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Source: Edited by Hyogo Earthquake Memorial 21st Century Research Institute‘Aggressive Disaster Reduction Management for National Crisis’
Published by GYOSEI Corporation, Tokyo, 2015
URL

http://www.hemri21.jp/URL

http://gyosei.jp/Chapter 4: Getting prepared for new emergencies
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Nuclear emergency preparedness after the Fukushima accident
3.3

Emergency preparedness training at nuclear power plants

Plant Assistance Division (Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Response Group)Japan Nuclear Safety Institute

Keywords○Emergency response○Emergency preparedness training○Training plan
○Training evaluation○Training without scenario presentation

1.

Establishment of the Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Training Guideline
In August 2010, Japanese nuclear operators decided to develop a guideline for appropriate

conduct and evaluation of nuclear emergency preparedness training so as to improve theeffectiveness of their nuclear emergency preparedness training, and maintain and enhance theircapacity to respond to nuclear emergencies in view of the discussions at the nuclear emergency
preparedness committee set up by the national agency and examples in Europe and the UnitedStates.
The development of the guideline was based on the needs of nuclear operators themselves. Toensure objectivity to the extent possible and keep the details from being advantageous forthemselves, the Japan Nuclear Technology Institute (hereafter referred to as “JANTI”) was requested
to develop a guideline as they have actually developed guidelines of similar nature.
In response, JANTI began to gain an understanding of nuclear emergency preparedness training
implement by domestic and overseas nuclear operators. Issues involved in nuclear emergency
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preparedness training that has been conducted by Japanese nuclear operators were identified throughcomparison with examples in Europe and the United States.
In the middle of this process, an accident occurred at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power
Station due to the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. In the investigation reports preparedby the accident investigation board set up by the government and the Diet, it was pointed out that no
preparations had been made for severe accidents and complex disasters as part of nuclear emergency
preparedness.
Prompted by this accident, the importance of making preparations in ordinary times forpost-earthquake tsunami strikes, simultaneous accidents at multiple units, terrorism, and so forth wasrecognized. The conduct of effective nuclear emergency preparedness training was demanded morethan ever.
In April 2012, JANTI (reorganized into the Japan Nuclear Safety Institute in November 2012;
hereafter referred to as “JANSI”) set up the Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Training Guideline
Advisory Committee consisting of key figures with expertise on crisis management and nuclear
emergency preparedness, and nuclear operators with hands-on experience in emergency
preparedness training. After a great deal of consideration based on overseas findings and the lessons
learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Guideline was developed in January 2013.
This Guideline shows the fundamentals (rules and knowhow) that should be referred to by
operators for autonomous and effective conduct of training concerning emergency response. Suchfundamentals were presented for each process of training activities, i.e. plan, do, check, and act(PDCA). The Guideline has also introduced training without scenario presentation, in which notraining scenarios are presented to training participants in advance. This is considered effective inenhancing judgment and applied skills.

2.

Consideration during guideline development

The ultimate purpose of conducting nuclear emergency preparedness training in ordinary times isto protect general residents from radiation in close coordination with the national and localgovernments in emergencies.
There is no point repeating training without a sense of purpose. Training should begin withparticipants becoming aware of the purpose of each training session. The key points that theguideline developers incorporated into the Guideline as a message to its users, i.e. nuclear operators,
are as follows:Take full account of “local emergency preparedness by considering local municipalities asimportant stakeholders.



Self-contained training (that takes only the operator to address the emergency) is desirable. In
some emergencies, however, support from external organizations is necessary for firefighting
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activities, for example. Have relevant external organizations take part in training to verify
coordination with them.
Legal requirements are minimal. Accidents have occurred even through legal compliance ismaintained. Try to enhance response capabilities autonomously, rather than being content withmeeting legal requirements.

It is considered that the Fukushima Daiichi accident began with the massive tsunami strike.
While the probability of such an event occurring is extremely low, operators should beprepared to address the consequences of such low-probability events (station blackout in thecase of Fukushima Daiichi).

All elements cannot be verified in single training session. Develop a medium-term training
plan for well-organized verification.

After the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the introduction of training without scenariopresentation began to be called for. However, training without scenario presentation is not auniversal training method. Select a training method suitable for the aim of training, i.e. what
to verify through the training).
Tabletop exercises may sometimes useful for severe accident response training.

For training with the aim of verifying judgment and applied skills, training without
scenario presentation is effective.

For initial training of inexperienced personnel, it is important to repeat training withscenario presentation to ensure that they have a good understanding of the “manners”
required at the time of emergency.

3.

Emergency preparedness and training

Operators have developed emergency action plans and prescribed the development andmaintenance of emergency response organizations, procedures, facilities, and equipment with respect
to those events that are extremely unlikely to occur, but has a significant impact of local resident in
off-site areas once they occur.
However, few operator staff members actually experience emergency response in their careers.
Opportunities are limited to use the facilities and equipment that are developed and maintained foremergency operation because they are different from those used during normal operation. Thus,training conducted in ordinary times is important. Through training, it is necessary to continuously
verify that the actions included in the emergency action plan will work appropriately in emergencies.
Figure 1 shows this relationship. The PDCA cycle on the left represents the activities based on theemergency response plan (emergency action plan for a nuclear operator). The PDCA cycle on theright represents the PDCA cycle of training.
(In a broad sense, the conduct of training is included in the emergency action plan).
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Explanatory note: Subject to this Guideline

Improving
emergency
response activities- Reviewing emergency
response plans, etc.

