DOE O 425.1A, Startup and Restart of Nuclear Facilities
Functional areas: Requires Crosswalk When Revised, Work Processes
To establish the requirements for startup of new nuclear facilities and for the restart of existing nuclear facilities that have been shut down.
Cancels DOE O 425.1. Canceled by DOE O 425.1B.
Supersedes:
DOE O 425.1 Chg 1, Startup and Restart of Nuclear Facilities on Dec 28, 1998
Superseded By:
DOE O 425.1B, Startup and Restart of Nuclear Facilities on Dec 21, 2000
Version history and related documents
Superseded by
A newer version replaces this document.
- DOE O 425.1BStartup and Restart of Nuclear Facilities (Dec 21, 2000)
Supersedes
Earlier documents this one replaced.
- DOE O 425.1 Chg 1Startup and Restart of Nuclear Facilities (Dec 28, 1998)
Document text
Text extracted from the attached file. Refer to the original document for the authoritative version.
Section 1
Distribution: Initiated By:
All Departmental Elements Office of Environment, Safety
and Health
U.S. Department of Energy ORDER
Washington, D.C.
Approved: 12-28-98
Review Date: 12-28-00
SUBJECT: STARTUP AND RESTART OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES
1. OBJECTIVE. To establish the requirements for startup of new nuclear facilities and for
the restart of existing nuclear facilities that have been shutdown. Nuclear facilities are
activities or operations that involve radioactive and/or fissionable materials in such form or
quantity that a nuclear hazard potentially exists to the employees or the general public.
The requirements specify a readiness review process that shall, in all cases, demonstrate
that it is safe to startup (or restart) the applicable facility. The facility shall be started up
(or restarted), only after documented independent reviews of readiness have been
conducted and the approvals specified in this Order have been received. The readiness
reviews are not intended to be tools of line management to achieve readiness. Rather, the
readiness reviews provide an independent confirmation of readiness to start or restart
operations.
2. CANCELLATION. DOE 425.1, STARTUP AND RESTART OF NUCLEAR
FACILITIES, of 9-29-95. Cancellation of an Order does not, by itself, modify or
otherwise affect any contractual obligation to comply with such an Order. Canceled
Orders incorporated by reference in a contract shall remain in effect until the contract is
modified to delete the reference to the requirements in the canceled Orders.
3. APPLICABILITY.
a. DOE Elements. Except for the exclusions in paragraph 3c, below, this Order
applies to all nuclear facilities classified as hazard categories 1, 2, or 3.
b. Contractors. Except for the exclusions in paragraph 3c, below, the Contractor
Requirements Document (CRD), Attachment 1, sets forth requirements that are to
be applied to the universe of contractors awarded contracts for the operation and
management of a DOE-owned or -leased facility. Contractor compliance with the
CRD will be required to the extent set forth in a contract. Contractors shall be
directed to continue to comply with the requirements of Orders canceled by this
Order until their contracts are modified to delete the reference to the requirements
of the canceled Orders.
DOE O 425.1A
2 DOE O 425.1A
12-28-98
c. Exclusions.
(1) Activities regulated through a license by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) or a State under an Agreement with NRC, including
activities certified by the NRC under section 1701 of the Atomic Energy
Act.
(2) Activities conducted under the authority of the Director, Naval Nuclear
Propulsion Program, as described in Public Law 98-525.
(3) Activities conducted under Nuclear Explosives and Weapons Surety
Programs relating to the prevention of accidental or unauthorized nuclear
detonations to the extent a requirement under this Order cannot be
implemented for a particular facility in a manner that does not compromise
the effectiveness of such activities
(4) Activities regulated by the Department of Transportation pursuant to 49
CFR 173.7(b).
4. REQUIREMENTS. DOE-STD-3006-95 provides guidance on approaches and methods
approved as acceptable for implementing the requirements of this Order. Other
approaches and methods may be used provided they are justified, documented, and
approved as being in accordance with the requirements of this Order by the authorization
authority for startup or restart.
Section 2
a. General.
(1) Operational Readiness Review. DOE line management shall determine
(and ensure that contractor management determines) if Operational
Readiness Reviews are required for startup of new nuclear facilities or
restart of a nuclear facility using the requirements given below. DOE shall
conduct (and ensure that contractors conduct) an Operational Readiness
Review in accordance with this Order when any of the following conditions
occur:
(a) Initial startups of new hazard categories 1, 2, and 3 nuclear
facilities.
(b) Restart after a nuclear facility unplanned shutdown directed by a
DOE management official for safety or other appropriate reasons.
DOE O 425.1A 3
12-28-98
(c) Restart after an extended shutdown for hazard categories 1 and 2
nuclear facilities. Extended shutdown for a hazard category 1
nuclear facility is 6 months. Extended shutdown for a hazard
category 2 nuclear facility is 12 months.
(d) Restart of hazard categories 1 and 2 nuclear facilities after
substantial process, system, or facility modifications. (The restart
authority shall determine if the modifications are substantial based
on the impact of the changes on the safety basis and the extent and
complexity of changes; this would not necessarily be determined by
the Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) process.)
(e) Restart after a nuclear facility shutdown because of operations
outside the safety basis.
