ML18291A563

Chilled Worked Environment Update

ML18291A563
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	10/18/2018
From:	Tennessee Valley Authority
To:	Division of Reactor Safety II
References
Download: ML18291A563 (15)

Text

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Chilled Work Environment Update October 18, 2018

Opening Remarks Paul Simmons, Site Vice President Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 2 Simmons

Agenda

• Background

• NRC Follow-up Inspections

• Nuclear Safety Culture Monitoring

• Initial Response to Radiation Protection Chilled Work Environment

• Chilled Work Environment and Cross Cutting Issue Closure Actions

• Sustainability of Performance Improvement

• Summary

• Closing Remarks Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 3 Hulvey

Background

• NRC determined Chilled Work Environment in Operations Department

- Watts Bar developed and implemented corrective actions based on root cause analysis

• NRC Problem Identification and Resolution inspection

- NRC issued 2017 Confirmatory Order in response to the apparent violation for failure to comply with 2009 Confirmatory Order

• Independent Nuclear Safety Culture Assessment Hulvey Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 4

Background

• TVA Nuclear Fleet actions:

- Benchmarked Nuclear Industry to assist in revising the Adverse Employment Action process

- Developed and implemented on-going Safety Conscious Work Environment (SCWE) training

- Established Nuclear Safety Culture peer team

- Developed and implemented Nuclear Safety Culture Monitoring Panel training

- Corporate Oversight Hulvey Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 5

2018 NRC CWEL Follow-up Inspection

• January and June 2018 NRC inspection results

- Root Cause Analysis corrective actions and enhancements were being implemented

> Positive effect on the chilled work environment within Operations Department

> Provides site-wide monitoring of safety culture

- Challenges in identification and evaluation of department-specific work environment trends Hulvey Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 6

2018 NRC CWEL Follow-up Inspection

• June 2018 NRC inspection results of Radiation Protection Department

- Majority willing to raise nuclear and radiological safety concerns

- Some reluctant or feel others may be reluctant to raise certain concerns

- Concluded a Chilled Work Environment exists

• Mid-Cycle Assessment

- Safety Conscious Work Environment (SCWE) Cross Cutting Issue opened Hulvey Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 7

Nuclear Safety Culture Monitoring

• TVA Implements Various Means to Monitor Nuclear Safety Culture

- Nuclear Safety Culture Monitoring Panel (NSCMP)

- Site Leadership NSCMP

- Nuclear Safety Culture Peer Team

- Nuclear Safety Review Board

- Employee Concerns Program

- Independent Safety Culture Assessments

- Executive Leadership Team (Corporate) Oversight Marshall Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 8

Nuclear Safety Culture Monitoring

• Routine monitoring identified work environment issues within Radiation Protection Department

• Safety culture assessments performed with issues identified in:

- Staffing

- Number of containment entries per week

- Management trust concerns

• Watts Bar actions:

- Implemented staffing plan that included a bridging strategy

- Introduced a containment entry reduction initiative

- Initiated employee advisory group Marshall Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 9

Watts Bar Initial Response to RP CWE

• Watts Bar response actions:

- Plant Manager conducted All Hands Meetings with employees to discuss the inspection results

- Enlisted help from experts in resolving work place environment issues and Initiated Root Cause Analysis to:

> Understand Radiation Protection drivers

> Identify root and contributing causes for the RP chilled work environment

> Identify challenges in department SCWE monitoring

> Develop and implement corrective actions Marshall Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 10

CWEL and SCWE CCI Closure Actions

• Improve Watts Bar SCWE

- Address Radiation Protection Department CWE

- Sustained improvement in Operations Department

- Continued support of workforce to raise concerns without fear of retaliation

- Increase personnel confidence in:

> Problem identification and resolution

> Environment for raising concerns

> Methods to detect and prevent retaliation and chilling effects

• Understand department monitoring to detect declining trends and mitigate chilled work environment precursors Marshall Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 11

Sustainability of Performance Improvement We are committed to healthy safety culture sustainability

• Site Leadership Accountability

• Training and Communications

• Adverse Employment Action Process

• Nuclear Safety Culture Monitoring Panel

• Employee Concern Program Surveys

• Nuclear Safety Culture Surveys

• Corporate Oversight Simmons Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 12

Summary

• Watts Bar has made improvements in the overall work environment for raising concerns and will continue to develop and implement corrective actions to ensure a sustained environment to raise concerns without the fear of retaliation

• TVA is committed to resolving the chilled work environment in Radiation Protection Department and addressing the closure criteria determined by the NRC

• We are committed to ensuring sustained improvement in Operations Department and effective implementation of our fleet process for Nuclear Safety Culture monitoring.

• We are committed to preventing a chilled work environment from developing in another department at Watts Bar.

Simmons Watts Bar Nuclear Plant l 13

Questions?