Nuclear Plant Journal, September-October 2016 NuclearPlantJournal.com
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New Documents...
NEI
The nuclear industry is issuing
efficiency bulletins as part of a multiyear
campaign to increase operational
effectiveness while advancing safety at
nuclear power plants.
These
bulletins
are
specific
efficiency recommendations to nuclear
plant operators as part of an industry
initiative known as “Delivering the
Nuclear Promise: Advancing Safety,
Reliability and Economic Performance.”
This strategic plan will strengthen the
industry’s commitment to excellence
in safety and reliability, assure
future viability through efficiency
improvements, and drive regulatory and
market changes so that nuclear energy
facilities are fully recognized for their
value.
Teams of industry experts have
identified initial areas where efficiencies
or process improvements may be gained.
The pace and scope of implementation
at each nuclear power plant site will be
determined by the company that owns
and operates it.
1.
Eliminate Administrative Changes
to Preventive Maintenance Work Orders
(EB 16-01).
Online:
bulletin1601
This bulletin will result in greater
efficiency by reducing the amount of
paperwork associated with routine
preventive maintenance at nuclear plant
sites.
A substantial amount of paperwork
is generated for even routine preventive
maintenance activities at nuclear
power plants. Changes dealing with
personnel or equipment safety would
still be performed. With this change
implemented, automated preventative
maintenance work orders and other
related documentation would be reduced,
resulting in substantial process efficiency
and cost savings.
Target implementation date: Utility
discretion; consistent with business
environment.
2.
Implement Graded Approach to
Walkdowns (EB 16-02).
Online: www.
nei.org/bulletin1602
This bulletin will result in greater
efficiency by implementing a graded
approach to detailed inspections
(walkdowns) of plant systems and
equipment.
Nuclear power plant personnel
spend a considerable amount of time
each day conducting walkdowns of plant
equipment and systems. These consume
significant resources that could be better
used on other maintenance tasks.
The graded approach to walkdowns
will define the type of work that merits
scheduled inspection and define the level
of detail required in those inspections.
Walkdowns would no longer be required
before carrying out frequently performed,
familiar or repetitive work. Walkdowns
would continue to be performed before
new or infrequent work tasks, planned
outages to coordinate work schedules,
and for some tasks in unfamiliar locations
of the plant.
Target implementation date: Utility
discretion; consistent with business
environment.
3.
Align Personnel Contamination
Event Response to Industry Guidance
(EB 16-03).
Online:
/
bulletin1603
This bulletin will result in greater
efficiency by ensuring the response to
very low levels of personnel radiological
contamination is commensurate with the
health risk to workers and the public.
Level 1 Personnel Contamination
Events (PCEs), the lowest contamination
event on an industry scale, present little
health risk to workers or the public. After
a level 1 PCE, workers are restricted from
re-entering radiologically controlled
areas (such as the reactor building) on
the plant site and management begins
an investigation into the event. Detailed
documentation must also be completed
and corrective action developed. Under
the revised approach, companies
would
follow
industry
guidance
for responses to level 1 PCEs that
requires decontamination, logging and
periodic review of the log for program
improvements. The elimination of
unnecessary requirements and actions
associated with a level 1 PCE will allow
personnel to focus on more significant
activities and reduce administrative
burden.
Level 1 PCEs will continue to be
tracked and summarized at the end of a
plant outage or year. If the frequency of
Level 1 PCEs is above industry metrics or
indicates a negative trend, a more detailed
analysis will be required.
Target implementation date: Utility
discretion; consistent with business
environment.
4.
Source Checking Personnel and Tool
Contamination Monitors (EB 16-04).
Online:
This bulletin will result in greater
efficiency by reducing the frequency of
personnel radiation monitor checks from
daily to weekly at nuclear power plants’
radiologically controlled area exits.
As a result of this bulletin, contami-
nation monitors with enhanced technolo-
gy at the exits of radiologically controlled
areas (such as the reactor building) will
be source-checked weekly instead of
daily. This will align personnel radiation
monitor checks with industry guidelines
for radiological protection at nuclear
power plants and also take advantage of
newer technologies capable of perform-
ing self-checks.
Target implementation date: June
2016.
5.
Training Task List Reviews (EB 16-
07).
Online:
This bulletin will result in greater
efficiency by reducing the administrative
load
for
performing
difficulty-
importance-frequency analyses, a process
used to prioritize and schedule training
for personnel.
This recommendation will ensure
each nuclear power plant reduces the
frequency of difficulty-importance-
frequency analyses of its required work
as compiled in task lists. Companies
will perform these analyses every six
years rather than in two-year increments,
thereby eliminating this administrative
requirement and focusing training
resources on higher priority tasks.
Target implementation date: June
2016.
For more bulletins go to the Nuclear
Energy Institute website at