(f) When deemed appropriate by DOE management officials, including
restarts of hazard category 3 nuclear facilities.
(2) Readiness Assessment. For restarts of nuclear facilities not requiring an
Operational Readiness Review, as defined in this Order, DOE line
management shall evaluate (and ensure that contractor management
evaluates) the need for performing a Readiness Assessment prior to restart.
This includes the startup or restart of program work associated with
operating facilities when the new or restarted program work does not
require DOE approval of changes to facility limits or requirements as stated
in Operational Safety Requirements/Technical Safety Requirements
(OSRs/TSRs), Basis for Interim Operations/Safety Analysis Reports
(BIO/SARs), or other equivalent authorization basis documents. When a
Readiness Assessment is required, Operations Offices shall develop
procedures and ensure that the contractors use these procedures to gain
Operations Office approval of the startup or restart of nuclear facilities. If
a Readiness Assessment is not to be performed, the contractor’s standard
procedures for startup or restart will be used. Other requirements for
Readiness Assessments are provided in paragraph 4c, below.
(3) Authorization Authority. For nuclear facility startup or restart actions, the
authorization authority for startup or restart approval shall be determined
by the following.
4 DOE O 425.1A
12-28-98
(a) For initial startups of new hazard categories 1 and 2 nuclear
facilities, the Secretary of Energy (or designee) shall approve
startup. For initial startups of new hazard category 3 nuclear
facilities, the cognizant Secretarial Officer (or designee) shall
approve startup. If other DOE Orders require a higher level of
startup authorization than this Order, the official described in this
Order will recommend startup to the higher level official.
(b) For shutdowns directed by a DOE management official for safety or
other appropriate reasons, approval to restart shall be granted by an
official of a level commensurate with the official ordering the
shutdown unless a higher level is designated by the cognizant
Secretarial Officer.
Section 3
(c) For extended shutdowns of hazard category 1 nuclear facilities, the
cognizant Secretarial Officer shall approve restart. For extended
shutdowns of hazard category 2 nuclear facilities, the cognizant
Secretarial Officer (or designee) shall approve restart.
(d) For shutdowns because of substantial facility modifications of
hazard category 1 nuclear facilities, the cognizant Secretarial
Officer shall approve restart. For such shutdowns of hazard
category 2 nuclear facilities, the cognizant Secretarial Officer (or
designee) shall approve restart.
(e) For facility shutdowns due to operations outside the safety basis,
the official approving restart shall be commensurate with the
approval authority for the safety basis. If the safety basis was
approved by a Headquarters official, the cognizant Secretarial
Officer (or designee) shall approve restart. If the safety basis was
approved by a field official, the Operations Office Manager (or
designee) shall approve restart.
(f) For startups or restarts of nuclear facilities for which Operational
Readiness Reviews were required as a result of a DOE official
deeming it appropriate, the official approving startup or restart shall
be of a level commensurate with the official directing the review. If
a Headquarters official directed an Operational Readiness Review
be performed, the cognizant Secretarial Officer (or designee) shall
approve the startup or restart. If a field official directed an
Operational Readiness Review, the Operations Office Manager (or
designee) shall approve the startup or restart.
DOE O 425.1A 5
12-28-98
b. Requirements Applicable to Startups or Restarts of Nuclear Facilities Involving
Operational Readiness Reviews. (These requirements are listed sequentially.)
(1) Operational Readiness Review Documentation. For Operational Readiness
Reviews, DOE line management shall require contractors to prepare the
following documents: startup/restart notification reports, plans-of-action,
Operational Readiness Reviews Implementation Plans, and final reports.
DOE line management shall prepare its plans-of-action, and ensure the
ORR team leaders prepare Operational Readiness Review Implementation
Plans, and final reports. The resolution of all findings from the Operational
Readiness Reviews shall be documented and maintained with the plans-of-
action, Implementation Plans, and final reports.
(2) Breadth of Operational Readiness Review. DOE line management shall
develop (and ensure the contractor develops) the breadth of the
Operational Readiness Review and documents it in each plan-of-action. A
minimum set of core requirements, as defined in paragraph 4d, below, shall
be addressed when developing the breadth of the Operational Readiness
Review. The plan-of-action may reference a timely, independent review
that addressed the requirement in a technically satisfactory manner to
justify not performing further evaluation of a core requirement, or portion
thereof. During conduct of the Operational Readiness Review, the breadth
may be expanded by the Operational Readiness Review team, if
appropriate.
Section 4
(3) Operational Readiness Review Plans-of-Action, Approval, and Content.
The contractor and DOE Operational Readiness Review plans-of-action
shall be approved by the startup or restart authorities defined in paragraphs
4a(3)(a) through 4a(3)(f). DOE line management shall ensure the
contractor’s plan-of-action specifies the prerequisites for starting the
responsible contractor’s Operational Readiness Review; the prerequisites
shall address each minimum core requirement of paragraph 4d determined
to be applicable when developing the scope of the Operational Readiness
Review. The DOE plan-of-action shall specify additional prerequisites,
such as certification of readiness to oversee facility operations by
Operations Office and Headquarters management. The DOE and
contractor plans-of-action shall be provided to EH-2 for review and
comment.
6 DOE O 425.1A
12-28-98
(4) Operational Readiness Review Teams.
