Operator Training for SAM in the Netherlands

The Borssele NPP in the Netherlands, in operation since 1972, is a Siemens designed 2-loop PWR. The plant is using EOP's and SAMG's based on Westinghouse standards. In 1999 these SAMG's were applied and implemented to the specifics of the plant. Determination of the present instrumentation capabilities was part of this work. The implementation phase was ended with a table-top exercise to test the functionality of the SAMG's within the Alarm Response Organization. Operator training for the SAMG's consists of five phases: - general introduction courses into the plant specific severe accident phenomena and the use of SAMG's; - full scale emergency exercise focused on training the Alarm Response Organization for SAMG-implementation and -validation; - table-top exercises in the usage of the SAMG's focussed on training the operator in understanding and application of the guidelines; - table-top exercises in the usage of the SAMG's focussed on training the operator in application of the EOP's and SAMG's within the Alarm Response Organization; - full-scale emergency exercise focussed on training the Alarm Response Organization up to and including SAM. Main purposes of these courses and table-top exercises are to give the operator insight in the structure of the SAMG's, give insight in the strategies as proposed in the SAMG's and give the operator experience in the usage. At the same time the exercises serve as a review of the SAMG's and training in the different responsibilities within the Alarm Response Organization. For the table-top exercises specific accident scenarios are defined which guide the operator through specific parts of the SAMG's. An EXCEL tool was created to represent the information that the operator normally retrieves from the plant status computer. Main information for the operator training is based on the next Borssele sources: - safety evaluation and design base accident analyses; - plant simulator for design base accident analyses and training; - full-scope PSA level 3; - MAAP severe accident calculations; - MAAP-GRAAPH visualization of Borssele NPP. Applying this information and this training the Borssele plant fulfills the objectives of improving operator knowledge, improving operator skills and testing the SAM organization efficiency. (authors)