A Systematic Approach to Human Performance Improvement in Nuclear Power Plants

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A Systematic Approach to Human Performance Improvement in Nuclear Power Plants IAEA-TECDOC-1204 A systematic approach to human performance improvement in nuclear power plants: Training solutions March 2001 The originating Section of this publication in the IAEA was: Nuclear Power Engineering Section International Atomic Energy Agency Wagramer Strasse 5 P.O. Box 100 A-1400 Vienna, Austria A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO HUMAN PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS: TRAINING SOLUTIONS IAEA, VIENNA, 2001 IAEA-TECDOC-1204 ISSN 1011–4289 © IAEA, 2001 Printed by the IAEA in Austria March 2001 FOREWORD In 1996, the IAEA published Technical Reports Series No. 380, Nuclear Power Plant Personnel Training and its Evaluation: A Guidebook. That publication provides guidance with respect to development, implementation and evaluation of training programmes for all NPP personnel. The IAEA International Working Group on Training and Qualification of Nuclear Power Plant Personnel recommended that an additional publication be prepared that provided further details concerning the training of NPP personnel on non-technical or soft skills. This report has been prepared in response to that recommendation. In the past, much of the focus of formal NPP training and development programmes was on the technical skills of NPP personnel, particularly those of control room operators. The environment in which NPPs operate is continually changing; placing new demands on NPP personnel to work more efficiently and effectively while continuing to maintain the high levels of safety required of NPPs. In this report, an integrated approach that considers training along with other ways to achieve desired levels of human performance is suggested. The IAEA wishes to thank all participants and their Member States for their valuable contributions. The IAEA is particularly grateful to the Government of the United States of America and Northeast Utilities for hosting a consultants meeting on this topic from 24 to 28 May 1999. The IAEA officer responsible for this publication was T. Mazour of the Division of Nuclear Power. EDITORIAL NOTE The use of particular designations of countries or territories does not imply any judgement by the publisher, the IAEA, as to the legal status of such countries or territories, of their authorities and institutions or of the delimitation of their boundaries. The mention of names of specific companies or products (whether or not indicated as registered) does not imply any intention to infringe proprietary rights, nor should it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of the IAEA. CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Focus of this report ......................................................................................................... 1 1.2. The need for human performance improvement............................................................. 2 1.3. How to use this report.....................................................................................................3 2. A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO HUMAN PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT.................................................................... 4 2.1. Description of a systematic approach to human performance improvement.................. 4 2.1.1. Respond to changing environment........................................................................ 5 2.1.2. Identify human performance deficiencies............................................................. 5 2.1.3. Implement appropriate human performance improvements ................................. 6 2.1.4. Ongoing evaluation of human performance........................................................ 11 3. EXAMPLES/CASE STUDIES ............................................................................................ 11 4. KEY CONSIDERATIONS................................................................................................... 12 GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................. 15 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 17 APPENDIX : LIST OF "SOFT SKILLS" COMPETENCIES................................................. 19 ANNEXS A–W ANNEX A: Northeast Utilities/USA........................................................................................ 27 ANNEX B: EDF/France shift teams......................................................................................... 33 ANNEX C: Culture Alignment Project at Ontario Power Generation-Nuclear/Canada .......... 38 ANNEX D: EDF/France human factors training...................................................................... 41 ANNEX E: PP&L/USA — Leadership academy..................................................................... 44 ANNEX F: PP&L/USA — Maintenance personnel training ................................................... 54 ANNEX G: INSP/DOE/USA Training assistance to Soviet-designed reactor sites................. 57 ANNEX H: PP&L/USA nuclear department new supervisor training program ...................... 62 ANNEX I: Kanupp operations personnel training.................................................................... 70 ANNEX J: Kozloduy NPP, complex psychological method for assessment ........................... 72 ANNEX K: Group dynamic video-training at the Kozloduy NPP........................................... 77 ANNEX L: EDF operational communication during “real working conditions”..................... 84 ANNEX M: Some aspects with respect to the training of Romanian NPP personnel on human factor related competencies ..................................................................................... 87 ANNEX N: Human factors in the Ukrainian nuclear energy industry: Soft skills training...... 92 ANNEX O: Eletronuclear Brazil: Manager development program........................................ 101 ANNEX P: Slovakia: MCR operator selection and their training for “managerial skills”.... 103 ANNEX Q: Russian Federation, Smolensk Training Centre: Programme of personnel training in the area of human factors...................................................................... 109 ANNEX R: Experience of operational personnel support programme at Russian NPPs....... 111 ANNEX S: Methods and procedures of entry professional selection for Ukrainian NPP operational personnel .................................................................................... 116 ANNEX T: Guangdong Da Ya Bay nuclear power plant training policy............................... 118 ANNEX U: Commercial awareness training in British Energy (formerly Nuclear Electric plc)....................................................................... 123 ANNEX V: Activities of the Paks NPP related to the human performance improvements ........................................................................................ 127 ANNEX W: Increasing awareness of human factors in NPP via psychologically based training methodologies ................................................................................................. 133 CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW ............................................................ 137 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Focus of this report The purpose of this report is to provide nuclear power plant (NPP) managers, training specialists and human performance specialists with information on how they can improve overall NPP performance by enhancing the performance of personnel. While the main focus of this report is on the use of training to enhance NPP personnel performance, it is important from the outset to reinforce the context in which training needs to be considered. The graphic below shows a systematic approach to human performance improvement in the context of the safe and reliable NPP performance: Safe and Reliable NPP Performance Human Performance Organizational Factors Equipment Performance Respond to a Changing Identify Performance Environment Deficiencies Implement Human Performance Improvements Non-Training Measures Training Measures Ongoing Evaluation FIG 1. Context for human performance improvement. Figure 1 shows that the integration of organizational factors, human and equipment performance are needed for effective NPP performance. Furthermore, it shows that human * performance depends on both NPP personnel having the individual competencies needed for effective performance and on having appropriate organizational factors to support individual * “Competencies” are defined in this document as groups of related knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to perform a job in an effective and efficient manner to an established standard. 1 NPP personnel in carrying out their assignments. Said another way, a perfect training system that provides all the competencies needed by NPP personnel won’t necessarily result in the human performance needed to provide safe and reliable NPP performance unless organizational conditions are in place such as: appropriate supervision; oversight and checking; an organizational culture that rewards needed performance; and effective plant procedure systems. The principal reason for making this point at the beginning of this report is the tendency in many organizations to assume that a lack of training is always a cause of any human performance discrepancy. Rarely is it said, for example, that the system does not provide adequate incentives, or that the quality of supervision is poor,
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