Planning preventive actions- Overall education and training plan
Planning emergency response

Key

Subject of thisguideline

Developing (preparing) organizations- Equipment maintenance andenhancement, etc.
Training (activity improvement)- Maintenance and improvement of The conduct of training isbecauseorganization and personnel capabilities important
emergency response rarely
occurs.

Improving through activities- Evaluation through quality assurance
activities
Training (evaluation)- Evaluation of plans and equipment- Evaluation of organization and Result of training ispersonnel capabilities, etc.
used to improve
nuclearaccident
prevention measures

Improving training

Planning training

Evaluating
training

Conducting
training

Continuous improvement of emergency response activities
Continuous improvement of training

Figure 1: PDCA of Emergency Response and Training

4.

Training plan

It is no exaggeration to say that the success of emergency preparedness training depends on thetraining plan.
The purpose of training and goals to achieve will be set in the training plan.
It is desirable to set the goals to achieve clearly and specifically to avoid arbitrary training
evaluation.
Select the training method and organization suitable for the verification of training objectives(aims). Develop training scenarios accordingly.
Training scenario development is the core of training planning. Scenario development requires
knowhow supported by experience and expertise on plant behaviors. A “scenario development team”
may be formed gathering experienced experts from relevant departments.
To ensure the accuracy of scenarios, a simulation code for severe accident analysis is used in somecase.
Identify and solve the matters that should be verified systematically under a medium-term plan.
As shown in Figure 2, review the matters to verify (add or delete), and the goals to achieve (change
levels or make them more difficult) in view of the actual response capabilities of emergency
response organizations and personnel, regulatory requirements, and social demand (including thedemand of local residents) in developing a training plan.
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Emergency response activities
Emergency response capabilities

Emergency response capabilities shall bemaintained and enhanced through training.

Maintenance andenhancement

Changes in activities shall be tried andverified through training

Organizational capabilities

Emergency response training

Trial and verification

Evaluation and improvement

Training results shall be evaluated to improve
emergency response activities.

Social demand

Regulatory requirements

Training results shall be evaluated toimprove training.

Figure 2: Feedback for Training Plan5.

Conducting training“Comprehensive training” often tends to be joint training with local municipalities and nationalorganizations, which attracts high attention from the media. It may hang heavily on the operator as
they are not allowed to make any mistakes during the training. However, it is necessary to conduct
such training by clearly communicating the purpose of training and the matters to verify to the media,municipalities, and the national government to gain their understanding. It is also necessary to havethem understand that they will also be the parties to respond in emergencies like the operator.
It is said that “a good exercise is not necessarily one where everything goes well, but rather one
where many good lessons are identified” (IAEA, EP-EXERCISE-2005, page 3). Never be afraid ofmaking mistakes during training.

6.

Training evaluation

Training evaluation has been sorted out in the Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Training
Guideline as shown in Figure 3. In other words, the emergency preparedness training structure, plan,equipment, personnel, and training itself shall be evaluated systematically and exhaustively.
Conventionally, nuclear operators conducted “critiques” immediately after training for evaluation.
5JANSI・2015However, such evaluation was not systematic and exhaustive, the areas for improvement identified
were somewhat biased.

Evaluate theemergency
response capacity

Problems existed in theorganizational capabilities.
Examples: The organizational
structure was inadequate.
Plans and procedures wereinappropriate.
Facilities and equipment wereinadequate.

Evaluate thetraining

Issuesidentified
through training
Example:Activities
could not be carried out(appropriately).

Problems
existedinthepersonnel capacity.
Examples: The knowledge wasinsufficient.
The judgment capacity wasinsufficient.
Problems existed in the training
method, etc.
Examples: The situation wasnot presented appropriately.
Thesettings
wereinconsistent.

Structural issues

Planning issues

Improve theemergency
response
capabilities

Equipment issues

Personnel issues

Improve theemergency
response activities

Training issues

Improve thetraining

Evaluate thetraining itself

Figure 3: Flow of Training Analysis and Evaluation

7.

Ensuring and improving training effectivenessIn view of the lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident, nuclear operators have started
the activities to maintain and improve their emergency response capabilities through training,recognizing the importance of continuous conduct of emergency preparedness training. They refer tothe Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Training Guideline in carrying out such activities.
JANSI will continue providing the necessary coaching and advice by grasping the current
conditions by reviewing the operators’ activities. We think that the Nuclear Emergency Preparedness
Training Guideline should also be re-examined as necessary according to the level of response
capabilities of operators who are the users of the Guideline. JANSI took the initiative in developing
the first version. However, it is expected that nuclear operators themselves who have accumulated
effective knowhow through training will play a leading role in revising it.

(Supplement: Terms used in this paper)“Emergency” is a situation in which protective measures, such as evacuation, are required to6

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ensure the health safety of residents around the facilities as a result of release ofradioactive material that is supposed to be contained in the reactor facilities under normal
circumstances due to an accident at nuclear facilities, e.g. a nuclear power plant.
“Emergency preparedness training” and “emergency response training” are used express the samething as they refer to training to minimize the impact of an “emergency” on residents.
In some cases, training to deal with an accident so that it will not develop into an“emergency” is defined as “emergency preparedness training” in a limited way. In thispaper, however, the definition is extended to include emergency response in actual
emergency situations.
The Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Training Guideline has been developed as a
guideline for “emergency response training.”

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