Road to excellence through industry self-management

In March 1984, nuclear utilities in the US took the initiative to make regulations in management and people-related areas unnecessary, as such regulations would interfere with our ability to manage ourselves. Such an initiative is the Nuclear Utility Management and Human Resources Committee (NUMARC), which was formed because the authors believe the electric utility industry is best capable of managing itself. NUMARC works with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and its staff to develop a new approach to improving management and people-related areas of nuclear plant operation. In a recent NRC policy statement on training and qualification, the NRC recognized that the industry, through the initiatives of NUMARC and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), has made progress in developing programs to improve nuclear utility training and personnel qualification. It also recognized the importance of the industry's initiative and encouraged further self-improvement. The NRC stated it will refrain from new rulemaking in the area of training for a minimum of 2 yr, while monitoring industry efforts