ML20245E760

Notifies That Written & Oral Operator & Senior Operator Licensing Exams Scheduled for Wk of 891127.Encl Reference Matl Requested within 60 Days Prior to Exam Date

ML20245E760
Person / Time
Site:	Byron
Issue date:	08/03/1989
From:	Wright G NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:	Reed C COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO.
References
NUDOCS 8908110353
Download: ML20245E760 (13)

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? 5' Docket No.. 50-4541  : AUG - 3 1999

' Docket'Ho. 50-455

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' Commonwealth Edison Company.

ATTH: Mr..Cordell ReedL

< .. .l Senior Vice President

~ Post Office. Box 767

. Chicago,-IL 60690

Dear Mr.LReed:

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SUBJECT:

OPERATOR AND SEfEOR.0PERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONS In a telephone. conversation between Mr. Larry Bunner, and Mr. Tiia Reidinger.

-arrangements were made'for the administration of examinations at the Byron Nuclear Station.

2 The written and oral examinations are scheduled for the week of November 27, 1989.

LIn order for us to meet this schedule, it will be necessary for the facility to furnish the approved reference material listed in Enclosure _1,'" Reference Material Requirements for Reactor / Senior Reactor Operator Licensing Examinations".at.least 60 days prior to the examination date.. Any delay in

-receiving. approved properly bound and indexed reference material will result

.in a. delay in administering the' examinations. Mr. L. Bunner has been advised of cdr reference material requirements, the number of reference material sets that are required, and the examiners' names and addresses where each set is to be mailed.-

The facility management.is' responsible for providing adequate space and

. accommodations in order to properly conduct the written-examinations.

Enclosure 2, " Requirements for Administrate p of Written Examinations,"

' describes.our " acquirements for-conducting these examinations. Mr..L. Bunner

-has also been informed of these requirements.

Enclosure 3 contains the Rules and Guidelines that will be in effect during the administration of the written examination. The facility management.is responsible for ensuring that all applicants are aware of these Rules.

'The facility staff review of the written examination will be conducted in

accordance with requirements specified in Enclosure 4, " Requirements for Facility Review of Written Examinations." Mr. L. Bunner has been informed of these requirements.

F' To' better document simulator ' examinations, the Chief Examiner will hve the facility simulator operator record predetermined plant conditions (i.e., plant pressure, temperature, pressurizer level, etc.), for each simulator scenario.

The applicants will be responsible fer providing this information, along with y

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8908110353 890903 4 g DR ADOCK 050 f[ ( !

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Commonwealth Edison Company 2 /W3-3 mg any appeal of a simulator operating examination. Therefore, the facility training staff should retain the simulator examination scenario information until all applicants who took the examinations have either passed the operating examination, accepted the denial of their license, or filed an appeal.

All reactor operator and senior reactor operatar license applications should be submitted at least 60 days prior to the first examination dates so that we will be able to review the training and experience of the applicants, process the medical certifications, and prepare final examiner assignments after applicant eligibility has been deterinined. If the applications are not received at least 30 days prict to the examination dates, it is likely that a postponement will be necessary.

This request is covered by Office of Management and Budget Clearance Number 3150-0101 which expires May 31, 1992. The estimated average burden is 7.7 hours8.101852e-5 days <br />0.00194 hours <br />1.157407e-5 weeks <br />2.6635e-6 months <br /> per response, including gathering, xeroxing and mailing the required material. Send comments regarding this burden estimate er any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Records and Reports Management Branch, Division of Information Support Services, Office of Information Resources Management, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C.

20555; and to the Paperwerk Reduction Project (3150-0101), Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503.

Thank you for your consideration. in this matter. If you have any questions regarding the examination procedures and requirements, please ccntact T. Reidinger at 312 790-5551.

Sincerely, Mnnhs@mbd^[h Geoffrey C. Wright, Chief Operations Branch

Enclosures:

1. Reference Material Requirements for Reactor /Senicr Reactor Operator Licensing Examinations

2. Requirements for Administration of Written Examinations

3. hRC Rules and Guidelines For Written Examinations

4. Requirements for Facility Review of Written Examinations See Attached Distribution

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' Commonwealth Edison Company 3 A 0 -3 ESS

r Distribution L

cc w/ enclosures:

T. J. Maiman, Vice President, PWR Operations

- T. Kovach, Nuclear Licensing Manager R. Pleniewicz, Station Manager DCD/DCB (RIDS)

Licensing Fee Management Branch Resident Inspector, RIII Byron Resident Inspector, RIII Braidwood-D. W. Cassel, Jr., Esq.

