heat transfer, control systems and electrical fundamentals, fluids, communications and materials.
It is Licensee's intention to conduct a thorough ongoing requalification program after the STAS complece the initial two years of training.
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i The third area for which Training and Educational Development has major responsibility is in ensuring that sound educational principles are used in the development and presentation of TMI-1 training material. All permanent TMI-l instructors are required to attend a week-long instructor development program. The primary goal of this program is to furnish the instructor with an expanded foundation in training design, presentation, and evaluation to enable him/her to conduct effective employee training consistent with program goals and objectives. This program is conducted in a workshop atmosphere with extensive student participation. A modified version of this course is planned for annual retraining.
The Training and Educational Development Section also coordinates periodic monitoring of classroom sessions to ensure l
learner-oriented, quality instruction is being provided. These classroom audits are conducted by senior members of the Training Department staff.
In summary, the Training and Educational Development group of the TMI-l Training Department is charged with the responsi-r bility of promoting higher education for Unit 1 employees and providing these individuals improved access to such programs, l of ensuring sound educational principles are used throughout i the Training Department, and of developing and administering the extensive training program currently in progress for l
- TMI-l's STAS. All of the above are being actively pursued.
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Administrative Support The TMI-1 Training Department includes an administrative arm which monitors and maintains the necessary documentation for all TMI-1 training programs, as specified in ANSI N18.1 (1971). Under the direction of a Supervisor, the Administrative Support Section maintains all formal records, such as training received by licensed operators, lesson plans, the master schedule of courses and classrocm use, and any other information useful to the teaching staff. Moreover, TMI-1 instructors are relieved of the administrative duties with which they would otherwise be burdened. Administrative Support also includes clerical staff who assist the professionals in the Training Depar tment, and a rapidly expanding audio-visual teaching-aid capability, including graphic design, 35 mm slides, and videotape equipment.
BY WITNESSES LONG, KNIEF, NEWTCN AND ROSS Conclusion GPU has made major commitments to providing quality training to TMI-l personnel. Two professional educators --
each with an extensive technical teaching and continuing education background -- hold the positions of Director-Training and Education and Manager-Plant Training TMI-1. They in turn o .
I have assembled a large, well-qualified training staff to implement a wide range of programs. The six-shift rotation permits operators and technicians to spend up to one sixth of their time in training activities. The commitment to a new off-site facility will serve to make training even more effective.
The TMI-l Training Department is divided into four sections, each making unique contributions. The operator training section conducts initial and requalification training for control room and auxiliary operators. Increased emphasis is now placed upon reactor theory and transient analysis, in addition to in-depth review of nuclear engineering concepts and plant systems. Operators test requirements are also more stringent. The operator training programs exceed NRC requirements and are being coordinated with evolving INPC guidelines. Experience gained from the successful operator accelerated retraining program (CARP), in which the TMI-l RCs and SRos participated, is being factored in all new operator programs.
The technician training section has developed new programs for initial and requalification training of maintenance, radcon, and chemistry technicians. The general employee training is being continuously upgraded. In addition, new l programs are being developed for individuals assigned emergency response responsibilities and for security force members.
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The new training and educational development section of the TMI-1 Training Department is responsible for a number of educational efforts. It is now completing the first year of training for the newly designated shif t technical advisors (STA). In addition, it has provided to the TMI-l Training Department an instructor development program aimed at improving the teaching skills of the TMI-1 instructors. On and off site college credit courses from Harrisburg Area Community College and Pennsylvania State Universtly have been arranged and provided to TMI-l personnel. The section is also developing additional courses in decision analysis and supervisory development programs, based in part on the success of this kind of program during the CARP.
The Administrative Support Section of the Training Department coordinates the complex scheduling, record keeping, and documentation services required by the oth.er sections. The newly formed audiovisual support group is already helping to upgrade the quality of the instructional presentations.
Taken as a whole, the commitment to training by GPU assures delivery of increasingly high quality programs in the
- wide range of subject areas required of a nuclear Macility.
l This training, in turn, will provide well trained personnel to operate and maintain the TMI-1 reactor.
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