ML20235N214
| ML20235N214 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 07/10/1987 |
| From: | Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards |
| To: | Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards |
| References | |
| ACRS-2512, NUDOCS 8707170476 | |
| Download: ML20235N214 (14) | |
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DATE ISSUED: July 10,1987
SUMMARY
/ MINUTES ACRS HUMAN FACTORS SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING JUNE 24, 1987, ROOM 1046 1717 H STREET, NW, WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 The ACRS Human Factors Subcommittee met on June 24th to be briefed and 1 i
to discuss SECY-87-101 " Issues and Proposed Options Concerning Degree Requirements for Senior Operators. The entire meeting was open to the i
public. One member of the public, Mr. John Gallagher of the j Westinghouse Electric Corporation presented a paper "The Supervisory l l
Center as an Alternative to a Degreed Operator.
There were three documents provided to the Subcommittee
- 1. NRC Staff presentation. SECY-87-101, Issues and Proposed Options j Concerning Degree Requirements for Senior Operators, discussed by Garmon West, Jr. Human Factors Assessment Branch.
- 2. Westinghouse R&E Report 87-1660-COGIN - R1 "The Supervisory Center:
A Means to Deliver Knowledge to the Senior Reactor Operator During Emergency Response," K. B. Bennett, D. D. Woods, J. M. Gallagher
- 3. "The Supervisory Center: An Alternative to a Degreed Operator,"
John M. Gallagher, Westinghouse, Nuclear Technology Systems 71 s 07ay1cf
- DEDICl:LTED oil 1GINAL
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L , .- MINUTES / HUMAN FACTORS MTG. 2 June 24, 1987 The schedule for the meeting and a list of the attendees are attached.
The three documents listed above are filed with the office copy.
Principal Attendees:
ACRS NRC T~lemick C West, Jr.
J. Ebersole J. J. Perensky W. Kerr D. Jones G. Reed D. Ward Westinghouse H. Alderman, ACRS Staff J. Gallagher The meeting was convened at 8:30 a.m. Herman Alderman was the cognizant ACRS Staff member for the meeting.
1 Opening Remarks by Subcommittee Chairman Remick Dr. Remick noted the Advance Notice of Rulemaking of May 30, 1986 that was entitled " Degree Requirements for Senior Operators at Nuclear Power Plants." As extended the Advance Notice allowed public comments until the end of September 1986.
l Dr. Remick remarked that the purpose of the contemplated rulemaking is j 1
to upgrade the operating, engineering, and accident management expertise l provided on shift by combining both engineering expertise and operating
- e. 'ertise in the senior operator function.
I He noted that following the July subcommittee meeting in 1986, it was decided to await the benefit of public comnent and take up the matter again. That is the purpose of today's subcommittee meeting.
r_.,.' .,. 'MfNUTES/ HUMAN FACTORS MTG. 3 J l June 24, 1987 Regarding Severe Accident training, Dr. Remick suggested that topics should be taken up in a future Human Factors Subcommittee meeting.
I Dr. Remick then asked the other members of the subcommittee if they had i
any comments at this time.
Dr. Kerr mentioned that he had seen the recommendation that training should be separated from the education requirements. Dr. Kerr asked How can the education requirements be separated from the training?" !
Mr. Ward asked if the Commissioners had voted on issuing the rule on degrees for senior. operators? j Mr. West of the NRC staff remarked that they had received responses from two of the Commissioners and are awaiting responses from the remainder.
Highlights of the Subcommittee meeting
- 1. Mr. West, Human Factors Assessment Branch, presented the background leading up to SECY-87-101. The staff received the Staff Require-ments memo from the Comission on January 23, 1986. The staff responded with a Commission paper that included as an enclosure the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking. This was issued as SECY-86-70, Proposed Rulemaking: Degree Requirements for Senior Operators at Nuclear Power Plants", February 28, 1986. The Comis-sion then issued the " Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" for public coment on May 31, 1986. The coment period was extended
,- , .- MINUTES / HUMAN FACTORS MTG. 4 June 24, 1987 and ended on September 29, 1986. Following the comment period, the issues and proposed options were presented in a SECY paper; SECY-87-101 " Issues and Proposed Options Concerning Degree Requirements for Senior Operators," April 16, 1987.
- 2. The proposed rule would come into effect as of January 1991.
Senior operators would be required to have a baccalaureate degree in engineering or physical science. Other degrees would be accept-ed on a case-by-case basis, and it would be the intent not to allow degree equivalency criteria.