Richard Hubbard J. W. McCaffrey,. Chief, Public Utilities Division

' Diane Phavez, DAARE/ SAFE L. 01stan, NRR LPM

- H.'S. Taylor,-Quality ~ Assurance

, Division L. Bunner, Plant Training Manager cc w/o enclosures:

L. 01shan, Project Manager, NRR K. E. Perkins, Branch Chief, OLB J. M. Hinds, Section Chief, DRP e

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ENCLOSURE l'-

REFERENCE MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REACTOR / SENIOR REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATION.

1. Existing learning objectives, Job Performance Measures and lesson plans (including training manuals, plant orientation manual, system descriptions, reactor theory, thermodynamics, etc.)

A copy of the facility Job and Task Analysis (JTA), specifying the _

i knowledg'es and abflities. required of an operator at the facility. Each i,' particular knowledge and/or ability will include an importance rating correlating'it to ersuring the health and the safety of the public. If a JTA is not furnished, the Knowledges and Abilities Catalog for Nuclear Power Plant Operators, NURED 1122 (1123) will be used to establish content validity for the examination.

All Job Performance Measures (JPMs) used to ascertain the competence of the operators in performing tasks within the control' room complex and, as identified in the facility JTAs, outside of the control room, i.e. , local operations.

Training materials should include all substantive written material used for preparing applicants for initial R0 and SR0 licensing. The written material'should include learning objectives and the details presented during lectures, rather than outlines. Training materials should be identified by plant and unit, bound, and indexed. FAILURE TO PROVIDE COMPLETE, PROPERLY BOUND AND INDEXED PLANT REFERENCE MATERIAL MAY RESULT

.IN THE RETURN OF THE MATERIAL TO THE PERSON WHO IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CORPORATE MANAGEMENT WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANT OPERATIONS (E.G., VICE PRESIDENT OF NUCLEAR OPERATIONS). ACCOMPANYING THE MATERIAL.WILL BE A COVER LETTER EXPLAINING THE DEFICIENCIES IN THE REFERENCE MATERIAL AND THE FACT THAT THIS WAS THE REASON THE EXAMINATIONS WERE CANCELLED OR POSTPONED. Training materials which include the following should be provided:

• System descriptions including descriptions of all operationally relevant flow paths, components, controls and instrumentation.

System training material should dr a parallels to the actual procedures used for operating the applicable system.

• Complete and operationally useful descriptions of all safety-system interactions and, where available, 80P system interactions under emergency and abnormal conditions, including consequences of antic 1p eted operator error, maintenance error, and equipment failure.

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ENCLOSURE 11(Cont'd) m

+ Training material used to. clarify and. strengthen understanding of' emergency' operating procedures.

C , Comprehensive. theory material that includes fundamentals in -the area of. theory of reactor operabion, thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluid flow, as well as specific application to actual' in plant . .

components. For example, mechanical theory material on pumps should include pump theory as well as descriptions of how these principles actually. apply to major plant' pumps and'the' systems in which they.

are. installed (i.e., Reactor Coolant Pumps, all.ECCS pumps,

. Recirculation' pumps, Feedwater pumps and Emergency Feedwater pumps).

Reactor Theory material should include descriptions that draw-explicit ties between the' fundamentals and the' actual operating limits :followed in the plant (i.e. , reactor theory material should

.contain' explanations ~how principles relate to the actual curves used

~by operators to verify shutdown margin or calculate an ECP).

'2. . Complete Procedure Index (including surveillance procedures, etc.)

!3. All. administrate n procedures (as applicable to reactor operation'or safety)

4. All. integrated plant procedures (normal or general operating procedures)

5. Emergency procedures.(emergency. instructions, abnormal or special procedures)

6. Standing orders-(important orders that are safety-related and may supersede the regular procedures)-

7. Surveillance procedures (procedures that are run frequently, i.e. , weekly .

or.that can be run on the simulator).

8. Fuel-handling and core-loading pro'cedures, (initial core-loading procedure,when' appropriate)

9. Annunciator / alarm procedures

10. Radiation protection manual (radiation control manual or procedures).

11. Emergency plai implementing procedures

12. Technical Spe:ifications (and interpretations, if available) for all units for wh'ch licenses are sought.

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ENCLOSURE 1 (cont'd)

13. System operating procedures

14. Piping and instrumentation diagrams, electrical single-line diagrams, or flow diagrams-

15. Technical Data Book, and/or plant curve information as used by operators and facility precautions, limitations, and set points (PLS) for the facility

16. Questions and answers specific to the facility training program which may-be used in the written or operating examinations (voluntary by facility licensee)

17. The following on the plant reference simulation facility

a. List of all preprogrammed initial conditions

b. List of all preset malfunctions with a clear identification number.

