Evaluate the licensee's monitoring and auditing of the ECP by internal and external organizations, and determine whether lessons learned are provided as feedback to management. 02.03 Reporting . Identify any negative findings about the licensee's processing and reporting of concerns to NRC management before the final exit interview with the licensee. Keep NRC management informed of significant adverse findings. An ECP is an avenue independent of the line management process for licensee and contractor employees to report safety concerns to their employers without fear of retaliation.
Some licensees have well-established ECPs, while others have none at all.
The ECPs in existence do not adhere to one universal format and range from those lacking formality to those that are very well defined. This inspection procedure should be used to assess whether a licensee has adequately resolved safety-related employee concerns without retaliation against those employees who raise concerns. Inspectors are directed not to attempt to enforce the programmatic elements presented in this inspection procedure. Any problems identified concerning a licensee's processing of concerns are to be reported as observations. Inadequate resolution of concerns should be evaluated for impact on plant safety, if time permits.