New Reactor Constructio

Safety Culture Considerations

April 3, 2008
Presentation Topics

• Lessons Learned• Commissioners’ Current Views• Reactor Oversight Process• Construction Inspection Program (C• Contractor Review• NRO Safety Culture Task Group• Next Steps• Input/Feedback/Questions
Lessons Learned from the P

• Captured in NUREG 1055 “Improving Qu

and the Assurance of Quality in the DesigConstruction of Nuclear Power Plants”

• At the request of Congress, NRC conduc

study of existing and alternative programs improving quality and the assurance of quthe design and construction of commercianuclear power plants.
NUREG 1055

• “The NRC inspection program was s

to synthesize scattered quality-relateinspection findings coming in over a period of time into a comprehensive picture of a project-wide breakdown

• “The threshold for reacting to 

construction-related problems was shigher than for operational problems
Flawed Beliefs - Construction Insp

 No immediate threat to public health and safety 

by construction deficiencies (failed to consider fuimpacts)

 Construction problems would be found during st

testing

 Project-wide pervasive breakdown to be demon

before strong enforcement action would be takeconstruction quality problems
Commissioners Recent V

• “Any organization that does not have current nuclear expe

is interested in building nuclear plants must accept the neconstantly foster a strong safety culture in its nuclear orga

This is non-negotiable.” (Lyons – “The Value of Regulation in the Qu

and Secure Nuclear Energy,” Cambridge Energy Research Associates -February 1

• “If we want to continue to improve on safety, we must look 

just engineered controls. It is possible that bad decisions a sufficient focus on safety, not technological failures, will cause problems in the future. Perhaps the greatest additiobenefits are to be found in a renewed and deeper focus osafety culture of NRC licensees.” (Jaczko – “Being a Decisive Reg

11, 2008

)
SRM COMGBJ-08-00

A Commission Policy Statement on Safety 

• The Commission has approved the need to expa

Commission’s policy of safety culture to address unique aspects of security and to ensure the respolicy is applicable to all licensees and certificatholders.
No Recent U.S. Reactor 

Construction Experience

• How do we provide NRC oversight d

construction to prevent the same profrom the first round of construction?

• What can we learn from operating n

reactors to apply to new construction

• What can we learn from new reactor 

construction experience internationa
ROP – Reactor Oversight P

• Developed to be more transparent, 

understandable, objective, predictable, risinformed and performance-based than prassessment process

• Integrated cross-cutting areas• Focused additional NRC resources where 

required
Recent ROP Safety Cult

Enhancements

• Introduced safety culture enhancements in the R

response to Davis-Besse Reactor Pressure Vesevent; Commission direction; and encouragemeother stakeholders (e.g., Congress, GAO)

• Identified safety culture components based on 

information from nuclear industry, international organizations and regulatory bodies, other domeindustries, staff expertise, and with involvement stakeholders

• ROP safety culture enhancements have been de

and implemented in baseline and supplemental inspection programs and assessment process
Construction Inspection Pro

(CIP) and Safety Cultur

• Developed an interoffice team to review R

safety culture enhancements for applicabnew reactor construction environment

• Contracted for independent evaluation of 

culture components to new reactor constenvironment

3⁄4 Reviewed previous domestic and internation

construction experience
Contractor Assessment Resul

• All the Safety Culture Components apply to the 

reactor construction environment

• Key issues that should get greater and earlier fo

the inspection oversight program based on lessolearned from construction experience:

– Training of construction & manufacturing workforce to 

the requirements & expectations of their jobs in the nuenvironment

– Corrective Action Program and Self-Assessments – Effective environment to raise safety issues– Effective communication and interfaces between desig

vendors, and construction force; configuration manageoversight
New Reactor Constructi

Safety Culture Task Gro

• Membership includes

– Office of New Reactors (NRO)– Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (– Region II– Office of Enforcement (OE)– Safety Culture Working Group (SCWG) mem

(developed existing safety culture components and responsible fo

– NRO contractor with previous nuclear 

construction experience
Task Group – Current St

• Preserve existing Safety-Culture Components w

description changes

• Define substantive cross cutting issues as they a

the Construction Response Table

• Safety Culture Components assessed during No

Inspection Process

• Determine appropriate level of follow up inspect

where licensee performance has significantly de
Next Steps

• Develop Implementation Plan• Present status updates at future public m

at May 22nd Public Meeting

• Identify additional methods for stakeholde

engagement

• Develop Commission Paper
Input/Feedback/Questio