ML20059C662
| ML20059C662 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 08/28/1990 |
| From: | Novak T NRC OFFICE FOR ANALYSIS & EVALUATION OF OPERATIONAL DATA (AEOD) |
| To: | Rossi C Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20059C665 | List: |
| References | |
| AEOD-S90-01, AEOD-S90-1, NUDOCS 9009050247 | |
| Download: ML20059C662 (5) | |
Text
.
AUGII N MEMORANDUM FOR:
Charles E. Rossi, Director Division of Operational Events Assessment Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:
Thomas M. Novak, Director Division of Safety Programs Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data
SUBJECT:
RECURRENCE OF IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUES AS REPORTED IN LERs Enclosed is a report on recurring important safety issues as reported in licensee event reports (LERs).
The recurrence of important safety issues was assessed by matches between NRC generic communications and important LERs as determined by the AEOD screening process. The study examined over 800 LERs, which were determined to be important out of about 9,000 issued from 1986 through the first quarter of 1989. Underlying issues.in these reports were compared with over 1,200 generic letters, bulletins, circulars, and information notices published through 1988. Approximately 40 percent of the safety significant LERs were matched with NRC generic communications and about 75 percent of these matches occurred within two years of the publication of the communication. No plant had a large number of matches more than two years old. The safety issue involved in a matched LER is an important one because of the high threshold imposed by the LER reporting process, the AEOD screening process, and the generic communications. These results do not indicate any serious deficiency in the utilization of NRC generic communications on a programmatic level that would necessitate additional impositions on the licensees.
The licensees already have procedures for processing the generic communications and the NRC audits those communications identified as safety issues. These activities are probably responsible for the large number of matches (75%) less than two years old. The remaining 78 LERs that had matches -
greater than two years old indichte that it is worthwhile to further improve the utilization of individual NRC generic communications.
After a licensee processes a generic communication and the NRC audits the action, there is generally no continuing review of the communication in the longer term. To improve the application of these communications in the near term and long term, we recommend the following actions:
1.
Develop a user friendly database of the generic. communications that would facilitate recall-of communications relevant to an inspection task at hand.
Each record should contain a few lines describing the essence of the corrective action in the generic communication that would allow quick screening to identify germane reports. The database
'y/p should be compatible with the microcomputer capabilities in the inspectors' offices. This database could also be made available to the licensees to facilitate longer term utilization of the communications.
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w w*a nas f
"%oc NRC FII.E CENTER COPY [9 f
a Charles E, Rossi 2
l 2.
Incorporate the generic communication database into the overall inspection plan.
This is not meant to be a review of specifle L
communications p;r se, but rather an adjunct to routine inspection of-maintenance, surnillance, plant modifications, or other licensee t
activities that continue throughout the life of the plant. Continued monitoring would facilitate identifying any emerging problems with specific issues.
l 3.
Some improvement in the communications themselves may be achievable by broadening the application of an issue.
Communications which describe specific actions (particularly in information notices) taken by a licensee were especially helpful. Titles should be selected that reflect the substantive issues in the communication.
4.
Implement NRC generic communications in the review of advanced reactor t
designs.
Since these issues were sufficiently important to convey the information to the licensees, they should be considered in the designs of advanced reactors.
If you have any comments or need additional information, please contact me or.
Sanford Israel on my staff. Mr. Israel can be reached at extension 24437.
Original Siped by:
Thomas M. Novak, Director Division of Safety Programs Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data
Enclosure:
As stated cc w/ enclosure:
T. E. Murley, NRR F. J. Miraglia, NRR W. T. Russell, NRR l
T. T. Martin, RI S. D. Ebneter, RII A. Bert Davis, RIII R. D. Martin, RIV l
J. B. Martin, RV i
E. Butcher, NRR Distribution:
PDR SSalah EJordan LSpessard RSavio, ACRS CCentral PiW SIsrael Dross GZech MTaylor, EDO ROAB R/F PLam TNovak SRubin KRaglin, 'ITC DSP R/F JRosenthal VBenarcya MWilliams PBaranowsky, NRR l
CSee previous concurrence:
ROAB ROAB C:ROAB P
Sisrael:mmk*
PLam*
JRosenthal*
T Novak 5/31/90 5/31/90 8/15/90 8p90 l
f Charles E. Rossi 2
i 2.
Incorporate the generic communication database into the overall inspection plan. This is not meant to be a review of specific communications per se, but rather an adjvect to routine inspection of i
maintenance, surveillana.e plant modifications, or other licensee activities that continue throughout thr, }ife of the plant.
Continued monitoring would facilitate identifying any emerging probleas with specific issues.
i 3.
Improve the communications the:nselves by broadening the application of an issue, by providing explicit corrective actions (particularly in information notices), by utilizing titles that reflect the substantive actions in the communication, and by suggesting a minimum distribution list for the licensee.
~
- 4..
Implement NRC generic communications in the review of advanced reactor designs.
