After investigating the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island, the Kemeny
Commission recommended that the U.S. nuclear energy industry "set and police
its own standards of excellence." Within nine months of the accident, the
industry formed the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) to promote
excellence in nuclear power plant operations, including the training of
personnel.
Spearheaded by INPO, the nuclear industry established a comprehensive
system of personnel training and qualification. It created the National
Academy for Nuclear Training to integrate the training programs of INPO, the
training efforts of all U.S. nuclear energy companies and the independent
activities of the National Nuclear Accrediting Board.
The industry's training programs have been extremely successful. Since
1979, the number of professional training staff has increased elevenfold,
and the space dedicated to training activities has increased eightfold. The
investments in training have yielded significant improvements in nuclear
power plant safety and reliability in the past 20 years.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has fulfilled its regulatory
responsibilities through continuing oversight of nuclear plant programs,
inspections, enforcement actions and oversight of the industry's
accreditation process.
The NRC issued a training rule in April 1993 that recognizes the
industry's training and accreditation efforts. The rule, which is
performance-based, has had little impact on the industry's existing training
programs.
In February 1994, the NRC issued a rule that allows each nuclear power
plant operating company-rather than the agency-to conduct the qualification
examination for licensed operators every six years.
Industry Achievements: Comprehensive Training Programs, Improved Plant
Performance
The Pursuit of Excellence.
In its report on the Three Mile Island accident, the presidentially
appointed Kemeny Commission recommended that the U.S. nuclear energy
industry "set and police its own standards of excellence." The industry
formed the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations that same year to promote
excellence in nuclear power plant operations, including the training of
personnel.
Training and Accreditation. As one of its first steps, INPO examined utility
training needs and developed a number of training and qualification
guidelines. It also established procedures and criteria for training-program
accreditation.
Under INPO's auspices, the nuclear energy industry has created a
comprehensive system of training and accreditation for utility personnel.
The National Academy for Nuclear Training, created in 1985, integrates and
standardizes the training efforts of INPO and all U.S. nuclear companies.
The academy sets industry training standards. Its mission: to strengthen
training, and to enhance the pride and professionalism of nuclear plant
personnel. The academy conducts several special courses that promote the
development, involvement and professionalism of utility managers and
supervisors. It also conducts workshops and courses using actual plant
components and equipment as well as scale models.
Through the independent National Nuclear Accrediting Board, individual
utility training programs are formally verified and accredited or rejected.
The accreditation process covers operations, maintenance and technical
training programs for all key positions at each plant. It requires:
a utility self-evaluation of its training programs based on industrywide
standards
a visit from a team of training experts, which examines the training
programs and recommends improvements
review by a panel of the National Nuclear Accrediting Board, which
determines whether the programs meet accreditation standards.
Each of the training programs must renew its accreditation every four years.
Nuclear operating companies have invested thousands of work hours and
hundreds of millions of dollars in training. In 1979, U.S. companies had
only 12 control room simulators; today, there are 74 in use. Since 1979, the
number of professional training personnel has jumped from 440 to about
5,000, and the space dedicated exclusively to training has increased
eightfold.
New Levels of Plant Safety and Performance. The success of the industry's
training programs can be measured by nuclear power plant performance.
Performance indicators for plant safety, efficiency and reliability have
improved steadily in the past 19 years.
The average number of unplanned automatic shutdowns was down to zero per
unit in 1998 and 1999, from 7.3 in 1980. The median unit capability factor
for U.S. nuclear plants rose from 62.7 percent in 1980 to 88.6 percent in
1999. A high unit capability factor means that more electricity is available
to the electricity grid-a result of effective plant programs and practices
to minimize unPlanned energy losses and to optimize planned outages.
