ML20217K179

Informs That During 445th Meeting of ACRS on 971002-03,NRC Reviewed Human Performance & Human Reliability Implementation Plan

ML20217K179
Person / Time
Issue date:	10/08/1997
From:	Seale R Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards
To:	Callan L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
References
ACRS-R-1724, FACA, NUDOCS 9710230314
Download: ML20217K179 (3)

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION l

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON REACTOR SAFEGUARDS

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WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 October 8, 1997 Mr. L.

Joseph Callan Executive Director for Operations U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.

20555-0001

SUBJECT:

HUMAN PERFOIQ'.ANCE AND HUMAN RELIABILITY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN During the 445th meeting of the Advisory Commt tee on Reactor Safeguards, October 2-3, 1997, we reviewed the human performance and human reliability implementation plan.

Our Subcommittee on Human Factors reviewed this matter during a meeting on June 3, 1997.

During these reviews, we had the benefit of discussions with representatives of the NRC staff and of the documents referenced.

Conclusions and Recommendations 1.

The development of the Plan is still in progress.

Although the mission of the human performance activities has been defined, it is not clear how the six programs listed in the plan will satisfy this mission.

This may be due to the fact that the high-level model that we recommended in our February 13, 1997 report to show the connection between the objectives of these programs and Agency activities has not yet been developed.

2.

Although ATHEANA appears to be a reasonable starting point for the development of the high-level model, it needs to be modified and expanded to serve the needs of the Plan.

3.

_ We recommend that insights derived from operational experience be incorporated into the development of the high-level model.

4.

We recommend that development of the Plan be given high-priority, even if some of the activities listed in Appendix B of the Plan must be suspended.

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Discussion InLour February 13, 1997 report, we commented that the Human Performance Program Plan was not a plan, but an inventory of human performance projects._

Much progress has been made since then.

The ATHEANA model has been put forth as a first step toward the development of a high-level model for integrating and prioritizing

-Agency activities associatec with human performance.

The staff told us that this high-level model has not yet been completed.

Consequently, we cannot evaluate whether individual activities that the Agency is currently sponsoring will lead te an effective treatment of human performance.

i We believe that the development of a high-level model-remains urgent.

It will allow the staff to articulate the objectives of the-Plan and to show how individual activities contribute to the achievement of.these objectives.

It will also provide the basis for prioritizing these ntivities.

Without such a high-level model, the need for many of the activities listed in Appendix B of the Plan is not apparent.

The-use of ATHEANA as the starting point for the development of the high-level model is promising.

The staff has acknowledged that ATHEANA,. originally intended to serve as the bas's for quantifying human error rates.in probabilistic risk assessments, will have to be expanded and modified to serve the needs of the Plan.

We agree that a model suitable for developing a research program in support of the Plan will be different from the ATHEANA model.

We emphasize the importance of incorporating insights from operational-experience into the high-level model.

We urge that the most significant lessons learned from operational experience be included in the current effort.

During our discussions with the staff, it became evident that the development of the Plan had been-tlowed, perhaps due to lack of adequate resources.

We reiterate that the development of the Plan should be given high pr'iority, even if some of the activities listed in Appendix B of the Plan must be suspended.

We believe that the Plan will enable the staff to systematically prioritize and efficiently manage the Agency human performance related activities.

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We will continue to work with the staff in this area.

Sincerely, R.-

L.

Seale Chairman

References:

1.

Memorandum dated August 12, 1997, from M. Wayne Hodges, Of fice of Nuclear Regulatory Research, to John T. Larkins, Executive Director, ACRS,

Subject:

Transmittal of Human Perfomance and Human Reliability Implementation Plan.

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ACRS report dated February 13,

1997, from R.L.

Seale, i

Chairman, ACRS.

to Shirley Ann Jackson,

Chairman, NRC,

Subject:

Human Performance Program Plan.

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