- 3. Mr. Ebersole asked how do you prevent industry from locking in SR0's in 19907 He asked "what can you offer to guarantee a conti-l nuity of approach for those people already in place so they don't have an arbitrary freeze in at some less than satisfactory training or educational level?" Mr. West responded that he didn't know of any particular way of avoiding that. He noted that is an issue that would have to be covered and addressed.
i l 4. Mr. West pointed out that " locking in" of SR0's would help to maintain experience level on shift while at the same time the degree requirement would be imposed after January 1991.
- 5. Dr. Kerr pointed out that the requalification program would help to maintain experience on shift.
MINUTES / HUMAN FACTORS MTG 0 5 June 24, 1987 i
- 6. Mr. Reed commented that in his experience, among the worst people l
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in charge as SR0's or R0's were degreed personnel.
- 7. Mr. West noted the provision of the rule that one of two years of nuclear power experience must be at greater than 20 percent power.
Dr. Kerr remarked that this puzzled him. He noted that you can more likely experience more unusual situations at less than 20 percent power than at full power.
- 8. Mr. Ebersole remarked that a more meaningful requirement would be to participate in a number of transients of certain types because then the operator has to do things.
- 9. Dr. Remick pointed out that most plants have simulators that are integrated into initial and continuing training. He neted that there are not too many transients they can perform on the plant itself.
- 10. Mr. West noted the next step prior to the proposed rulemaking would be to have appropriate regulatory and backfit analysis completed.
- 11. Mr. West pointed out that 200 comments were received in response to the ANPRM. Of the 200 comments, 195 opposed the degree rule and 5 favored it. He also noted that of 86 licensed operators respond-ing, 41 indicated a preference for additional training in the area l of severe accident training. Of the remaining 114 respondents, 55 indicated a preference for severe accident training.
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, ,- , MINUTES / HUMAN FACTORS MTG. 6 June 24, 1987-
- 12. Mr. Ebersole indicated that the emphasis should be on preventing severe accidents rather than handling severe accidents. !
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- 13. Mr. West noted some of the coments regarding proposed disadvan-tages to the degree rule. These included: the premise that there is no relationship between an individual having a degree and operator performance; the notion that experience was more important than requiring an individual to have a degree in engineering or physical science; and, the concern about the aggregate level of-experience being reduced and the potential for a negative impact on safety. Some comments noted the potential for turnover. Some comments indicated a preference for training rather than degree requirements. Negative comments were received regarding the blockage of career paths. Some comments were received regarding the cost to obtain degrees for Senior Operators.
- 14. Mr. West discussed a report prepared by KMC on behalf of the
" Qualification of Reactor Operators Group" which is a conglomerate 4
of about 22 utilities. This report surveyed operators, senior operators and shift technical advisors regarding degree requirements. Delian Corporation performed a study " Operator Response to Incidents A Probablistic Risk Perspective." This is part of the KMC Report.
- 15. The conclusions of this report were, that the proposed rule would:
I MINUTES / HUMAN FACTORS MTG. 7 June 24, 1987 L# 1. Result in a' higher turnover of personnel in the shift senior operator positions.
l 2. Decrease the overall operating experience of shift crews, l particularly in the senior operating positions with a result-ing detrimental effect to safe and competent operations.
-3. Cause unnecessary and unwarranted disruption to the career paths for both degreed engineers and non-degreed operations personnel with a resulting adverse effect on morale.
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- 4. Arbitrarily reduce the pool of competent personnel to fill the senior operator position.
- 16. Paul Collins, KMC, will discuss this report during the August ACRS meeting. Copies of the report will be sent to all ACRS members.
- 17. Mr. West observed that the KMC study favored focussed training as a better alternative to degree requirements. Focussed training was viewed as being superior to having the problem solving skills and the engineering knowledge that one might attribute to an individual that has a degree.
- 18. Mr. West discussed the recommendations of a panel appointed by the NRC in 1982. The major finding of the panel was that the panel didn't think that a baccalaureate degree requirement would be appropriate for reactor operators, senior operators, or shift
.' " 8 MINUTES / HUMAN FACTORS MTG.
June 24, 1987' supervisors due to a variety of disadvantages. One disadvantage was that poor performance could perhaps come about as a result of having a degreed individual that doesn't particularly care for shift work. Several committee members commented on the composition of the panel. Dr. Remick noted that the initial panel did not have any one with nuclear power plant experience. This was later rec-tified with one member with reactor experience.
Mr. West noted that the panel recommended a shift engineer. The shift engineer would have an R.0. license whereas the current shift technical advisor would not necessarily have an operators license.
