Most nuclear facility problems (minor deficiencies to major accidents) are the result of a failure in some aspect of nuclear safety culture.

In observing many commercial nuclear power plants and U. S. Department of Energy nuclear facilities since 1981, few have come close to achieving the nuclear safety culture required to ensure the success of the nuclear industry over the (probable) long future ahead of the industry.  Some of them seem to be very good for the "short haul," but the nuclear industry may need to be around for the "long haul," assuming no fundamental technology breakthroughs such as cold fusion (or hot fusion, for that matter).  With the accidents at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and now the Japanese accident at Tokaimura, our concerns about nuclear safety culture have been validated.

Before you take the actual nuclear safety culture essay examination (below) or the more technical operational nuclear safety culture examination, you will probably want to go through the preliminary multiple-selection test.  I have found that many people are unnecessarily intimidated by essay tests on nuclear safety culture, so I have prepared an automated 80 part questionaire that makes things a lot easier.  After you take the multiple-selection test, if you do well, the grade will be recorded and you will be encouraged to go ahead and take the essay examinations.  Since I grade the essay examination by hand, it is also important to me for you to start off with the 80 part multiple selection test and then come back to the essay examinations.

Or if you are in a hurry, please refer to this linked page on some of the most important aspects of nuclear safety culture.  After reading that, you will be able to answer a few of the questions on the essay examination (below) and decide whether or not you would like to jump right in without the benefit of the 80 part multiple-selection test.  .

Fill in the information indicated below that you would like to fill in.  The personal and company information that you provide will not be used outside the context of nuclear safety culture discussions and will not be released to others except where you specifically request this to be done.  This personal and company information only helps me better understand the context within which you may be answering the nuclear safety culture questions.

Note that there are two essay examinations, one primarily for management and the other primarily for the technical people.  They are both easy enough for everyone to take, which is my recommendation.  They are only separated into two essay examinations of 10 questions each for convenience.

Charles R. Jones
12/99

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Answer each question completely but concisely.

1. What do we mean by "nuclear safety culture"?

2. Why is having a good nuclear safety culture important to a nuclear plant or facility?

3. How can you determine whether or not a nuclear plant has a good nuclear safety culture?

4. What is the primary function of management at a nuclear plant?

5. What do we mean by "defense in depth"? Give examples.

6. What do we mean by "verbatim compliance"? When is it necessary? Give examples.

7. What do we mean by "configuration management"? Why is it important?

8. What do we mean by "life cycle maintenance"? Why is it important?

9. What should be management's response to an incident in which a worker removed a "danger tag" from a nuclear safety system without authorization?

10. In performing a plant operating procedure, the operator discovers that a step states that a control switch is to be "turned" to the "on" position, but the specified switch is a "pushbutton." What actions should be taken?