(a) DOE line management shall appoint (and ensure that contractor
management appoints) Operational Readiness Review teams in
accordance with the following qualifications and training
requirements:
1 Technical knowledge of the area assigned for evaluation,
including experience working in the technical area.
2 Knowledge of performance-based assessment processes and
methods.
3 Knowledge of facility-specific information.
(b) The Operational Readiness Review teams shall not include as senior
members (including team leader) individuals from offices assigned
direct line management responsibility for the work being reviewed;
any exceptions require approval of the startup or restart authority.
Additionally, no Operational Readiness Review team member
should review work for which he or she is directly responsible.
(c) The Operational Readiness Review team leaders shall determine
and document qualifications of Operational Readiness Review team
members.
(5) Criteria and Review Approaches. DOE line management requires that the
DOE Operational Readiness Review team determines (and ensures that the
contractor's Operational Readiness Review team determines) the criteria
and reviews approaches to be used for their review based on the approved
breadth given in their plan-of-action and documents the criteria and review
approaches in their Operational Readiness Review Implementation Plan.
(6) Approve and Use Implementation Plans. DOE line management requires
that the DOE Operational Readiness Review team leader approves (and
ensures that the contractor’s Operational Readiness Review team leader
approves) their respective Implementation Plans and use the
Implementation Plans to conduct their Operational Readiness Reviews.
DOE line management requires that the DOE Implementation Plan (and
ensures that the contractor’s Implementation Plan) is provided to EH-2 for
review and comment.
DOE O 425.1A 7
12-28-98
(7) Certification and Verification.
(a) The prerequisites for starting the DOE Operational Readiness
Review are the following.
1 DOE line management has received correspondence from
the responsible contractor certifying that the facility is ready
for startup or restart and this has been verified by the
contractor Operational Readiness Review.
2 DOE line management has verified that the contractor’s
preparations for startup or restart have been completed.
3 DOE line management has certified that it meets the DOE
plan-of-action that includes, as a minimum, the applicable
DOE-specific core requirements given in paragraph 4d,
below.
Section 5
(b) At the start of the DOE Operational Readiness Review, all actions
required for startup or restart shall be complete with the exception
of a manageable list of open prestart findings that have a well-
defined schedule for closure to allow review of the results of the
closure process by the DOE Operational Readiness Review team.
In the certification and verification process, DOE Operations Office
line management shall document their actions taken to verify
Operations Office and contractor readiness including review of
closure of contractor Operational Readiness Review findings,
assessments of completion of defined prerequisites, and other
assessments performed to ascertain readiness. Specific events
significant to the startup and restart process that occur prior to the
formal commencement of the DOE Operational Readiness Review
(e.g., site emergency response drills, integrated equipment testing,
etc.) may be reviewed by the DOE Operational Readiness Review
team when they are conducted.
(8) Final Report.
(a) Upon completion of the contractor or DOE Operational Readiness
Review, DOE line management shall ensure a final report is
prepared and approved by the Operational Readiness Review team
leader. The final report shall document the results of the
Operational Readiness Review and make a conclusion as to whether
8 DOE O 425.1A
12-28-98
startup or restart of the nuclear facility can proceed safely. There
shall be a statement in each Operational Readiness Review final
report as to whether the facility has established the following: an
agreed upon set of requirements to govern safe operations of the
facility; this set of requirements has been formalized with DOE
through the contract or other enforceable mechanism; these
requirements have been appropriately implemented in the facility, or
appropriate compensatory measures, formally approved, are in
place during the period prior to full implementation; and in the
opinion of the Operational Readiness Review team, maintain
adequate protection of the public health and safety, worker safety,
and the environment.
This conclusion shall be based on:
1 Review of the program to document conformance with the
agreed upon set of requirements, including a process to
address new requirements; and
2 Extensive use of references to the established requirements
in the Operational Readiness Review documentation.
(b) Additionally, there shall be a "Lessons Learned" section of the final
report that may relate to design, construction, operation, and
decommissioning of similar facilities and future Operational
Readiness Review efforts.
(c) The core requirements, in aggregate, address many of the core
functions and guiding principles of an Integrated Safety
Management System (ISMS). The final report should include a
statement regarding the team leader's assessment of the adequacy of
the implementation of those functions and principles, already
addressed by the Operational Readiness Review, at the facility
undergoing the review.
(9) Submit Final Report. The final report shall be submitted to the
startup/restart authority to be used as a basis to grant approval of the start
or restart of the nuclear facility. A copy of the final report shall be
provided to EH-2 for review and comment.
DOE O 425.1A 9
12-28-98
(10) Closure of Findings. The mechanism for closure of DOE Operational
Readiness Review findings shall include the following:
Section 6
(a) Development of plans-of-action approved by DOE to correct the
findings. Action plans shall provide evaluation of any overall
programmatic deficiencies and root causes.
(b) Documentation of completion of response actions responding to the
findings in a closure package. Closure packages shall include a
brief description of actual corrective actions taken and reasons for
concluding that closure has been achieved.
(c) DOE verification of closure of prestart findings. The organization
verifying the closure will be designated by the startup or restart
authority.