- 19. Mr. West next discussed NUREG/CR-4051 " Assessment of Job-Related Educational Qualification for Nuclear Plant Operators." This NUREG attempted to compare what an individual is likely to get by way of
. education at various levels, and what you would expect this indi-vidual to know that would be desirable functioning as a licensed operator.
This study found that 10 percent of what the individual should know on the job could be acquired through high school, another 65 l l
percent could potentially come from college, another 20 percent {
could come from elsewhere, i.e., plant training, the residual five percent was an area where no consensus of agreement could be reached.
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MINUTES / HUMAN FACTORS MTG. 9
. June 24, 1987
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- 20. Mr. West _ discussed the advantages that might come from a degree rule. The first would be a career path to upper management po-sitions. The second would be the enhancement of professionalism of-a senior operator position. Thirdly would be the enhancement of engineering expertise on shift.
- 21. Mr. Reed pointed out that the STA is a person with an engineering degree on shift. Dr. Remick noted that not all STA's are licensed.
t He observed that what is driving the Commissioners is they want people in management who have had actual operating experience. Mr.
West observed that through the option of combining the roles of the senior operator and the shift technical advisor, the STA would be licensed.
- 22. Mr. West noted that concurrent with the degree rule there would be a policy statement which would encourage further education of ifcensed personnel and the development'of career paths.
- 23. Mr. West discussed the rationale for separation of training and education. He noted that the moratorium on regulations in the area of training have come to an end. The staff would have to consider what was necessary in the area of training. Mr. Persensky noted that training is covered by a policy statement which endorses the INP0 accreditation program. He remarked that the degree rules i
specifies the minimum requirement to get into the training program.
Dr. Kerr remarked that he couldn't see how you can separate the training from the education requirements.
, .' .- M8NUTES/ HUMAN FACTORS MTG. 10 June 24, 1987 L
- 24. Mr. John Gallagher of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation discussed alternatives to a degreed operator. Mr. Gallagher focussed on information systems that would provide the SRO with the
- knowledge that is necessary that is necessary to respond quickly and correctly to accidents.
The concept Mr. Gallagher discussed is called the supervisory center.
This canter is a collection of computerized decision aids that would allow the operator to access information to deal with an accident. This system provides information on the overall plant status, it provides information on abnormalities, provides information on corrective actions, provides guidance on the selection of procedures and it pro-vides computerized technical specifications to assess the impact of changes in component operability or plant modes. Mr. Gallagher conclud-ed that the supervisory center, when combined with proper training on i its use, can provide a trained SR0 with the knowledge that he needs to help him work his way through accidents and multiple failure events that are not completely dealt with by procedures.
The meeting went off the record at 11:40 a.m.
Subcommittee Discussion - Executive Session The subcommittee discussed whether a letter should be written regarding degree requirements for Senior Operators. The consensus opinion vu that Dr. Remick should present a subcommittee report during the July l
ACRS meeting, and the discussion should be continued during the August )
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, ,+ ,. MINUTES / HUMAN FACTORS MTG. 11
- June 24, 1987 l'
ACRS meeting. The staff should make an abbreviated presentation during the August meeting. The subcommittee decided to attempt to write a l- letter during the August meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 12:15 p.m.
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NOTE: A transcript of the meeting is available in the NRC Public Document Room, 1717 H Street, NW., Washington, D.C. or can be purchased from ACR-Federal Reporters, 444 N. Capitol Street,
- Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 347-3700.
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. i TENTATIVE AGENDA ~
~
HUP.AN FACTORS SUBCOMMITTEE -
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 1987 ROOM 1046, 1717. H STREET, NW.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
f:30 a.m. Introductory Rer. arks E:47 a.r. SECY-87-101, Discussion of Public Conments - NRC Sta#f
'a : t r e.r.
. Advantages of Degreed Operators -
NRC Staff
)? :E 3.r. ****** BREAr ******
lr 37 e.r. Disadvantages of Degreed Operators -
NRL Staff 11:00 a.r. Alternatives to Degreed Operaters -
J. Gellacher, Westinghouse 2:?" e..r. Subcommittee Discussion 12: 00 NCCA ADJOURt!
i
c H. ALDERMAN ACR5 SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING ON HUMAN FACTORS __ _ _
5 . . . -
) W 'tIO,'l:* ROOM 1046, 1717 H STREET, NW, WASHINGTON, D.C.
- .
- E : JUNE 24,1987 ATTENDANCE LIST PLEASE PRINT: .I NAME BADGE NO. AFFILIATION G AITHrAS RukG Id D, D r M (, i h G T4tt [~ - c 'i u tl '
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