1. The Commission
recommends the establishment of agency-accredited training institutions
for operators and immediate supervisors of operators. These institutions
should have highly qualified instructors, who will maintain high
standards, stress understanding of the fundamentals of nuclear power
plants and the possible health effects of nuclear power, and who will
train operators to respond to emergencies. (See recommendation A.4.a.)
a. These
institutions could be national, regional, or specific to individual
nuclear steam systems.-
b. Reactor
operators should be required to graduate from an accredited training
institution. Exemption should be made only in cases where there is
clear, documentary evidence that the candidate already has the
equivalent training.
c. The training
institutions should be subject to periodic review and reaccreditation
by the restructured NRC.
d. Candidates for
the training institute must meet entrance requirements geared to the
curriculum.
2. Individual
utilities should be responsible for training operators who are graduates
of accredited institutions in the specifics of operating a particular
plant. These operators should be examined and licensed by the
restructured NRC, both at their initial licensing and at the relicensing
stage. In order to be licensed, operators must pass every portion of the
examination. Supervisors of operators, at a minimum, should have the
same training as operators.
3. Training should
not end when operators are given their licenses.
a. Comprehensive
ongoing training must be given on a regular basis to maintain
operators' level of knowledge.
b. Such training
must be continuously integrated with operating experience.
c. Emphasis must
be placed on diagnosing and controlling complex transients and on the
fundamental understanding of reactor safety.
d. Each utility
should have ready access to a control room simulator. Operators and
supervisors should be required to train regularly on the simulator.
The holding of operator licenses should be contingent on performance
on the simulator.
4. Research and
development should be carried out on improving simulation and simulation
systems: a) to establish and sustain a higher level of realism in the
training of operators, including dealing with transients; and b) to
improve the diagnostics and general knowledge of nuclear power plant
systems.