(11) Approval. DOE line management shall ensure the contractor has
satisfactorily resolved all prestart findings of the DOE Operational
Readiness Review prior to startup or restart of the facility. The startup or
restart authority may approve startup or restart after prestart findings are
corrected.
c. Requirements Applicable to Startups or Restarts of Nuclear Facilities Involving
Readiness Assessments.
(1) Readiness Assessment Procedures. Operations Offices shall establish
procedures for their offices (and ensure the contractor establishes
procedures) that define when a Readiness Assessment is required and
provides requirements for conducting readiness assessments, including
procedures by which contractors will gain Operations Office approval for
the startup or restart of nuclear facilities. The procedures shall require
submittal of a startup notification report to obtain approval to use a
Readiness Assessment and preparation of a formal plan-of-action that
includes, as a minimum, the breadth of the assessment, team leader
designation, and prerequisites for the assessment and shall be approved by
the startup or restart authority. For shutdowns directed by contractor
management, these procedures may indicate that, except for serious safety
reasons, the contractor management may be the startup or restart authority.
(2) Graded Approach. The Operations Offices Readiness Assessment
procedures shall specify (and DOE line management shall ensure the
contractor's Readiness Assessment procedures specify) a graded approach
10 DOE O 425.1A
12-28-98
to the tenets of Operational Readiness requirements specified in this Order.
The procedures should indicate that the Readiness Assessment may be as
short and simple as a restart check procedure, or that it may approach the
breadth and depth of an Operational Readiness Review, depending on the
causes and duration of the shutdown and the modifications accomplished
during the shutdown.
(3) Approval. The startup or restart authority, the Operations Office Manager
or designee, may approve startup or restart after prestart findings are
corrected.
d. Minimum Core Requirements. Each of the minimum core requirements listed
below shall be addressed when developing the breadth of an Operational Readiness
Review. Justification shall be provided in the plan-of-action, prepared in
accordance with paragraphs 4b(2) and (3), above, if it is determined that a
particular core requirement will not be reviewed. The plan-of-action may
reference a timely, independent review that addressed the requirements in a
technically sound manner to justify not performing further evaluation of a core
requirement during an Operational Readiness Review.
(1) There are adequate and correct procedures and safety limits for operating
the process systems and utility systems.
Section 7
(2) Training and qualification programs for operations and operations support
personnel have been established, documented, and implemented. (The
training and qualification program encompasses the range of duties and
activities required to be performed.)
(3) Level of knowledge of operations and operations support personnel is
adequate based on reviews of examinations and examination results and
selected interviews of operating and operations support personnel.
(4) Facility safety documentation is in place that describes the "safety
envelope" of the facility. The safety documentation should characterize the
hazards/risks associated with the facility and should identify mitigating
measures (systems, procedures, administrative controls, etc.) that protect
workers and the public from those hazards/risks. Safety systems and
systems essential to worker and public safety are defined and a system to
maintain control over the design and modification of facilities and safety-
related utility systems is established.
DOE O 425.1A 11
12-28-98
(5) A program is in place to confirm and periodically reconfirm the condition
and operability of safety systems, including safety related process systems
and safety related utility systems. This includes examinations of records of
tests and calibration of safety system and other instruments that monitor
limiting conditions of operation or that satisfy Technical Safety
Requirements. All systems are currently operable and in a satisfactory
condition.
(6) A process has been established to identify, evaluate, and resolve
deficiencies and recommendations made by oversight groups, official
review teams, audit organizations, and the operating contractor.
(7) Formal agreements establishing requirements are in place between the
operating contractor and DOE, via the contract or other enforceable
mechanism, which govern the safe operations of the facility. A systematic
review of the facility’s conformance to these requirements has been
performed. These requirements have been implemented in the facility, or
compensatory measures are in place, and formally agreed to during the
period of implementation. The compensatory measures and the
implementation period are approved by DOE.
(8) Management programs are established, sufficient numbers of qualified
personnel are provided, and adequate facilities and equipment are available
to ensure operational support services (e.g., training, maintenance, waste
management, environmental protection, industrial safety and hygiene,
radiological protection and health physics, emergency preparedness, fire
protection, quality assurance, criticality safety, and engineering) are
adequate for operations.
(9) A routine and emergency operations drill program, including program
records, has been established and implemented.
(10) An adequate startup or restart test program has been developed that
includes adequate plans for graded operations testing to simultaneously
confirm operability of equipment, the viability of procedures, and the
training of operators.
(11) Functions, assignments, responsibilities, and reporting relationships are
clearly defined, understood, and effectively implemented with line
management responsibility for control of safety.
12 DOE O 425.1A
12-28-98
(12) The implementation status for DOE 5480.19, CONDUCT OF
OPERATIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR DOE FACILITIES, of 7-9-90, is
adequate for operations.
(13) There are sufficient numbers of qualified personnel to support safe
operations.
Section 8
(14) A program is established to promote a site-wide culture in which personnel
exhibit an awareness of public and worker safety, health, and environmental
protection requirements and, through their actions, demonstrate a high-
priority commitment to comply with these requirements.
(15) The facility systems and procedures, as affected by facility modifications,
are consistent with the description of the facility, procedures, and accident
analysis included in the safety basis.
