§ 53.815 Generally licensed reactor operator training, examination, and proficiency programs.
(a) Applicability. The requirements of this section apply to each licensee of a self-reliant-mitigation facility that has not yet certified the permanent cessation of operations and permanent removal of fuel from the reactor vessel as described under § 53.1070.
(b) Requirements. (1) The facility licensee must develop, implement, and maintain training and examination programs that demonstrate compliance with the requirements of paragraphs (b)(2) through (b)(3) of this section.
(2) The training program must provide for both the initial and continuing training of generally licensed reactor operators and be derived from a systems approach to training as defined in this part.
(3)(i) The training program must incorporate the instructional requirements necessary to provide qualified generally licensed reactor operators to operate and maintain the facility in a safe manner in all modes of operation. The training program must comply with the facility license, including all technical specifications and applicable regulations. The facility licensee must periodically evaluate and revise the training program as appropriate to reflect industry experience and relevant changes, including changes to the facility, procedures, regulations, and quality assurance (QA) requirements. Facility licensee management must periodically review the training program for effectiveness.
(ii) The training program must ensure that generally licensed reactor operators have and maintain the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities.
(iii) The training program must include the generally licensed reactor operator manipulating the controls of either the facility or a simulation facility that demonstrates compliance with the requirements of § 53.815(e).
(iv) The training program must include an initial examination program for testing a representative sample of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to safely perform generally licensed reactor operator duties, to include both the examination methods and criteria to be used to assess passing performance. The facility licensee must provide the opportunity for a representative of the Commission to be present during initial examination administration.
(v) The training program must include a requalification examination program for testing a sample of the topics included under the systems approach to training, to include the examination methods and criteria to be used to assess passing performance. The requalification examination program must specify an appropriate periodicity for administering a complete requalification examination to each generally licensed reactor operator, and the facility licensee must provide the opportunity for a representative of the Commission to be present during requalification examination administration.
(A) The facility licensee must ensure that any generally licensed reactor operator who either demonstrates unsatisfactory performance on, or fails to complete, the requalification examination is removed from the performance of generally licensed reactor operator duties until such time that any necessary remedial training has been completed and a retake examination has been passed.
(B) [Reserved]
(vi) The training program must be approved by the Commission prior to its use, as described under § 53.730(g). The examination program must provide for valid and reliable examinations and must be approved by the Commission prior to their use, as described under § 53.730(g). The approved programs are subject to the requirements of § 53.1565.
(c) Records. The following is required regarding the documentation of the generally licensed reactor operator training and examination programs:
(1) Sufficient records must be maintained by the facility licensee to maintain the integrity of the programs and kept available for NRC inspection to verify the adequacy of the programs.
(2) The facility licensee must maintain records documenting the participation of each generally licensed reactor operator in the training and examination programs. The records must contain copies of examinations administered, the answers given by the generally licensed reactor operator, documentation of the grading of examinations, and documentation of any additional training administered in areas in which a generally licensed reactor operator exhibited deficiencies. The facility licensee must retain these records while the associated generally licensed reactor operators remain employed at the facility.
(3) Each record required by this part must be legible throughout the retention period. The record may be the original, a reproduced copy, or an electronic copy provided that the copy is authenticated by authorized personnel.
(d) Examination integrity. Generally licensed reactor operators and facility licensees must not engage in any activity that compromises the integrity of any examination conducted under the generally licensed reactor operator training and examination programs. The integrity of an examination is considered compromised if any activity, regardless of intent, affected, or, but for detection, could have affected the consistent administration of the examination. This includes all activities related to the preparation, administration, and grading of examinations.
(e) Simulation facilities. (1) Simulation facilities used for training purposes, for maintaining proficiency, or for the conduct of examinations must demonstrate compliance with the following criteria as they relate to the facility licensee's reference plant:
(i) The simulation facility must be of sufficient scope and fidelity for individuals to acquire and demonstrate the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to safely perform generally licensed reactor operator duties.
(ii) The simulation facility must utilize models relating to nuclear, thermal-hydraulic, and other applicable design-specific characteristics that either replicate the most recent fuel load in the reference commercial nuclear plant or, prior to initial fuel load (or, for a fueled manufactured reactor, prior to initiating the removal of the features to prevent criticality required under § 53.620(d)(1)), replicate the intended initial fuel load for the reference commercial nuclear plant, with the exception of those portions of the simulation facility that utilize the reference plant itself.
(iii) Simulator fidelity must be demonstrated so that significant control manipulations are completed without procedural exceptions, simulator performance exceptions, or deviation from the approved training scenario sequence.
(2) Facility licensees that maintain a simulation facility for training purposes, for maintaining proficiency, or for the conduct of examinations must—
(i) Conduct performance testing throughout the life of the simulation facility in a manner sufficient to ensure that paragraph (e)(1) of this section is met;
(ii) Retain the results of performance testing for 4 years after the completion of each performance test or until superseded by updated test results;
(iii) Promptly correct modeling and hardware discrepancies and discrepancies identified from scenario validation and from performance testing or provide justification for why the presence of such discrepancies will not adversely affect the criteria of paragraph (e)(1) of this section;
(iv) Make the results of any uncorrected performance test failures that may exist at the time of an inspection available for NRC review; and
(v) Maintain the provisions for examination integrity consistent with § 53.815(d).
(f) Waiver of examination requirement. The facility licensee may waive any or all of the requirements for an examination in accordance with the facility licensee's Commission-approved generally licensed reactor operator training and examination programs.
(g) Proficiency. The facility licensee must develop, implement, and maintain a proficiency program to allow generally licensed reactor operators to maintain proficiency regarding position functions and familiarity with plant status. This program must include those steps that will be taken in order to re-establish proficiency when it cannot be maintained.