ML20209G791

Provides Info Requested in NRC Re 990407 Generic Fundamentals Exam Failure Causes & Corrective Actions

ML20209G791
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	07/12/1999
From:	Terry C NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NMP1L-1450, NUDOCS 9907200005
Download: ML20209G791 (2)

Text

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NiagarahMohawk'

' Car! D. Terry Phone: 315 349.7263

- Mce President Fax: 315.349.4753 Nuchar Safety Assessment and Support July 12, 1999 NMPIL 1450 U S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Document Control Desk

- Washington, DC 20555 RE: Nine Mile Point Unit 1 Nine Mile Point Unit 2 Docket No. 50-220 Docket No. 50410 DPR-63 NPF-69

Subject:

Generic Fundamentals Examination Failure Causes and Corrective Actions Gentlemen:

I On April 7,1999, the NRC administe' ed r a generic fundamentals examination (GFE) to operator license candidates at Nine Mile Point Units 1 and 2 (NMP1 and NMP2). Five of the j twenty candidates who took the examination failed. In a letter to Niagara Mohawk Power  :

Corporation (NMPC) dated May 11,1999, the NRC requested that in view of the relatively high failure rate, NMPC review the examination results and inform the NRC of the failure cause and the corrective actions taken or planned to be taken. The purpose of this letter is to provide the requested information.

A NMPC team, consisting of individuals selected from the Independent Safety Evaluation Group (ISEG), Operations, and Training, reviewed the examination results and determined the ,

cause of the failures. Issues identified included the ineffectiveness of Operations and Training I personnel in selecting, preparing and evaluating license class candidates during fundamentals I training as evidenced by the following- I l

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Auxiliary Operator preparation for license class was inadequate for NMP1 candidates in J that generic fundamentals topics were removed from the Auxiliary Operator Training  !

I Program in 1997.

• Course content was not tailored to meet the needs of the candidates selected.

• ' The license class selection process lacked the necessary rigor to ensure that telected -

candidates had a high probability of being successful. .

I

• Individuals with marginal audit exam test scores were not excluded from the GFE l exam. )

, 9907200005 990712 l l PDR ADOCK 05000220- /

V PDR Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station /0. Box 6'3, Lycoming, New York 13093@63

• www.nimo.com lkb 1

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e Page 2 l 1

The immediate corrective action' taken was that four of the candidates that failed the GFE exam were removed from the Licensed Operator Training Program. A fifth candidate will remain in the program, since that failure was due to improper transposition of answers to the scantron answer sheet.

Corrective actions to be taken in the future are as follows:

By November 30,1999, Generic Fundamentals topics will be incorporated into the NMP1 Auxiliary Operator Training Program, consistent with the NMP2 Auxiliary Operator Training Program, to better prepare the Auxiliary Operators for license class.

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NMPC will upgrade the GFE training materials by March 31,2000 to ensure it contains the proper content.

• An assessment of the current license class will be performed to ensure the program will adequately prepare the candidates for the NRC license exam. This action will be i completed by September 30,1999.

• Procedures will be revised to upgrade license class program standards. These revisions will be reviewed and approved by Operations management. Specifically, initial licensed operator training classes for ger.eric fundamentals will be designed based on l experience and education of selected candidates. Also, the program entry selection  !

process guidelines will be revised to ensure consistency is applied between both units to ,

include minimum standards for program e~n try and expectations for program l continuance. These standards and expectations will include standards for assisting an Academic Review Board in determining program continuance. In addition, a formal process will be implemented including higher level of management review, following the license audit exam to determine candidates eligibility to take the NRC administered GFE exam. These actions will be completed by August 31,1999.

Sincerely, Carl D. Terry Vict President .

Nuclear Safety Assessment and Support CDT/JMT/mlh xc: - Mr. H. J. Miller, NRC Regional Administrator Mr. S. S. Bajwa, Section Chief PD-1, Section 1, NRR Mr. G. K. Hunegs, NRC Senior Resident Inspector Mr. D. S. Hood, Senior Project Manager, NRR Mr. R. M.Gallo, Operator Licensing and Human Performance Branch Records Management