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NRC INSPECTION MANUAL RNRP

INSPECTION PROCEDURE 69003

CLASS I RESEARCH AND TEST REACTOR OPERATOR LICENSES, |

REQUALIFICATION, AND MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS |

|

PROGRAM APPLICABILITY: 2545

69003-01 INSPECTION OBJECTIVE

Determine if the operator requalification activities and training were conducted in

accordance with regulatory requirements and the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

(NRR) approved program, since the last inspection.

69003-02 INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS

02.01 Active License Status. Determine if NRC licensed individuals have been engaged

as operators or senior operators in accordance with 10 CFR 55.53(e).

02.02 Records Review. Determine if the licensee has conducted training, examined

operators, and maintained records as required by the NRR-approved requalification

training program.

02.03 Training on Changes. Determine if the licensee has implemented the training for

changes made to the facility, to the facility procedures, and to the license including the

Technical Specifications (TS) as required by the NRR-approved requalification training

program. 

02.04 Emergency Review and Simulations. Determine if the licensee has implemented

training for abnormal and emergency procedures as required by the NRR-approved

requalification training program.

02.05 Corrective Actions of Deficiencies. Determine if the licensee’s requalification

activities meet regulatory requirements of 10 CFR Part 55 and are commensurate with the

NRR-approved requalification program for any individual disqualified because of inactivity

as a licensed operator, unsatisfactory supervisor’s evaluation, or failure of annual

examination.
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02.06 Operator Medical Examinations. Determine if the requirements for operator

medical examination have been met in accordance with 10 CFR 55.21.

69003-03 INSPECTION GUIDANCE

General Guidance

10 CFR 50.54 (i-1) requires that reactor licensees have a requalification program for

licensed senior reactor operators and reactor operators consistent with 10 CFR 55.59 (c).

10 CFR 55.59(c)(7) provides for accommodations to the requalification program for

research and test reactors. The NRR approved operator requalification program may be

found in the safety analysis report (SAR) or other licensee documents. The licensee’s

requalification training program provides the requirements for this inspection procedure.

This program should apply to all licensed operators that are using their NRC license at the

facility.

The inspector should determine if the licensee is conducting the licensed operator

requalification program as approved by NRR. The inspector should also determine if the

licensee is maintaining sufficient documentation to verify the technical adequacy of the

examinations administered by the licensee.

The inspector should refer any questions about the conduct of the program to appropriate

management, the NRR project manager, and, if appropriate, the Operator Licensing

Branch or Human Factors Assessment Branch in NRR. Resolution of such questions

should consider if the program should be reviewed further, or if licensed individuals should

be reexamined.

General guidance may be found in the ANS Section 15 Standards as listed in Appendix

| B to Inspection Procedure 69001, "Class II Research and Test Reactors." Specific

standards of interest for this inspection procedure are listed in the Reference section.

Additional general guidance may be found in the Division 2 Regulatory Guides, and the

"Other Regulatory Guides of Possible Interest to Division 2 Recipients" listed in the Division

2 Regulatory Guides Table of Contents. The reference to this guidance is to aid the

inspector in technical evaluation of licensee programs and is not to be used as

requirements unless the licensee has committed in writing to the NRC to use the specific

guidance document.

The sample sizes and resource estimates suggested in the inspection procedure is

provided for broad planning purposes and to define the typical depth of the inspection. It

is not intended to be a rigid requirement on the inspector. Actual inspection at any facility

may require more or less effort depending on past inspection history, conditions at the

facility, and safety significance.

Specific Guidance

03.01 Active License Status. A sample of 25 percent of the operators should provide an

acceptable sample for this inspection requirement. From licensee records, the inspector

should select personnel at random. Licensed individuals should have actively performed
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the functions of an operator or senior operator for a minimum of four hours each calendar

quarter as required by 10 CFR 55.53(e). The inspector should review operating records

and discuss them with the operators to verify that the selected individuals have been

actively engaged in reactor operations, and the requalification program, e.g., required

training, supervisor evaluations, and testing (this should be used in part to satisfy the

requirements of the subsequent section on requalification training of this inspection

procedure). License expiration dates should be checked to verify that operator licenses

are current and/or have been renewed as required by 10 CFR 55.57. Also, notification of

change in operator or senior operator status is required from the licensee for operators that

no longer need or can qualify for a license per 10 CFR 50.74.

