ST-HL-AE-4685, Discusses Status of Upgrades to STP Employee Concerns Program
| ML20086K000 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | South Texas  |
| Issue date: | 02/11/1994 |
| From: | Cottle W HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER CO. |
| To: | Callan L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20086J990 | List:
|
| References | |
| FOIA-94-380 ST-HL-AE-4685, NUDOCS 9507190318 | |
| Download: ML20086K000 (5) | |
Text
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The Light c: siinnip atimySouth Texas Project Dectne Geocrang Station P. O. Box 289 Wadsworth. Texas 77483 Houston Lhthting & Power
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February 11, 1994
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ST-HL-AE-4685 File No.-
G03.12
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Mr.
L. J.
Callan Regional Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-8064 South Texas Project Units 1 & 2 Docket Nos. STN 50-498; STN 50-499 Status of Uoarades to STP Emolovee Concerns Procram
Reference:
Letter from W.
T. Cottle (HL&P) to J.
L. Milhoan (NRC) dated December 31, 1993 (ST-HL-AE-4665)
Dear Mr. Callan:
on December 31, 1993, HL&P submitted a description of the actions being taken to upgrade the Employee Concerns Program at the South Texas Project.
These actions were based on recommendations made by a group of outside consultants commissioned in August 1993 to perform a detailed review of the former SPEAKOUT program, as well as findings and observations made by an NRC inspection team in December 1993.
These changes are designed to ensure that groups with appropriate expertise investigate various types of concerns, while at the same time providing employees with a simple, easy-to-use, single poing-of-contact to assist them in raising concerns and preserving confidentiality.
A number of these actions were still underway at the time the December 31, 1993 letter was submitted; many of these have now been competed.
Mr. Robert F.
Englmeier, formerly Site Quality Manager at the St. Lucie nuclear power plant, has been retained to manage the Nuclear Safety and Quality Concerns Program ("NSOP")
Mr. Englmeier arrived at STP on January 31,
'994, and reports directly to the Group Vica President, Nuclear.
.Procedures governing the activities of each of the subgroups withir :he Empicyee Cor.cerns Program have been developed and 9507190318 950206 PDR FOIA SAPORIT94-380 PDR
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P rmer Manarer on Behalf of abc Participanu in the South Texas Project h
s 4
Houston Lighting & Power Cornpany South Tezu Project Electric Generating Station ST-HL-AE-4685 File No.:
G03.12 Page 2 The approved, and program personnel have been trained on them.
status _ of particular items discussed in t.he December 31, 1993 letter includes:
Item No. 1:
Revisions to procedures used by the employee concerns program to more completely describe the specific methods used to protect the identity of those who wish their concerns to be handled on a confidential basis have been completed. The specific methods describe who has responsibility for maintaining confidential files, process for assigning numbers to concern to protect identity and caution statement for ensuring an individual's identity does inadvertently linked with an investigation.
not get Item No. 2:
As of January 27, 1994, a program of 26 hours3.009259e-4 days <br />0.00722 hours <br />4.298942e-5 weeks <br />9.893e-6 months <br /> of formal training on investigative principles and techniques was completed by each of the four investigators Five within the Access Authorization Investigation Group.
days of formal training on interview techniques is scheduled to be provided for one NSQP evaluator during February 14-18, 1994; training for the remainder of the NSQP staff is still being planned (the NSQP interviewers generally already have substantial interviewing experience).
Item No. 5:
An interviewer from the NSQP has participated in the exit process for each person concluding a term of employment at the South Texas Project site since November 29, 1993.
Since that time, the interviewer has participated in 178 interviews, during which eight concerns have been received of which six required evaluations for nuclear safety or quality significance.
This compares with one concern received during the exit interview process in the I
six months preceding November 29, 1993.
The remaining two concerns, while not implicating nuclear safety or quality, are being evaluated for action by the Access Authorizati6n Investigations Group and the Industrial Safety & Health Division.
