Electronic situation report in a nuclear power plant

During the last years the introduction of an electronic situation report system in nuclear power plants has been intensively discussed in the working group emergency staff coordinators of the VGB ('Verband der Grosskraftwerksbetreiber'). In parallel, many federal state authorities as well as the German Ministry of the Environment already successfully started to operate such a system. Based on a solution developed for the ministry for environment Baden-Wuerttemberg, the specific requirements are adapted and extended for the operation in a nuclear power plant. The most important features are easy handling, open interfaces to the systems of the authorities, and flexibility for functional extensions. The advantages recognized after the first test stages led the nuclear power plants Biblis and Neckarwestheim to the decision to introduce such a system at the plant site. First progress and experience gained are reported from the perspective of the crisis management group of the power plant. (orig.)