03.02 Records Review. The records review for the same operators as used in Section

03.01 above, should provide an acceptable sample for this inspection requirement. The

licensee should maintain records in accordance with the requirements of the

NRR-approved requalification program and associated administrative controls. The

licensee’s records should permit the inspector to verify the technical adequacy of

examinations that have been administered by the facility licensee.

a. Examinations. The licensee’s examinations should be consistent with the testing

requirements of the NRC-approved requalification training program. The inspector

should verify the method of the examination, e.g., open or closed book, and timed

and proctored or take home, was consistent with program requirements. The

examinations should test operators on their knowledge of significant TS

requirements, normal operating activities, and emergency conditions. Records

should include questions and operator answers for the required examinations.

b. Manipulations and Observations. All on-the-job training, including required reactor

manipulations, should be completed and documented as specified by the approved

operator requalification program. Training may also include verification of

acceptable understanding of reactor events and resolutions by supervisor

observations or discussions.

c. Formal Training. The inspector should determine if the licensee’s formal training

program included the topics specified in 10 CFR 55.59 (c) (2) as required by the

NRR-approved requalification training program and applicable to the facility.

As required by 10 CFR 55.53 (h), to maintain an active license,

licensed operators and senior operators should participate in

all required aspects of the requalification program, except

where exempted by the plan. For example, circumstances of

the operators work could reasonably exempt them from

needing to attend selected training sessions or lectures.

Specifically, a Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) who serves on

the safety review committee and routinely reviews procedures

and design changes may not need to attend a training session

on this subject. If an individual is exempted from specific

training, the inspector should verify that the individual has

acceptable knowledge of the subject. This may be

accomplished by discussions with the individual on several of
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the related technical details. Where credit is taken for college

level courses, this may be verified by class grade.

03.03 Training on Changes. The use of the same sample of operators for this inspection

requirement should be acceptable. The inspector should be alert for areas in which, or

individuals for whom, training does not appear to be in accordance with the requalification

program or the licensee’s administrative control requirements. Operators can take credit

for collateral duties that ensure the changes are understood similar to that discussed

above. Again the inspector should verify the knowledge through discussion with the

individual on several of the changes. Changes that should be considered are procedure

and design changes.

03.04 Emergency Review and Simulations. The use of the same sample of operators for

this inspection requirement should be acceptable. This review and simulation may be

included in supervisory observations or in participation in emergency preparedness drills

and exercises in accordance with the approved requalification program. If covered in other

inspection activities, it should not be repeated here.

03.05 Corrective Actions Of Deficiencies. The "actively involved" requirement is satisfied

if the person is actively functioning in their normal position in addition to participating in the

approved requalification program. If the individual has not actively participated in operator

duties at the facility for a period of three months, as specified in 10 CFR 50.53 (e), the

individual is not qualified to operate the facility until the individual operator has satisfied the

requirements of 10 CFR 55.53 (f) or met other, applicable NRR-approved requalification

requirements. This will ensure that an individual who has not functioned as an operator

or a senior operator receives the required retraining and license activity experience (at

least six hours for a test or research reactor) to resume the conduct of licensed activities

in a safe and competent manner. If the individual received an unsatisfactory evaluation

or examination result, the remedial action should be consistent with the requalification

program requirements and the associated commitments by the licensee. The licensee may

report the disqualification of an individual operator and specify corrective actions to be

taken to the NRC. The inspector should verify that corrective actions were taken prior to

resumption of licensed activities by the individual.

03.06 Operator Medical Examination. The verification of medical examinations for two

licensed operators should provide an acceptable sample for this inspection requirement.

The inspector should determine if the biennial operator medical examinations were

conducted. Requirements related to this are in 10 CFR 55.21, 55.23, and 55.27 and in the

requalification program. If an individual operator was found incapacitated for medical

reasons, the facility licensee should report such in accordance with 10 CFR 55.25.

Additional guidance may be found in Information Notice No. 91-08, "Medical Examinations

for Licensed Operators," dated February 5, 1991.

69003-04 RESOURCE ESTIMATE

For planning purposes, the direct inspection effort to complete this inspection procedure

is estimated to be three hours.

END