Item No. 6:
NSQP interview and support staff have completed one hour of training and instruction on interfacing with concernees in a professional, courteous, and helpful manner, as well as on the necessity to assure that concerns are handled confidentially and that this confidentiality is perceived by concernees.
This training was completed on, January 6, 1994, and specifically covered the revised procedures used in the STP employee concerns programs te assure concernee confidential;ty
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Houston Lighting & Power Cornpany South Tezu Project Retric Geocrating Station ST-HL-AE-4685 File No.:
G03.12 Page 3 Item No. 7:
Formal procedures for use by each of the subprograms which comprise the employee concerns program The staff of each have been finalized and approved.
subprogram has completed training on the overall employee concerns program procedure and their subgroup procedures.
The nuclear training department is developing modifications to General Employee Training and Supervision Skills Training These to cover the revised employee concerns program.
modifications are scheduled to be ready so that formal instructions can begin on the new employee concerns program during the first quarter of 1994.
Item No. 14:
The availability of the Employee Advocate as a single point of contact was communicated to site employees in the "STP On Line" newsletter.
In addition, the NSOP manager has addressed approximately 400 site employees to date in group settings to explain the employee concerns Additional program and introduce the Employee Advocate. In addition, meetings with employees are being planned.
HL&P plans to send a videotape to the homes of site employees detailing the workings of the new employee concerns program and describing methods for raising concerns through the program.
This videotape is expected to be completed and distributed by mid-March 1994.
Employees have demonstrated significant confidence in the new employee concerns program.
During January 1994, 27 employees raised concerns through the new program (approximately 3% of the This concerns potentially relate to nuclear ~uality or safety).
compares with an average of approximately 14 employees per month raising concerns under the old SPEAKOUT program.
HL&P is closely monitoring the effectiveness of the program and intends to conduct both internal and external evaluations of its effectiveness during the next several months.
Our management remains committed to assuring an environment which encourages employees to bring forth their concerns and in which managers and supervisors recognize those who bring forward concerns as l
contributors to the success of the facility.
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4 Houston Lighting & Power Company South Texas Project Electric Generating Station ST-HL-AE-4685 File No.-
G03.12 Page 4 We will provide further reports on the status of our actions as they are completed.
In the meantime, please do not hesitate _
to call me or Mr. Englmeier should you need further information.
Sincerely, w r~cm W. T. Cottle Group Vice President, Nuclear JJS/eis
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a ST-HL-AE-4685 Houston Lighting & Power Company File No.: G03,12 South Texas Project Electric Generating Station Page 5
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Rufus S. Scott Regional Administrator, Region IV Associate General Counsel U.
S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Houston Lighting & Power Company 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 P. O. Box 61867 Arlington, TX 76011 Houston, TX 77208 Lawrence E. Kokajko Project Manager U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Institute of Nuclear Power Operations - Records Center Washington, DC 20555 13H15 700 Galleria Parkway Atlanta, GA 30339-5957 David P. Loveless Sr. Resident Inspector Dr. Joseph M. Hendrie c/o U.
S. Nuclear Regulatory Comm.
50 Bellport Lane P.
O.
Box 910 Bay City, TX 77404-910 Bellport, NY 11713 D.
K.
Lacker J. R. Newman, Esquire Bureau of Radiation Control Newman & UOltzinger, P.C., STE 1000 Texas Department of Health
)
1615 L Street, N.W.
1100 West 49th Street Washington, DC 20036 Austin, TX 78756-3189 K. J. Fiedler/M. T. Hardt U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comm.
City Public Service Document Control Desk Attn:
P.
O.
Box 1771 San Antonio, TX 78296 Washington, D.
C.
20555 J.
C. Lanier/M.
B.
Lee City of Austin Electric Utility Department 721 Barton Springs Road
)
Austin, TX 78704 l
G.
E. Vaughn/T. M.
Puckett Central Power and Light Company P.
O.
Box 2121 Corpus Christi, TX 78403
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