(16) The technical and managerial qualifications of those personnel at the DOE
Field organization and at DOE Headquarters who have been assigned
responsibilities for providing direction and guidance to the contractor,
including the Facility Representatives, are adequate (DOE Operational
Readiness Review only).
(17) The breadth, depth, and results of the responsible contractor Operational
Readiness Review are adequate to verify the readiness of hardware,
personnel, and management programs for operations (DOE Operational
Readiness Review only).
(18) Modifications to the facility have been reviewed for potential impacts on
procedures and training and qualification. Procedures have been revised to
reflect these modifications and training has been performed to these revised
procedures.
(19) The technical and management qualifications of contractor personnel
responsible for facility operations are adequate.
(20) DOE Operations Office Oversight Programs, such as Occurrence
Reporting, Facility Representative, Corrective Action, and Quality
Assurance Programs, are adequate (DOE Operational Readiness Review
only).
e. Exemptions. Requirements for exemptions are provided in DOE O 251.1A,
DIRECTIVES SYSTEM.
DOE O 425.1A 13
12-28-98
f. Information Management Program. Requirements for maintenance and disposition
of Federal records, such as those pertaining to Operational readiness Reviews or
Readiness Assessments, are provided under the general guidance of DOE Order
200.1, Information Management Program, of 9-30-96. The disposition, including
destruction, of Federal records must be in accordance with (1) the General
Records Schedules, as published by the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA), or (2) DOE records disposition schedules (Standard
Forms 115) as approved by NARA. Consult the cognizant site records officer or
cognizant DOE Operations Office records officer for Guidance.
5. RESPONSIBILITIES.
a. DOE Line Management.
(1) Establish procedures (and ensure contractors establish procedures) as
necessary to manage startup and restart actions in accordance with the
requirements of this Order.
(2) Exercise the delegation authority and document all delegations of authority
made under the provisions granted by this Order.
(3) Determine whether adequate protection can most effectively be achieved
by continuing to operate under the terms of existing contracts requiring
compliance with old Orders or by modifying the contract to incorporate the
requirements of revised Orders.
(4) Determine that implementation of new rule or Order requirements will
provide adequate protection prior to requesting contract modification to
drop old Order requirements from contract.
b. Heads of DOE Elements shall ensure that initiators of procurement requests shall
identify in procurement requests if the requirements in the Contractor
Requirements Document (Attachment 1) are to be applied to the award or
subawards resulting from the procurement request.
Section 9
c. Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health (EH-1). In addition to the
general Departmental responsibilities specified in DOE M 411.1, Manual of
Functions, Responsibilities, and Authorities (the FRAM); EH-1 assigns EH-2 to
exercise independent oversight of the startup and restart process for nuclear
facilities. This responsibility specifically entails the following:
14 DOE O 425.1A
12-28-98
(1) In coordination with the cognizant Secretarial Officer (CSO), perform
independent reviews of startup and restart activities as appropriate and
provide results of these reviews to DOE Operational Readiness Review
team leaders, cognizant Operations Office Managers, and Cognizant
Secretarial Officers for resolution.
(2) Assess the cognizant Secretarial Officer, Operations Office, and contractor
procedures for startup or restart of nuclear facilities and provide periodic
reports to the Secretary on their effectiveness.
(3) Review and comment on contractor and DOE plans-of-action and
Operational Readiness Review Implementation Plans for startup or restart
of nuclear facilities, including the specification of the EH-proposed
involvement in the startup or restart activities.
(4) Review and comment on the Operational Readiness Review final report
recommendations regarding startup or restart to the DOE startup or restart
approving official.
(5) Provide any dissenting opinion on the readiness of a facility to startup or
restart to DOE line management or the Secretary if a significant safety
concern is not being properly corrected.
(6) If requested by the Secretary, concur in the final decision to startup or
restart a nuclear facility.
6. CONTACT. Questions concerning this Order should be referred to the Director, Office of
Nuclear Safety Policy and Standards (EH-31), phone 301-903-3465.
BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY:
RICK FARRELL
DIRECTOR OF MANAGEMENT
AND ADMINISTRATION
DOE O 425.1A Attachment I
12-28-98 Page I-1
CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT
DOE O 425.1A, STARTUP AND RESTART OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES,
dated 12-28-98
1. DOE CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES. The contractors shall establish procedures
as necessary to manage startup and restart actions in accordance with this Contractor
Requirements Document (CRD).
2. CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS. DOE-STD-3006-95 provides guidance on
approaches and methods approved as acceptable for implementing the requirements of this
CRD. Other approaches and methods may be used provided they are justified,
documented, and approved as being in accordance with the requirements of this CRD by
the authorization authority for startup or restart.
a. General.
(1) Operational Readiness Review. Contractor management shall determine if
Operational Readiness Reviews are required for startup of new nuclear
facilities or restart of a nuclear facility using the requirements given below.
Contractors shall conduct an Operational Readiness Review when any of
the following conditions occur.
(a) Initial startups of new hazard categories 1, 2, and 3 nuclear
facilities.
(b) Restart after a nuclear facility unplanned shutdown directed by a
DOE management official for safety or other appropriate reasons.
(c) Restart after an extended shutdown for hazard categories 1 and 2
nuclear facilities. Extended shutdown for a hazard category 1
nuclear facility is 6 months. Extended shutdown for a hazard
category 2 nuclear facility is 12 months.
