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Information Notice No. 94-14: Failure to Implement Requirements for Biennial Medical

Examinations and Notification to the NRC of Changes in Licensed Operator Medical Conditions

 UNITED STATES

 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

 OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555

 February 24, 1994

NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 94-14: FAILURE TO IMPLEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR BIENNIAL

 MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND NOTIFICATION TO THE

 NRC OF CHANGES IN LICENSED OPERATOR MEDICAL

 CONDITIONS

Addressees

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power

and non-power reactors and all licensed reactor operators and senior reactor

operators.

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information

notice to remind addressees of the requirements for licensed reactor operators

and senior reactor operators (licensees) to be examined by a physician every

2 years and for facility licensees to notify the NRC of changes in a licensed

operator's physical or mental condition, as determined by a physician, that

cause the operator to fail to meet the medical requirements of Title 10 of the

Code of Federal Regulations Part 55, "Operators' Licenses" (10 CFR Part 55).

It is expected that recipients will review the information for applicability

and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems. However,

suggestions contained in this information notice are not NRC requirements;

therefore, no specific action or written response is required.

Background

10 CFR 55.21, "Medical examination," requires NRC-licensed operators to be

examined by a physician every 2 years. The purpose of this examination is to

determine if the individual meets the requirements of 10 CFR 55.33(a)(1).

Further, 10 CFR 55.23 specifies that an authorized representative of the

facility licensee shall complete and sign NRC Form 396, "Certification of

Medical Examination by Facility Licensee," to certify the medical fitness of

the individual. By signing NRC Form 396, the facility licensee certifies that

(1) the guidance in American Nuclear Society Standard, ANSI/ANS 3.4-1983,

"Medical Certification and Monitoring of Personnel Requiring Operator Licenses

for Nuclear Power Plants," was followed in determining the medical fitness of

an operator for power reactors, or (2) the guidance in ANSI/ANS 15.4-1988,

"Selection and Training of Personnel for Research Reactors," was followed in

determining the medical fitness of an operator for non-power reactors. If the

guidance in these documents was not used, a facility licensee may certify that

an alternative method, acceptable to the NRC, was used.

As indicated in 10 CFR 50.54(i), the facility licensee is responsible for

ensuring that (1) facility controls are manipulated only by operators licensed

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under 10 CFR Part 55 and (2) only operators so licensed are permitted to

direct manipulation of the facility controls. This responsibility includes

ensuring that any conditions or limitations to an operator's license are

followed. Controls in this sense are defined in 10 CFR 55.4 as apparatus and

mechanisms the manipulation of which directly affects the reactivity or power

level of the reactor.

Description of Circumstances

During recent inspections of the implementation of the above requirements,

the NRC determined that some facility licensees did not ensure that the

restrictions or limitations to an operator's license were followed. Further,

the NRC found examples where facility licensees failed to notify the NRC of

changes in a licensed operator's medical condition. An inspection of licensed

operator medical records at the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant found that a

physician had determined that (1) the eyesight of four licensed operators did

not meet the medical standards described in ANSI/ANS-3.4-1983 and (2) a

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licensed operator's medical condition required that the operator not perform

licensee duties alone. These changes in the licensed operators' conditions

should have been reported to the NRC as required by 10 CFR 55.25. In 1993,

NRC inspectors found 74 instances at Region III facilities where licensed

operators had not had a medical examination within the 2-year period

prescribed by 10 CFR 55.21. In one instance, the time since the last medical

examination exceeded 4 years.

Discussion

The responsibility for ensuring that only personnel licensed in accordance

with 10 CFR Part 55 are permitted to manipulate or direct the manipulation of

the controls of a licensed facility rests with the facility licensee. The NRC

considers proper certification to medical standards, as required by

10 CFR 55.23, to be the basis for finding that a licensed operator's medical

condition and general health will not adversely affect performance of assigned

operator duties or cause operational errors that endanger public health and

safety. 10 CFR Part 55 Subpart C, "Medical Requirements," states that

licensed operators shall have a medical examination by a physician every

2 years. If, during the term of the license, the operator develops a

permanent physical or mental condition that causes the operator to fail to

meet the requirements of 10 CFR 55.21, the facility licensee shall, in

accordance with 10 CFR 55.25, notify the Commission within 30 days of learning

of the diagnosis.

Deficiencies were found during NRC inspections in facility medical examination

programs for applicants for licenses and for licensed operators. The results

of these inspections indicate that some facility programs may not be receiving

sufficient management oversight to ensure that the medical qualifications of

licensed operators and applicants for licenses are maintained at the required

level. This information notice reminds facility licensees that, prior to

submitting NRC Form 396, the facility licensee needs to ensure that medical

examinations performed by physicians for certifying the fitness of operators

.

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are complete and accurate and that any restriction or limitation to an

operator's license resulting from the examination is complied with.

10 CFR 55.25 requires that the NRC be notified when a licensed operator's

medical condition no longer meets the original licensing standard and that an

appropriate certification form be submitted if the facility licensee is

requesting a conditional license to accommodate the change in the operator's

physical or mental condition. NRC Information Notice 91-08, "Medical

Examination for Licensed Operators," February 5, 1991, provides additional

information on this subject.

This information notice requires no specific action or written response. If

you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact

one of the contacts listed below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation (NRR) project manager.

 ORIGINAL SIGNED BY

 Brian K. Grimes, Director

 Division of Operating Reactor Support

 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical contacts: R. J. Conte, RI J. L. Pellet, RIV

 (610) 337-5210 (817) 860-8159

 T. A. Peebles, RII P. J. Morrill, RV

 (404) 331-5541 (510) 975-0293

 M. A. Ring, RIII D. J. Lange, NRR

 (708) 829-9703 (301) 504-3171

Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Friday, May 22, 2015

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