The list should include cause and effect information. Specifically, for each malfunction a concise description of the expected result, or range of results, that will occur upon implementation should be provided. Additionally, an indication of which annunciators are to be initially expected should be given.

c. A description of simulator failure capabilities for valves, breakers, indicators and alarms

d. Where the capability exists, an explanation of the ability to vary the severity of a particular malfunction should be provided, i.e. ,

ability to vary the size of a given LOCA or steam leak, or the ability to cause a slow failure of a component such as a feed pump, turbine generator or major valve (e.g., drifting shut of a main feedwater control valve)

e. An identification of modeling conditions / problems that may impact the examination

f. Identification of any known performance test discrepancies not yet corrected

g. Identification of differences between the simulator and the reference plant's control room

h. Copies of facility generated scenarios that expose the applicants to situations of degraded pressure control (PWR), degraded heat removal capability (PWR and BWR) and containment challenges (PWR and BWR) may be provided (voluntary by licensee) 3 ,

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l ENCLOSURE 1 (Cont'd) d

i. Simulator instructors manual (voluntary by licensee)

j. Description of the scenarios used for the training class (voluntary by licensee)

18. 'Additicnal material required by the examiners to develop examinations that meet the requirements of these Standards and the regulations. j The above reference material should be approved, final issues and should be so l marked. If a plant has not finalized some of the material, the Chief Examiner j shall verify with the facility that the most complete, up-to-date material is  ;

available and that agreement has been reached with the licensee for limiting changes before the administration of the examination. All procedures and reference material should be bound with appropriate indices or tables of contents so that they can be used efficiently. Failure to provide complete,.

properly bound and indexed plant reference material could result in cancellation or rescheduling of the exaniinations.

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. ENCLOSURE 2 l_ REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMINISTRATION OF WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS I ,

1. A single room shc11 be provided for administration of the written examina- _I tion. The location of this room and supporting restroom facilities shall )

be such (u to prevent contact with all other facility and/or contractor ]

persannel during the written examination. If necessary, the facility i sh' auld make arrangen.ent for the use of ' suitable room at a local school, d motel, or other building. Obtaining thi room is the responsibility of the licensee.

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2. Minimum spacing is rey > ired to ensure examination integrity as determined.

by the Chief Examiner. Minimum spacing should be one applicant per table, with a three foot space between tables.

3. Suitable arrangements shall be made by the facility if the applicants are to have lunch, coffee or other refreshments. These arrangements shall comply with Item 1 above and shall be reviewed by the examiner and/or proctor.

4. The facility licensee shall provide pads of 8-1/2 by 11 inch lined paper in unopened packages for each applicant's use in completing the examination. The examiner shall c'istribute these pads to the applicants.

5. Applicants may bring pens, pencils, calculators or slide rules into the examination room. Only black ink or dark pencils should be used for writing answers to questions.

6. The licensee shall provide one set of steam tables for each applicant.

The examiner shall distribute the steam tables to the applicants. No wall charts, models, and/or other training materials shall be present in the examination room. No other equipment or reference material shall be allowed unless provided by the examiner.

. ENCLOSURE 3 PROCEDURES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS

1. Check identification badges.

2. . Pass out examinations and all handouts. Remind applicants not to review examination until. instructed to do so.

READ THE FOLLOWING~ INSTRUCTIONS VERBATIM:

'During the administration of this examination the following rules apply:

1. Ch' eating on the examination'means an. automatic' denial of your application and could result in more severe. penalties.

2. Afte'r'the examination has been completed, you must sign the statement on the cover sheet indicating that the work is your own and you have not received or given assistance in completing the examination. This must be done after you complete the examination.

READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Restroom trips are to be limited and only one applicant at a time may leave. You must avoid all contacts with anyone outside the examination room to avoid even the appearance or possibility of cheating.

2. Use black ink or dark pencil only to facilitate legible reproductions.

3. Print your name in the blank provided in the upper right-hand corner of the examination cover sheet.

4. Fill in the date on the coverf sheet of the examination _(if necessary).

5. You may write your answers on the examination question page or on a separate sheet of paper. USE ONLY THE PAPER PROVIDED AND DO NOT WRITE ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE PAGE.

6. If you write your answers on the examination question page and you need more space to answer a specific question, use a separate sheet of the paper provided and incert it directly after the specific question.

DO NOT WRITE ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE EXAMINATION QUESTION PAGE.

7. Print your name in the upper right hand corner of the first page of each section of your answer sheets whether you use the examination question pages or separate sheets of paper. Initial each page.

