AIKEN, S.C. - The Savannah River Site (SRS) management and operations contractor improved the process for its employees to obtain EM operator qualifications, avoiding estimated costs of more than $5.6 million by fiscal 2018.
“Nuclear qualifications are difficult. They are confusing and cumbersome, and we needed to make it more user-friendly and accessible for new employees," Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Deputy Site Training Manager Greg Sanborn said. “Historically, the initial facility qualifications were inconsistently tracked with a facility schedule, and contributed to delays."
A team developed an improved method for incorporating critical training courses into work shifts and weekly schedules after analyzing the training process. Its members examined the period of time from when an employee arrives at the facility after completing fundamentals training to when the trainee is ready for the written, performance, and oral exams.
“It has been a breath of fresh air to start training at SRNS," said Sammie McDuffie, an SRNS operator-in-training for H Canyon. “Here, they make sure you have all the tools you need to be successful. We stay really busy in the classroom and our online self-paced courses, and we often finish up the day with a walk-down of the facilities where we will eventually qualify to work."
Training expectations in SRS facilities need to be more clearly defined, the team determined. They revised the “qual cards" - or the list of required operator courses used to keep track of training expiration dates - to be more efficient. Each facility has different qual cards because each facility is unique, presenting different hazards and operating characteristics.
The team streamlined the strategy for scheduling courses to reduce downtime between trainings. In between instructor-led classes at a central location, operators take self-paced online courses. The team also instituted a more cohesive schedule with foundational training common to all SRS facilities.
“To help the operators navigate through their requirements, each facility also started assigning mentors to help guide them as they become acclimated with their facilities and the site as a whole," Sanborn added.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