Since these issues were sufficiently important to convey the information to the licensees, they should be considered in the designs of advanced reactors.
If you have any comments or need additional information, please contact me or Sanford Israel on my staff.
Mr. Israel can be reached at extension 24437.
Thomas M. Novak, Director Division of Safety Programs Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data
Enclosure:
As stated cc w/ enclosure:
T. E. Murley, NRR l
F. J. Miraglia, NRR W. T. Russell, NRR T. T. Martin, RI S. D. Ebneter, RII A. Bert Davis, RIII R. D. Martin, RV J. B. Martin, RV E. Butcher, NRR Distribution:
PDR SSalah EJordan LSpessard RSavio, ACRS l
Central File SIsrael Dross GZech MTaylor, EDO ROAB R/F PLam TNovak SRubin KRaglin, TI'C DSP R/F -
JRosenthal VBenaroya MWilliams PBaranowsky, NRR b [SP eSee previous concurrence:
ROAB ROAB C:ROAB DP SIsrael:mmk*
PI2m*
JRosenthal*
V aroya TNovak
-5/31/90 5/31/90 8/15/90 8 /
8pj90
A r
datahnee should be compatible with the microcomputer capabilities in the inspectors' offices. This database could also be made available to the licensees to facilitate longer l
term utilization of the communications.
l 2.
Incorporate the generic r gannetion Pf: ~ lato the overali inspection plan. This l
is not meant to be a revbv of spa <'" '
ations per se, but rather an adjunct to routine inspection of maatesncs f n.e, plant modifications, or other licensee
' u of the plant. Continued monitoring would activities that continue threagic facilitate identifying any eme.gmg problems with specific issues.
3.
Iri, prove the communications themselves by broadening the application of an issue, by i
providing explicit corrective actions (particularly in information notices), by utilizing j
titles that reflect the substantive actions in the communication, ar.d by suggesting a minimum distribution list for the licensee.
4 4.
Implement NRC generic communications in the review of advanced reactor designs.
Since these issues were sufficiently important to convey the information to the licensees, j
they should be considered in the designs of advanced reactors.
If you have any comments or need additional information, please contact me or Sanford Israel on my staff. Mr. Israel can be reached at extension 24437.
i Thomas M. Novak, Director
~i Division of Safety Programs Office for Analysis and Evaluation of Operational Data
Enclosure:
As stated cc w/ enclosure:
T. E. Murley, NRR F. J. Miraglia, RES i
W. T. Russell, NRR T. f. Martin, RI S. D. Ebneter, RIl i
A. Bert Davis, RIII R. D. Martin, RV J. B. Martin, RV L
E. Butcher, NRR Distribution:
L
_ Central File Plam VBenaroya RSavio, ACRS ROAB R/F JRosenthal LSpessard MTaylor, EDO DSP R/F EJordan GZech KRaglin, TTC AEOD R/F Dross SRubin SIsrael TNovak MWilliams
- See Previous Concurrence:
d ROAB ROAB
-:ROAB D:DSP SIsrael:mmk*
Plam*
JRosenthal TNovak 5/31/90 S/31/90
- 45/90 7/ /90
r.
To: Thomas E. Murley 2.
Develop a user friendly database of the generic comunications that would facilitate recall of comunications relevant to the task at hand.
Each record should contain a few lines describing the essence of the corrective action that Wuld allow quick screening to identify the germane reports.
The database should be compatible with the microcom> uter capabilities in the inspectors' offices. This database could also se made available to the licensees to facilitate longer term utilization of the comunications.
3.
Improve the comunications the. -1ves by broadening the application of an issue, b notices)y providing explicit corrective actions (particularly in information
, )y utilizing titles that reflect the substantive actior.s in the comunication, and by suggesting a minimum distribution list for the licensee.
4.
Implement NRC generic comunications in the review of advanced reactor designs. Since these issues were sufficiently important to convey the information to the licensees, they should be considered in the designs of advanced reactors.
If you have any coments or need additional information, please contact me or Sanford Israel on my staff. Mr. Israel can be reached at extension 24437.
Edward L. Jordan, Director Office for Analysis and Evaluation j
of Operational Data
Enclosure:
As stated cc w/ enclosure:
T. T. Martin, RI S. D. Ebneter, R11 A. Bert Davis, RIII R. D. Martin, RIV J. B. Martin, RV C. E. Rossi, NRR E. Butcher, NRR Distribution:
Central File Plam EJordan AEOD R/F JRosenthal MWilliams DSP R/F GLanik LSpessard ROAB R/F TNovak SIsrael Dross 4
ROAB:DSP:AEOD RA:
/:AEOD-CiROAB SP:AEOD DD:DSP:AE0D DD:AE0D D:AE00 SIsrael:as y PLem JRosent al TNovak Dross EJordan
{/jl/90 5/3f/90 5/3(/90 5/ /90 5/ /90 5/ /90