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ENCLOSURE 3 (Cont'd)

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8. Before you turn in your examination, consecutively number each answer  !

sheet, including any additional pages inserted when writing you'/ crwers )

on the examination question page.

9. If you are using separate sheets, number each answer as to category and number (i.e., 1.04, 6.10) and skip at least 3 lines between answers to 1 allow space for grading.  ;

10. Write "End of Category " at the end of your answers to a category. j

11. Start each category on a new page.

12. Write "Last Page" on the last answer sheet. l

13. Use abbreviations only if they are commonly used in facility literature.

Avoid using symbols such as < or > signs to avoid a simple transposition error resulting in an incorrect answer. Write it out.

14. The point value for each question is indicated in parentheses after the question. The amount of blank space on an examination question page is NOT an indication of the depth of answer required.

15. Show all calculations, methods, or assumptions used to obtain an answer.

l l 16. Partial credit may be given. Therefsre, ANSWER ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION AND 00 NOT LEAVE ANY ANSWER BLANK.

17. Proportional grading will be applied. Any additional wrong information that is provided may count against you. For example, if a question is l worth one point and asks for four responses, each of which is worth 0.25 points, and you give five responses, each of your responses will be worth 0.20 points. If one of your five responses is incorrect, 0.20 will be deducted and your total credit for that question will be 0.80 instead of 1.00 even though you got the four correct answers.

I 18. If the intent of a question is unclear, ask questions of the examiner only.

19. When turning in your examination, assemble the completed examination with examination questions, examination aids and answer sheets. In addition, turn in all scrap paper.

20. To pass the vmmination, you must achieve an overall grade of 80% or greater ann A lease M% in each category.

21. There is a time limit of (6) hours for completion of the examination.

(Or some other time if less than the full examination is taken).

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ENCLOSURE 3 (Cont'd)

22. When you are done and have turned in your examination, leave the

.' examination, area'(DEFINE THE AREA). If you are found in this area while the ev.omination is ctill in progress, your license may be

- !;d or . :iLu.

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ENCLOSURE 4 REQUIREMENTS FOR FACILITY REVIEW 0F WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS

1. At the option of the Section Chief, the facility may review the written examination up to two weeks prior to its administration. This review may take place at the facility or in the Regional office. The Chief Examiner will coordinate the details of the review with the facility. An NRC examiner will always be present during the review.

Whenever this option of examination review is utilized, the facility reviewers will sign the following statement prior to being allowed access to the examination. The examination or written notes will NOT be retained'by the facility.

a. Pre-Examination Security Agreement I agree that I will not knowingly divulge any information concerning the replacement (or initial) examination scheduled for to any unauthorized persons. I understand that I am not to participate in any instruction involving those reactor operator or senior reactor operator applicants scheduled to be administered the above replacement (or initial) examination from now until after the examination has been administered.

I understand that violation of this security agreement could result in the examination being voided.

1 In addition, the facility staff reviewcrs will sign the following statement after the written examination Sas been administered.

b. Post-Examination Security Agreement I did not, to the best of knowledge, divulge any information concerning the written examination administered on to any unauthorized persons. I did not participate in providing any instruction to those reactor operator and senior reactor operator applicants who were administered the examination from the time that I was allowed access to the examination.

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ENCLOSURE 4'(cont'd).

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f, Y '2. Regardless of whether the above examination review option is exercised, immediately following the'administr. tion of the written examination, the-facility staff shall be.provided a marked-up copy of the examination and the answer key. .The_ copy of the written examination shall include. pen.

of and ink changes.made;to questions during.the examination administration.

If .the facility;did not review the'examin'ation prior to its administration, they will have' five.(5) working days from.the; day of the written examination to submit formal comments. If the facility reviewed the examination. prior to its administration, any additional comments must be given to an examiner prior to his/her leaving the site at the end.of the week of .the written examination administration. In either' case, the comments will'be addressedLto the responsible Regional Office by the highest onsite level of corporate management.for plant operations, e.g.,

Vice President for Nuclear Operations. A copy of the submittal will be forwarded to the Chief Examiner, as appropriate. Comments not submitted s within the required time frame will be considered for inclusion in the grading process on a case-by-case basis by the Regional 0ffice Section Chief. Should the comment. submittal deadline not be met, a long delay in grading the examinations.may occur.

3. The. following format should be adhered to for submittal of specific comments:

a. Listing of NRC Question, answer and reference

b. Facility-comment / recommendation i c. Reference (to support facility comment)

.N0TES: 1. No change to the examination will be made without submittal of a reference to support the facility comment. Any supporting documentation that was not previously supplied, should be provided.

2. Comments made without a concise facility recommendation will not be addressed.

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