Unnecessary, redundant training should be a thing of the past early next year, when the nuclear energy industry implements changes brought about by its Delivering the Nuclear Promise campaign, an initiative to improve efficiency at power plants. The campaign this week issued four new efficiency bulletins for joint implementation to help streamline in-processing training:
- Standardizing Nuclear Access Processing and Requirements (EB 16-26a)
- Standardization of In-Processing Training (EB 16-26b)
- Implement Common NANTeL Radiation Worker Training (EB 16-26c)
- Supplemental Supplier Contracts/Use of NANTeL and EPRI STEs (EB 16-26d)
After the efficiency bulletins are implemented, utilities that operate nuclear power plants will use a common, standardized training system to track the progress and training credentials of nuclear power plant workers.
Three of the four new efficiency bulletins have an implementation deadline of January 2017. Efficiency Bulletin 16-26d has an implementation date of June 2017.
Currently workers are required to take three training modules to receive access badges: fitness for duty, plant access training and radiation worker training. Twelve additional training modules covering topics like asbestos awareness, lead awareness, cyber security, material handling and confined space safety are required if called for by their job function. This training applies to all nuclear power plant workers including full-time employees, contract workers and outage workers who support nuclear refueling outages.
