NRC Generic Letter 1981-40

NRC Generic Letter 1981-040: Qualifications of Reactor Operators

ML031110076
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Prairie Island, Columbia, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Sterling, Robinson, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, New Haven, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, 05000514, 05000363, 05000599, 05000000, 05000515, 05000502, 05000600, 05000452, Zimmer, 05000471, 05000453, 05000516, 05000517, 05000580, 05000581, 05000376, Fort Saint Vrain, Washington Public Power Supply System, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Bailly, Allens Creek, Perkins, Cherokee, Black Fox, Hartsville, Phipps Bend, Yellow Creek, Crane
Issue date:	12/22/1981
From:	Eisenhut D Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
GL-81-040, NUDOCS 8112220187
Download: ML031110076 (4)

-ALL POWER REACTOR LICENSEES, APPLICANTS

FOR OPERATING

LICENSE, NSSS VENDORS, REACTOR VENDORS AND ARCHITECT

ENGINEERS Gentlemen:

SubJect: Qualifications of Reactor Operators

-License Examinations (Generic Letter 81-40)In letters dated September

13, 1979 and March 28, 1980, we informed you of pro-posed recommendations and revised criteria to be used by the staff in evaluating reactor operator training and licensing.

We also informed you that Commission review was continuing in this area and could be expected to result in additional criteria.As part of our effort, we have conducted an in-depth review of the examination process, including the scope and format of the examination.

The review has resulted in several changes to our internal procedures and a revised operator and senior operator written examination.

Both examinations will consist of five categories and have a six-hour time limit imposed. The weight given to theory is reduced from 38% in the operator written and 56% in the senior operator written, to about 25% in each. Consequently, the examination becomes less of a writing marathon than at present. Enclosure

1 presents the scope of the new examinations and how they relate to the current examinations.

In addition to the above, the senior operator written examination is restructured so that a senior operator need not take the operator written portion. Senior operator candidates who elect to sit only for this written examination will not be considered for an operator's license should they fail this examination.

We hope to initiate the administration of the new examinations early in 1982.However, we believe that it is essential to receive public comments prior to implementation.

In particular, we would welcome comments on how best to schedule the implementation of this program so as to minimize disruption of ongoing train-Ing programs and staffing plans for pending operating license applicants.

Also, we believe it is essential to have some type of controlled experiment to assure that the proposed examination will result in well-qualified licensed individuals.

We welcome any suggestions regarding these experiments.

We have scheduled an all-day meeting at the Holiday Inn, 8200 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Md. on January 6, 1982 at 9:00 am.We plan a one-hour presentation and question/answer session. This will be followed by small roundtable discussions involving OLB examiners and industry, vendor, and members of the public to assure complete understanding of our approach Ada and answer additional questions and address individual concerns.

We urge you to , have representation of your training department at this meeting. / 4 8112220187

8112220187 PDR MISC OFFICE PDR, I I OFFICO ........................

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__ .NRC FORM 318 (10-80) NRCM 0240 O FFICIA L R EC O RD C OP Y USGPO: ts8a-33so960

N, Mr. Paul F. Collins, Chief, Operator Licensing Branch, will conduct the meeting.Mr. Collins can be reached on (301)492-4868 if you require additional information.

Sincerely, Darrell C. Eisenhut, firector Division of Licensing Enclosure:

Revised examinatiq's paper DISTRIBUTION:

OLB Rdg OLB F/F PCollins JKramer DEisenhut HDenton ECase DHFS BCs DL BCs DL ADs ORB BCs ORB PMs ORB LAs OELD (5)OI&E (7)NSIC TERA Central File NRC PDR Docket File L PDR Gray File RDiggs I .4Ir / Mfi %L L \ I. I..\9 FFICE OL~'/DHFS

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.1 _ _ _ _ _'A 318 ( tO S0) NRCM 0240 O*ICIAL RECORD COPY>431 (1080)NRCM024 OF~CIAL REC RD C PY

ALL POWER REACTOR LICENSEES, APPLICANTS

FOR OPERATI1Gf LICENSE, NSSS VENDORS, REACTOR VENDORS AUD ARCHITECT

ENGINEERS Gentlemen:

Subject: Qualifications of Reactor Onfrators

-License Examinations (Generic Letter 81-40)In letters dated Septenber

13, 1979 and March 2`2, 198Q0 we informed you of pro-posed recommendations and revised criteria to be used by the staff in evaluating reactor operator training and licensing.

We also informed you that Conmnission review was continuing in this area and could he expected to result in additional criteria.As part of our effort, we have conducted an in-denth review of the examination process, including the scope and format of the examination.

The review has resulted in several changes to our internal Procedures and a revised operator and senior operator written examiniation.

Both examinations will consist of five categories and have a six-hour tine limit imposed. The weight given to theory is reduced from 33% in the operator written and 56% in the senior operator written, to about 25X in each. Consequently, the examination becomes less of a writing marathor than at present. Enclosure

1 presents the scone of the new examinations and how they relate to the current examinations.

In addition to the above, the senior operator written examination is restructured so that a senior operator need not take the operator written portion. Senior operator candidates who elect to sit only for this written examination will not be considered for an operator's license should they fail this examination.

We hope to initiate the administration of the new examinations early in 1982.However, we believe that it is essential to receive public comFents prior to implementation.

In particular, we would welcomle comments on how best to schedule the implementation of this program so as to minimize disruption of ongoino train-ing programs and staffing plans for pending onerating license applicants.

Also, we believe it is essential to have some type of controlled experiment to assure that the proposed examination will result in well-qualified licensed individuals.

We welcome any suggestions regarding these expnriments.

We have scheduled an all-day meetinc at the Holiday Inn, 8200 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Md. on January 6, 1982 at a:DO am.We plan a one-hour presentation and question/answer session. This will be followed by small roundtable discussions involving OLS examiners and industry, vendor, and members of the public to assure complete understanding of our approach and answer additional questions and address individual concerns.

We urge you to have representation of your training department at this meeting.

Mr. Paul F. Collins, Chief, Operator Licensing Branch, will conduct the meetine.?4r. Collins can be reached on (301)492-4P58 if you require additional Information.

Sincerely, Darrell 0. Fisenhut, Director Division of Licensing Revised examinations PAWe OLB/DHFS PCol l ins/bl Acting Dir/DHFS JKramer Dir/DL DElsenhut/ /81/ /81 / /81