A strategy for achieving sustained high levels of safety and economic performance in the operation of commercial nuclear power plants

Abstract

For U.S. nuclear power stations to continue to generate electricity they must operate both safely and economically. Although the average safety and economic performance of U.S. power stations has improved over the past several years, some plants have not reached or have not sustained high performance levels. Stations achieving sustained high performance levels were identified by an analysis of safety and economic performance data. The core attributes considered necessary to achieve and maintain this level of performance were identified by interviews with executives from the stations and by analysis of effective programs and practices, Core attributes for long-term sustained high performance were determined to be: -- Strong teamwork among the plant staff. -- Extremely reliable equipment operation. -- Clear, effective communication throughout the station. -- Effective use of operating experience and benchmarking. -- Knowledgeable and involved station managers. -- Training focused on improving performance. -- Constant focus on safe plant operation. Recommended methods to identify shortfalls and improve core attribute performance at stations that have not achieved sustained high performance are self-assessment, development of station-wide core principles, and management and supervisory training.