Section 10
(d) Restart of hazard categories 1 and 2 nuclear facilities after
substantial process, system, or facility modifications. (The restart
authority shall determine if the modifications are substantial based
on the impact of the changes on the safety basis and the extent and
complexity of changes; this would not necessarily be determined by
the Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) process).
Attachment I DOE O 425.1A
Page I-2 12-28-98
(e) Restart after a nuclear facility shutdown because of operations
outside the safety basis.
(f) When deemed appropriate by DOE management officials, including
restarts of hazard category 3 nuclear facilities.
(2) Readiness Assessment. For restarts of nuclear facilities not requiring an
Operational Readiness Review, contractor management shall evaluate the
need for performing a Readiness Assessment prior to restart. This includes
the startup or restart of program work associated with operating facilities
when the new or restarted program work does not require DOE approval
of changes to facility limits or requirements as stated in Operational Safety
Requirements/Technical Safety Requirements (OSRs/TSRs), Basis for
Interim Operations/Safety Analysis Reports (BIO/SARs), or other
equivalent authorization basis documents. When a Readiness Assessment
is required, the contractor shall use procedures developed by the
Operations Offices to gain Operations Office approval of the startup or
restart of nuclear facilities. If a Readiness Assessment is not to be
performed, the contractor's standard procedures for startup or restart will
be used. Other requirements for Readiness Assessments are provided in
paragraph 2c, below.
(3) Authorization Authority. For nuclear facility startup or restart actions, the
contractor shall determine the authorization authority for startup or restart
approval by the following.
(a) For initial startups of new hazard categories 1 and 2 nuclear
facilities, the Secretary of Energy (or designee) shall approve
startup. For initial startups of new hazard category 3 nuclear
facilities, the cognizant Secretarial Officer (or designee) shall
approve startup. If other DOE Orders require a higher level of
startup authorization than this CRD, the official described in this
CRD will recommend startup to the higher level official.
(b) For shutdowns directed by a DOE management official for safety or
other appropriate reasons, approval to restart shall be granted by an
official of a level commensurate with the official ordering the
shutdown unless a higher level is designated by the cognizant
Secretarial Officer.
DOE O 425.1A Attachment I
12-28-98 Page I-3
(c) For extended shutdowns of hazard category 1 nuclear facilities, the
cognizant Secretarial Officer shall approve restart. For extended
shutdowns of hazard category 2 nuclear facilities, the cognizant
Secretarial Officer, or designee, shall approve restart.
(d) For shutdowns because of substantial facility modifications of
hazard category 1 nuclear facilities, the cognizant Secretarial
Officer shall approve restart. For such shutdowns of hazard
category 2 nuclear facilities, the cognizant Secretarial Officer (or
designee) shall approve restart.
(e) For facility shutdowns due to operations outside the safety basis,
the official approving restart shall be commensurate with the
approval authority for the safety basis. If the safety basis was
approved by a Headquarters official, the cognizant Secretarial
Officer (or designee) shall approve restart. If the safety basis was
approved by a field official, the Operations Office Manager (or
designee) shall approve restart.
Section 11
(f) For startups or restarts of nuclear facilities for which Operational
Readiness Reviews were required as a result of a DOE official
deeming it appropriate, the official approving startup or restart shall
be of a level commensurate with the official directing the review. If
a Headquarters official directed an Operational Readiness Review
be performed, the cognizant Secretarial Officer (or designee) shall
approve the startup or restart. If a field official directed an
Operational Readiness Review, the Operations Office Manager (or
designee) shall approve the startup or restart.
b. Requirements Applicable to Startups or Restarts of Nuclear Facilities Involving
Operational Readiness Reviews. (These requirements are listed sequentially.)
(1) Operational Readiness Review Documentation. For Operational Readiness
Reviews, responsible contractors shall prepare startup/restart notification
reports and plans-of-action. The contractor's Operational Readiness
Review team leaders shall prepare implementation plans, and final reports.
The resolution of all findings from the Operational Readiness Review shall
be documented and maintained with the plan-of-action, Implementation
Plan, and final report.
Attachment I DOE O 425.1A
Page I-4 12-28-98
(2) Breadth of Operational Readiness Review. The contractor shall develop
the breadth of the Operational Readiness Review and document it in the
plan-of-action. A minimum set of core requirements, as defined in the core
requirements (paragraph 2d, below) shall be addressed when developing
the breadth of the Operational Readiness Review. The plan-of-action may
reference a timely, independent review that addressed the requirement in a
technically satisfactory manner to justify not performing further evaluation
of a core requirement, or portion thereof, during the Operational Readiness
Review. The breadth may be expanded at a later time by the Operational
Readiness Review team, if appropriate.
(3) Operational Readiness Review Plans-of-Action, Approval and Content.
The contractor's Operational Readiness Review plan-of-action shall be
approved by the appropriate startup or restart authorities. The contractor's
plan-of-action shall specify the prerequisites for starting the responsible
contractor's Operational Readiness Review; the prerequisites shall address
each core requirement of paragraph 2d, below, determined to be applicable
when developing the scope of the Operational Readiness Review. The
contractor plan-of-action shall be provided to EH-2 for review and
comment.
