Technical and organizational support for the operator

The requirement for staff and facilities on- and off-site to provide technical support to the plant personnel in normal and under accident conditions has been highlighted over the past 18 months as part of the post-TMI investigations. In the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) considerable attention has always been paid to these requirements but naturally the experience of TMI has led to a review of the existing arrangements to determine whether any improvements and modifications were advisable. Similarly, the CEGB has always paid particular attention to the development of an appropriate emergency plant covering both the on-site damage control activities and off-site evacuation procedures consistent with the demography of the particular site being considered. An important aspect of gaining confidence in the potential success of the emergency plan is the regular practice and exercising of individual parts of the plan and its totality, and full attention is given also to these aspects. The paper reviews in some detail the ways in which the CEGB has met the requirements for the different aspects enumerated above, and will trace the approaches which have developed in the training and practices in respect of accident procedures. (author)