Conduct of Drills and Other Operations

Specify requirements for Emergency Preparedness or facility drills prior to the start of the ORR/RA. Detailed guidance on drill expectations, e.g., type of drill, desired preconditions, scenario requirements, etc., should be provided to the facility prior to the ORR/RA.

Ensure that site personnel understand fully the conditions that needed to be simulated during each drill and performance demonstration. All documentation such as Radiological Work Permits, Work Procedures, etc., must reflect the simulated condition.

Define, during the preparation phase, the role, authority and responsibilities of the ORR team when it is monitoring the conduct of an emergency exercise or drill. The ORR team must not disrupt the flow of the exercise. The ORR team is evaluating both the facility and the emergency preparedness training organization and drill control. These roles, authority and responsibilities require definition and must be fully understood by the facility managers.

Evaluate whether the contractor ORR/RA ensures the integration of equipment operability, procedure viability, and training of the operators in a performance-based methodology. Additionally, a detailed plan for the progression from completion of the ORR/RA to startup should be verified if a significant difference exists between the operations that can be demonstrated and normal operations.

Operations with multiple systems or that cover separate physical areas are better assessed when evaluated or divided into separate systems or areas and assigned to multiple team members.

ORR team members need to be briefed, as a group, on any Radiation Work Permits (RWPs) that they will be working to while conducting the ORR. Pre-briefing the RWPs avoids potential violations of RWP requirements by team members and saves valuable time when entering Material Access Areas for observation of work evolutions.

For further information or comments on the ORR web site, please contact James M. Heffner.