The Training Academy and Accrediting Board: How They Work
The Academy's Mission: Setting Standards. The National Academy for Nuclear
Training sets industry training standards, focusing and unifying the
training activities of the nation's nuclear energy industry, and serving as
a vehicle for excellence in training. Its mission is to strengthen training
and to enhance the pride and professionalism of nuclear plant personnel. The
academy integrates the training efforts of all U.S. nuclear plant operating
companies, the activities of the independent National Nuclear Accrediting
Board and the training-related programs of INPO.
The academy's executive director meets regularly with the council of the
National Academy for Nuclear Training. The council, composed of 12 utility
executives and senior managers, examines industry training issues and offers
advice on the operation of the academy. It also plays an advisory role in
all INPO training programs and activities.
The academy's activities range from conducting workshops for training
managers to courses for senior plant management. It also publishes a
quarterly journal, The Nuclear Professional, as well as training-related
reports and other documents.
Among its training courses is one on control room teamwork development. This
course,which requires the participation of the entire control room crew, is
designed to help operators recognize their individual and team strengths as
well as any obstacles to teamwork. The course is conducted both in the
classroom and in the control room simulator.
Accrediting Board: Ensuring Standards Are Met. Once a company has set up its
training programs, the independent National Nuclear Accrediting Board
determines whether they meet accreditation standards. The board is composed
of eminent American scholars and executives from four groups:
industrial training experts from fields outside the nuclear industry
members of the post-secondary education community
individuals nominated by the NRC
senior company executives.
A company must maintain its accreditation on an ongoing basis and formally
renew it for each training program every four years.
The NRC's Current Role in Training
An Extensive Regulatory Infrastructure. The NRC oversees virtually every
aspect of nuclear power plant personnel training-setting regulatory
requirements, providing regulatory guidance, inspecting programs and
enforcing requirements.
The NRC monitors company training programs and administers initial licensing
examinations for plant operators. Requalification exams are routinely
administered by the nuclear plant's operating company, but if there is
cause, the NRC may administer them. The NRC also closely monitors the
industry's accreditation process-observing industry accreditation team
visits to companies, observing accrediting board meetings, and conducting
random audits and training inspections. In addition, the NRC nominates some
members of the National Nuclear Accrediting Board.
Training is also a major focus of NRC resident inspectors. All nuclear plant
sites have a resident inspector for each unit, plus an additional inspector
for the site. The inspectors routinely check plant performance, including
training activities.
Evolution of the Regulations. Section 306 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of
1982 directed the NRC to issue regulations or "other appropriate regulatory
guidance" on the training and qualification of nuclear plant personnel.
Recognizing that the nuclear industry already had developed a highly
effective training program and accreditation process, the NRC complied with
Section 306 by issuing a policy statement in 1985. The statement endorsed
the INPO-managed accreditation program. That same year, the industry created
the National Academy for Nuclear Training.
In 1988, after a comprehen-sive review of the industry's progress in
training, the NRC reaffirmed its 1985 policy statement. It determined that
regulatory guidance-coupled with a policy statement-was adequate to ensure
public health and safety.
New Training Rule. Because of challenges to the adequacy of the policy
statement, the NRC drafted a revised, performance-based rule that takes the
industry's training and accreditation efforts into account. The rule
endorses a systems approach to training that has been used by the industry
for nearly a decade. The final rule was issued in April 1993, along with a
revised manual setting forth guidelines for NRC inspectors.
New Operator Requalification Rule. In February 1994, the NRC issued a final
rule eliminating the requirement that licensed operators pass an
NRC-administered comprehensive, written requalification examination and
operating test every six years as a condition of license renewal. Instead,
the written examination and operating test are administered by the plant's
operating company.
Operator Licensing Examination. In April 1999, the NRC issued a final rule
that allows, but does not require, companies to prepare their own initial
operator licensing examinations. Facilities, particularly those with small
training staffs, may continue to have the examinations prepared and
administered by the NRC staff. If a company volunteers to prepare the
examination, the NRC will continue to approve and administer it, making a
final determination to issue a license to an operator.
