# Presentation: 604937

## ISM at the Savannah River Site

**Department of Energy Best Practices Workshop**
**Facility Evaluation Board**
**Steve Johnson, Manager**
**Operations Evaluation Department**
**Washington Savannah River Company**
**September 12-13, 2006**

**Notes:**
Within the last 15 years the nuclear industry has done a good job in implementing what is known as Human Performance. And as many in here know, many of these utilities have demonstrated dramatic improvements in performance resulting from these initiatives.  
As a result, many facilities here at Savannah River have developed programs intended on implementing Human Performance initiatives modeled after the commercial nuclear industry. And while I don’t know this for a fact, I suspect that these facilities have seen similar improvements in performance.
And so Human Performance is not new at SRS. Many of you have implemented Human Performance programs and could easily be up here presenting. What is new is the fact that the Site is ready to take Human Performance on and integrate it with many of our existing systems. The Site is ready to embrace the HP concepts and values and institutionalize them into our culture.
So let me briefly explain what Human Performance is and then describe what the Site will do over the next several months...

## WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)

_**FEB Mission:**_
**Satisfy contractual obligations for company-level, independent oversight (10CFR830, DOE O226.1)**
**Provide accurate, consistent, and graded performance assessments**
**Evaluate adequacy of line self-assessment practices**
**Provide facility, project, and program support services**

**Keep It Simple**

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## WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)

**Critical Attributes**

_**Basic Concepts:**_
**Independence – report to WSRC President**
**Experienced and trained personnel**
**Performance-based, evolution-based**
**Regular and thorough evaluations**
**Evaluate by ISM Functions and Principles**
**Consistent Criteria, tailored as appropriate**
**“****Close the loop” on corrective actions **

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## WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)

**   **_**FEB Evolution:**_

**Process Flexibility**

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_**Personnel Are The Key**_**:**
**Field experienced and credible**
**Technically and FEB process qualified**
**Interactive skills**
**Communication skills**
**Rotational assignments – employee development **

**WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)**

**People****—****People****—****People**

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## WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)

**WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)**

**Form Follows Function**

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## WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)

**Unannounced Schedule**

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## WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)

_**Time Line**_**:**

**WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)**

**“****Drive-Bys” Do Not Work**

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_**Keys To Success**_**:**
**WSRC Presidential process ownership**
**Process credibility**
**DOE/NNSA support**
**Senior management support**
**Team member selection**
**Independence**
**Willingness to evolve the process**
**Validation of credibility by external agencies**

**WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)**

**“****The Boss” Has to Own It**

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## WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)

_**FEB Benefits**_**:**
**Sustained performance improvement**
**Support for facility and program customers**
**Effective nuclear activity startup readiness**
**Support for parent corporation**
**Employee development**
**Customer credibility**

**Process Must Add Value**

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## WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)

_**Process Validation**_**:**
**WSRC President**
**Customer – DOESRS and DOE HQ**
**DNFSB**
**Parent Corporation (Washington Group International, Energy & Environment, National Safety Council)**
**Institute of Nuclear Operations (INPO)**
**Evaluated Customers (Facilities and Programs)**

**External Validation is Critical**

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## WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)

**EH2 Noted:**“FEB evaluations are comprehensive, well documented, and effective in identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement; and DOE-SR has decided to rely on the FEB to verify that the contractor maintains the ISMS, as opposed to conducting its own annual or periodic ISMS verifications.”
**INPO Noted:**“The FEB provides valuable, independent insight into how well organizations are performing...” and the “FEB is performing well and helping to move organizations evaluated to higher levels of performance.”

**WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)**

**Independent Feedback**

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## WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)

**The Director of Office of Price-Anderson Enforcement Noted:**“The FEB Assessment process was noted as a significant strength.  Roles and responsibilities were established by procedures;  FEB Assessments were thorough, comprehensive, identified significant findings, and provided follow-up to previously identified issues.  FEB team leaders were well-qualified, typically coming from facility management positions.  The FEB process appeared to be strongly supported by site senior management.”
**Recent DOE-HQ OA Review noted:**“The WSRC FEB process is a noteworthy practice worthy of emulation elsewhere in the DOE complex”.

**WSRC Facility Evaluation Board (FEB)**

**Independent Feedback**

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## Questions

**Steve Johnson **
- stephen.johnson@srs.gov
- (803)725-4528

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