Recent Achievements

Draft TECDOC on Authorization of nuclear power plant control room personnel: methods and practices with emphases on the use of simulators

Authorization of control room personnel is a normal practice in all IAEA Member States operating nuclear power plants. The authorization of personnel is based on whether personnel have a direct impact on safety in accordance with IAEA Safety Guide No. NS-G-2.8 Recruitment, Qualification and Training of Personnel for Nuclear Power Plants. The methods and practices for this authorization, however, are not identical and the organization granting the authorization may be different. The various authorization processes usually are based on written and/or oral examinations and in many cases also on the testing of practical skills. Differences in the authorization processes also exist in the examination methodology and in the scope of the practical examinations (e.g., plant walkthrough, use of simulators, etc.). The fairly recent increase in the availability of full scope simulators, in particular full-scope plant-referenced or plant- specific control room simulators provides an additional, efficient tool for testing the practical skills of the candidates for authorization. Even though some Member States have long established regulations and operating organization administrative procedures for authorization and periodic re-authorization, changes continue to be made to improve the effectiveness of the examination process as well as to improve the cost-effectiveness of the process. Information contained in this document and on accompanying CD-ROM provides useful guidance and a wide range of practical examples that will be helpful for both NPP operating organizations and regulatory bodies in developing and improving the processes of authorization of control room personnel.

Draft TECDOC on Training Practices to support decommissioning of nuclear facilities

One of the cornerstones for the success of nuclear facility decommissioning is the adequate competence of personnel involved in decommissioning activities. The purpose of this report is to provide methodological guidance, and specific examples of good practices, in training as an integral part of human resource management for the personnel performing decommissioning activities. The use of the systematic methodology and techniques described in the document may be tailored and applied to the development of training for all types of nuclear facilities undergoing decommissioning. The information in this document, and the examples provided in the appendices and accompanying CD-ROM, are representative of the experience of decommissioning a wide variety of nuclear facilities. Methods and tools presented in the report and used for the training, human resource management and knowledge preservation, for successful carrying out the decommissioning projects, constitute a framework for those who are preparing for the nuclear facility decommissioning projects of various strategies and magnitudes.

Draft TECDOC on Guideline for Upgrade and Modernization of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Training Simulators

The use of simulators for the training and qualification of control room operating personnel has come a standard practice throughout the world. As a training tool, the simulator is used to develop and reinforce knowledge of plant systems and their relationships, the ability to apply plant procedures, the practical skills to operate the plant in normal, abnormal and emergency conditions, and supports the development of supervisory skills and teamwork. Simulators are also utilized to conduct the authorization or licensing examinations of control room operating personnel. Additionally, there is an increasing trend in the usage of simulators for non-training purposes including; plant operating procedure validation, emergency plan drills and exercises, verification and validation of plant design changes. The simulator should be adequately maintained and upgraded when necessary to ensure that it continues to be a viable training tool that accurately replicates the operational characteristics of the reference NPP. To ensure project success an upgrade or modernization of the simulator should be conducted based upon the proven project management principles and methods discussed in this report. The combined simulator upgrade knowledge and experience of many NPPs and simulator vendors were compiled to create this report. Examples of specific simulator upgrade projects are included in the appendices to this document as well as on the accompanying CD-ROM.

CD Proceeding A specialists' meeting to disseminate good practices in the use of training approaches, techniques and tools to increase NPP personnel training effectiveness was held at the IAEA from 17 to 21 October 2005.

Sixty-one (61) participants attended the meeting (including forty-six participants from sixteen Member States, and fifteen IAEA staff from various departments). The Member States were represented by the meeting participants from NPP operating organizations, training organizations, technical support organizations, vendors, universities, and regulatory bodies. The IAEA was represented by the staff members from a broad cross-section of the Agency. The synergy achieved through this rich mixture of participants was quite remarkable. Thirty-two presentations and software exhibition covered the vast majority of the most important areas in NPP personnel training required for ensuring personnel competence and improving human performance. Trends in nuclear power development and in nuclear training; computer-based training systems; e-learning; modern simulator features; education and training for safe and efficient functioning of nuclear industry; various information resources have arisen alive interest of the participants, who persistently requested to continue such kind of activities for sharing experience and benchmarking. The proceedings contained the foreword, programme, list of participants, welcoming addresses, summaries of the meeting sessions, papers and presentations, discussion summary, and conclusions.

Draft TECDOC on Guidance for competency assessments of nuclear industry personnel

The nuclear industry spends a significant amount of resources conducting competency assessments. Competency assessments are used for employee selection, trainee assessment, qualification, re-qualification, and authorization This document focuses on competency assessments used for measuring the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of personnel as the result of training. Other uses of competency assessments are also briefly discussed. Ineffective testing methods and procedures, or inappropriate interpretation of test results, can have significant effects on both human performance and nuclear safety. Test development requires unique skills, and as with any skill, training and experience are needed to develop and improve the skills. Test item and examination development, use, the interpretation of results, and examination refinement, like all other aspects of the systematic approach to training, should be part of an ongoing, systematic process. Testing, and particularly the results of testing, can also be used for trainee motivation, instructional improvement, and programme evaluation. In addition, testing also can be used to provide teaching and feedback.

Draft TECDOC on Human Resource Issues Related to Expanding a Nuclear Power Plant Fleet

For some users, this document will provide a review of ideas and principles of competency assessments with which they are already familiar; for others it will present new concepts. While not intended to provide in-depth coverage of assessment theory, this document should provide developers, instructors, and assessors with a foundation on which to develop sound assessments.

Human Performance Improvement in Organizations: Potential Application for the Nuclear Industry

Proceedings of the meeting of the Technical Working Group on Training and Qualification of NPP Personnel

Coming soon ...