(4) Operational Readiness Review Teams.
(a) Contractor management shall appoint Operational Readiness
Review teams in accordance with the following qualifications and
training requirements:
1 Technical knowledge of the area assigned for evaluation,
including experience working in the technical area.
2 Knowledge of performance-based assessment processes and
methods.
3 Knowledge of facility-specific information.
(b) The Operational Readiness Review team shall not include as senior
members (including team leader) individuals from offices assigned
direct line management responsibility for the work being reviewed;
any exceptions require approval of the startup or restart authority.
Additionally, no Operational Readiness Review team member
should review work for which he or she is directly responsible.
DOE O 425.1A Attachment I
12-28-98 Page I-5
(c) The Operational Readiness Review team leader shall determine and
document qualifications of Operational Readiness Review team
members.
Section 12
(5) Criteria and Review Approaches. The contractor's Operational Readiness
Review team shall determine the criteria and review approaches to be used
for the review based on the approved breadth given in the plan-of-action
and document the criteria and review approaches in the Operational
Readiness Review Implementation Plan.
(6) Approve and Use Implementation Plans. The contractor's Operational
Readiness Review team leader shall approve the Implementation Plan and
use it to conduct the Operational Readiness Review. The Implementation
Plan shall be provided to EH-2 for review and comment.
(7) Certification and Verification. The responsible contractor shall certify by
correspondence to DOE line management that the facility is ready to
startup or restart and that this has been verified by the contractor
Operational Readiness Review.
(8) Final Report.
(a) Upon completion of the contractor or DOE Operational Readiness
Review, DOE line management shall ensure a final report is
prepared and approved by the Operational Readiness Review team
leader. The final report shall document the results of the
Operational Readiness Review and make a conclusion as to whether
startup or restart of the nuclear facility can proceed safely. There
shall be a statement in each Operational Readiness Review final
report as to whether the facility has established the following: an
agreed upon set of requirements to govern safe operations of the
facility; this set of requirements has been formalized with DOE
through the contract or other enforceable mechanism; these
requirements have been appropriately implemented in the facility, or
appropriate compensatory measures, formally approved, are in
place during the period prior to full implementation; and in the
opinion of the Operational Readiness Review team, maintain
adequate protection of the public health and safety, worker safety,
and the environment. This conclusion shall be based on:
1 Review of the program to document conformance with the
agreed upon set of requirements, including a process to
address new requirements; and
Attachment I DOE O 425.1A
Page I-6 12-28-98
2 Extensive use of references to the established requirements
in the Operational Readiness Review documentation.
(b) Additionally, there shall be a "Lessons Learned" section of the final
report that may relate to design, construction, operation, and
decommissioning of similar facilities and to future Operational
Readiness Review efforts.
(c) The core requirements, in aggregate, address many of the core
functions and guiding principles of an Integrated Safety
Managements System (ISMS). The final report should include a
statement regarding the team leaders assessment of the adequacy of
the implementation of those functions and principles, already
addressed by the Operational Readiness Review, at the facility
undergoing the review.
(9) Submit Final Report. The final report shall be submitted to the
startup/restart authority to be used as a basis to grant approval of the
startup or restart of the nuclear facility. A copy of the final shall be
provided to EH-2 for review and comment.
(10) Closure of Findings. The mechanism for closure of DOE Operational
Readiness Review findings shall include:
(a) Development of action plans, approved by DOE, to correct the
findings. Action plans shall provide evaluation of any overall
programmatic deficiencies and root causes.
Section 13
(b) Documentation of completion of response actions responding to the
findings in a closure package. Closure packages shall include a
brief description of actual corrective actions taken and reasons for
concluding that closure has been achieved.
(11) Approval. The contractor shall satisfactorily resolve all prestart findings of
the DOE Operational Readiness Review prior to startup or restart of the
facility. The startup or restart authority may approve startup or restart
after prestart findings are corrected.
c. Requirements Applicable to Startups or Restarts of Nuclear Facilities Involving
Readiness Assessments.
DOE O 425.1A Attachment I
12-28-98 Page I-7
(1) Readiness Assessment Procedures. The contractor shall establish
procedures that define when a Readiness Assessment is required and
provide requirements for conduct of readiness assessments including
procedures by which contractors will gain Operations Office approval of
the startup or restart of nuclear facilities. The procedures shall require
submittal of a startup notification report to obtain approval to use a
Readiness Assessment and preparation of a formal plan-of-action that
includes, as a minimum, the breadth of the assessment, team leader
designation, and prerequisites for the assessment and shall be approved by
the startup or restart authority. For shutdowns directed by contractor
management, these procedures may indicate that, except for serious safety
reasons, the contractor management may be the startup or restart authority.
(2) Graded Approach. Contractor Readiness Assessment procedures shall
specify a graded approach to the tenets of Operational Readiness
requirements specified in this CRD. The procedures should indicate that
the Readiness Assessment may be as short and simple as a restart check
procedure, or that it may approach the breadth and depth of an Operational
Readiness Review, depending on the causes and duration of the shutdown
and the modifications accomplished during the shutdown.
