Inside a WANO peer review.docx

1、Inside a WANO peer reviewInside a WANO peer review18 June 2014A key tool in improving nuclear power plants around the world is a review of individual plants by international peers. These reports result in candid and in-depth evaluations of strengths and areas for improvement. By Alexey KovynevThe Wo

2、rld Association of Nuclear Operators unites all the worlds utilities that operate nuclear power plants. There are four regional centers - in Atlanta, Paris, Moscow, and Tokyo - central offices in London, and pre-startup review offices in Hong Kong. WANO was founded in 1989 in Moscow after the Cherno

3、byl accident by nuclear operators trying to do everything possible to prevent another accident, believing that operators of nuclear stations share a collective responsibility to do so. The WANO mission is to maximally increase reliability and safety worldwide through common efforts in assessment, be

4、nchmarking, mutual support, exchange of information and use of best practice.Experience shows that many problems could be prevented if the right lessons were learned from previous events. The main principles of WANO are that it is better to learn from the errors of others than from your own, and tha

5、t it is better to benefit from the good ideas of others rather than spending the time and money to develop the same ideas yourself. So operators of nuclear stations gain access to world operational experience for general ideas and specific examples of good work practices.The success of WANO depends

6、on cooperation and trust between all members of the association. This spirit, overcoming national borders, political barriers and commercial interest, makes nuclear energy unique among world industries. WANO is not directly linked to governments, it is not a commercial or financial organization or a

7、 regulatory agency. WANO does not consult on design questions and does not belong to lobby circles. In brief, WANO has no other interests than increasing nuclear safety.WANO members take part in different programs and activities. The operational experience program informs members about events that t

8、ook place at other stations so members can take measures to prevent the occurrence of similar events at their own. The professional and technical development program exchanges ideas about increasing reliability and safety. Its aim is to help station personnel expand their professional knowledge and

9、skills and to exchange the most modern information. This exchange takes place at workshops, expert meetings and courses. Technical support missions help WANO members find solutions to existing problems and improve processes that are already verified in practice. The collection, distribution and anal

10、ysis of trends of NPP performance indicators give any station the ability to compare its own operational results with the results of all the other stations around the world.Importance of the peer review processExperience in the nuclear industry has shown the merit of periodic reviews of plant operat

11、ions by external groups. In 1991, WANO established a pilot program for voluntary peer reviews that has had great success and has continued up to the present day. Now it is a WANO member obligation to host WANO peer reviews. They may also host other external reviews, including utility reviews with ou

12、tside members, IAEA operational safety review team (OSART) reviews, and reviews from the USAs Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) and the Japan Nuclear Technology Institute (JANTI).WANO has now conducted over 500 operating station peer reviews at nearly every operating nuclear power plantWA

13、NO has now conducted over 500 operating station peer reviews at nearly every operating nuclear power plant. After Fukushima, WANO is moving towards a four-year peer-review frequency at every plant.It should be added that the peer review process between a member and WANO is private. This privacy is n

14、ecessary for WANO to carry out its mission of promoting safety. In the peer review process, WANO must obtain information from the personnel who do the day-to-day work at an operating nuclear station. This important information is based on the facts, and it is more likely to be provided freely in a r

15、elationship built on trust and confidence. If the interactions between the regional center and the plant personnel are made public, then the regional center may be given less information and the quality of that information may deteriorate. Besides this, peer review teams are experts in their technic

16、al fields but normally are not experts in public relations.The team members are not expected to interact with the media during or after peer reviews. Furthermore, WANO does not comment or provide to a third party any information on the peer reviews. Peer review reports are provided only to the host

17、utility and the regional centers.WANO peer review programThe peer review program provides an opportunity for members to learn and share worldwide insights on safe and reliable plant operation and thereby improve their own performance. The team is invited by the station independent of any requirement

18、s of the nuclear regulatory and government authorities. The standard WANO peer review is of all operational units of a nuclear power plant, although the program has expanded to include pre-startup peer reviews and corporate peer reviews. WANO provides all new units with a pre-startup review before i

19、nitial criticality and a peer review two years after connection to the grid. A pre-startup peer review team office opened in September 2012 in Hong Kong, to enable a specialist team to be based in the region where the greatest number of startups will take place in the next few years.Guidelines, proc

20、esses and procedures have been developed to support the peer review program. Performance objectives and criteria for plant peer reviews are used as the standards by which plant performance is compared. This document looks like a description of an ideal nuclear station.Standard plant peer reviews cov

21、er several functional areas: operations, maintenance, chemistry, engineering, radiological protection and training. They also cover cross-functional areas: operational focus, work management, equipment reliability, configuration management, performance improvement, operating experience, organization

22、al effectiveness, fire protection and emergency preparedness. From this year (2014) additional areas such areas as leadership and nuclear professionalism will be reviewed. An important part of each peer review is a review of the status of recommendations from WANO significant operating experience re

23、ports.Preparing for the reviewAfter the schedule is confirmed by the host station, the next task is to form a team that consists of a qualified team leader and up to 25 experienced nuclear professionals from member organizations. Team roles and responsibilities are clearly described in peer-review p

24、rocesses. Teams include members from foreign countries, and whenever possible at least one reviewer from each regional center. Using international peers promotes consistency and sharing of review techniques among regions, and allows communication of independent points of view.A team leader candidate

25、 must have reached the level of plant manager or similar, and have at least ten years experience in the nuclear industry. This allows him or her to be an effective counterpart to the plants managers. He or she must have highly-developed communication, observation and analytical skills, be able to in

26、teract effectively with individuals from the utility, and be able to motivate and build teamwork among personnel with diverse backgrounds.A peer review team candidate needs to have at least five years experience in the nuclear industryThe position requires knowledge of best industry practices in man

27、y areas, understanding of international cultures and the ability to use peer-review methodology to be effective in these cultures. All of these skills allow the leader to build a collaborative team, ensuring that peers from international industry and the host utility are actively engaged. They shoul

28、d be analyzing plant information to identify potential areas for the team, establishing effective working relationships with senior station managers, and effectively communicating the peer review results to them.A peer review team candidate needs to have at least five years experience in the nuclear

29、 industry, and have reached the level of a department head, deputy head, shift manager or supervisor. This experience helps him or her understand operational practices at different kinds of reactors. His or her skills must allow effective communication with all levels of station management. Every te

30、am member gets training on the peer review process, and in conducting observations and interviews. Guides for peer reviewers divide every functional area into sub-sections and list questions and affirmations that should be answered and confirmed.A preliminary visit to the station by the team leader

31、and several team members is conducted in advance to prepare for the review. The plant prepares a preliminary information package that includes plant layout, organizational charts, self-assessment results, performance indicator charts, procedures, equipment surveillance and testing schedules, event a

32、nalysis and other important information. The package is provided to team members about six months in advance to allow them sufficient time for review.Mechanics: 10+ days on siteAt last the team arrives at the station. Then there is the first acquaintance, and the first tour of the station in groups

33、to look for facts that can be considered as a basis for future problem areas. The work begins. The review includes observations, interviews with key personnel and discussion of observational results with station personnel. The conclusions are based primarily on the observed performance of the plant and staff, including observation