(3) Approval. The startup or restart authority, the Operations Office Manager
or designee, may approve startup or restart after prestart findings are
corrected.
d. Minimum Core Requirements. Each of the minimum core requirements listed
below, shall be addressed when developing the breadth of an Operational
Readiness Review. Justification shall be provided in the plan-of-action, prepared
in accordance with paragraphs 2b(2) and (3), above, of this CRD, if it is
determined that a particular core requirement will not be reviewed. The plan-of-
action may reference a timely, independent review that addressed the requirements
in a technically sound manner to justify not performing further evaluation of a core
requirement during an Operational Readiness Review.
(1) There are adequate and correct procedures and safety limits for operating
the process systems and utility systems.
(2) Training and qualification programs for operations and operations support
personnel have been established, documented, and implemented. (The
training and qualification program encompasses the range of duties and
activities required to be performed.)
Attachment I DOE O 425.1A
Page I-8 12-28-98
(3) Level of knowledge of operations and operations support personnel is
adequate based on reviews of examinations and examination results and
selected interviews of operating and operations support personnel.
Section 14
(4) Facility safety documentation is in place that describes the "safety
envelope" of the facility. The safety documentation should characterize the
hazards/risks associated with the facility and should identify mitigating
measures (systems, procedures, administrative controls, etc.) that protect
workers and the public from those hazards/risks. Safety systems and
systems essential to worker and public safety are defined and a system to
maintain control over the design and modification of facilities and safety-
related utility systems is established.
(5) A program is in place to confirm and periodically reconfirm the condition
and operability of safety systems, including safety related process systems
and safety related utility systems. This includes examinations of records of
tests and calibration of safety system and other instruments that monitor
limiting conditions of operation or that satisfy Technical Safety
Requirements. All systems are currently operable and in a satisfactory
condition.
(6) A process has been established to identify, evaluate, and resolve
deficiencies and recommendations made by oversight groups, official
review teams, audit organizations, and the operating contractor.
(7) Formal agreements establishing requirements are in place between the
operating contractor and DOE, via the contract or other enforceable
mechanism, which govern the safe operations of the facility. A systematic
review of the facility’s conformance to these requirements has been
performed. These requirements have been implemented in the facility, or
compensatory measures are in place, and formally agreed to during the
period of implementation. The compensatory measures and the
implementation period are approved by DOE.
(8) Management programs are established, sufficient numbers of qualified
personnel are provided, and adequate facilities and equipment are available
to ensure operational support services (e.g., training, maintenance, waste
management, environmental protection, industrial safety and hygiene,
radiological protection and health physics, emergency preparedness, fire
protection, quality assurance, criticality safety, and engineering) are
adequate for operations.
DOE O 425.1A Attachment I
12-28-98 Page I-9
(9) A routine and emergency operations drill program, including program
records, has been established and implemented.
(10) An adequate startup or restart test program has been developed that
includes adequate plans for graded operations testing to simultaneously
confirm operability of equipment, the viability of procedures, and the
training of operators.
(11) Functions, assignments, responsibilities, and reporting relationships are
clearly defined, understood, and effectively implemented with line
management responsibility for control of safety.
(12) The implementation status for DOE 5480.19, CONDUCT OF
OPERATIONS REQUIREMENTS FOR DOE FACILITIES, of 7-9-90, is
adequate for operations.
(13) There are sufficient numbers of qualified personnel, to support safe
operations.
(14) A program is established to promote a site-wide culture in which personnel
exhibit an awareness of public and worker safety, health, and environmental
protection requirements and, through their actions, demonstrate a high
priority commitment to comply with these requirements.
(15) The facility systems and procedures, as affected by facility modifications,
are consistent with the description of the facility, procedures, and accident
analysis included in the safety basis.
Section 15
(16) The technical and managerial qualifications of those personnel at the DOE
Field organization and at DOE Headquarters who have been assigned
responsibilities for providing direction and guidance to the contractor,
including the Facility Representatives, are adequate (DOE Operational
Readiness Review only).
(17) The breadth, depth, and results of the responsible contractor Operational
Readiness Review are adequate to verify the readiness of hardware,
personnel, and management programs for operations (DOE Operational
Readiness Review only).
(18) Modifications to the facility have been reviewed for potential impacts on
procedures and training and qualification. Procedures have been revised to
reflect these modifications and training has been performed to these revised
procedures.
Attachment I DOE O 425.1A
Page I-10 12-28-98
(19) The technical and management qualifications of contractor personnel
responsible for facility operations are adequate.
(20) DOE Operations Office Oversight Programs, such as Occurrence
Reporting, Facility Representative, Corrective Action, and Quality
Assurance Programs, are adequate (DOE Operational Readiness Review
only).
e. Exemptions. Requirements for exemptions are provided in DOE O 251.1A,
DIRECTIVES SYSTEM.
f. Information Management Program. Requirements for maintenance and disposition
of Federal records, such as those pertaining to Operational readiness Reviews or
Readiness Assessments, are provided under the general guidance of DOE Order
200.1, Information Management Program, of 9-30-96. The disposition, including
destruction, of Federal records must be in accordance with (1) the General
Records Schedules, as published by the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA), or (2) DOE records disposition schedules (Standard
Forms 115) as approved by NARA. Consult the cognizant site records officer or
cognizant DOE Operations Office records officer for Guidance.
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