Remember the days of the Encyclopedia Britannica? Thirty-something volumes of general information of just about anything anyone anywhere might want to know. Nuclear power plant reactor operators almost need to be walking encyclopedias with respect to the gigabytes of knowledge about their plant that they need to retain and have readily available for immediate recollection and use. Sure, they have procedures which define the steps they must follow for operating equipment, systems, and the overall plant, but good procedures don’t eliminate the need for knowledgeable operators.
Think about the volumes of information that operators receive in their initial training on generic fundamentals, systems, FSAR, Tech Specs, and so on, that they are expected to retain. And although they receive continuing training, what happens to the knowledge gained once but not used routinely throughout their careers?
Recently, attention has been given to the need to include more operator fundamentals training in continuing training programs. “Operator fundamentals” means the essential knowledge, skills, behaviors, and practices that an operator must use to safely and efficiently operate the plant. This includes having a solid understanding of the basic sciences and engineering principles relevant to plant operations, or what is commonly referred to in the nuclear industry as generic fundamentals.
Given the already packed training schedule of operators and the limited training resources available, especially in light of upcoming retirements, this presents quite a challenge to nuclear training departments. Is it even possible to include a meaningful review of generic fundamentals in a traditional classroom-based, instructor-led continuing training program?
NuScholar offers an innovative, economical, and flexible alternative to traditional classroom based training for generic nuclear power plant fundamentals. There is a means to regularly refresh an operator’s knowledge of the basic science and engineering principles that are important to safe and efficient plant operations.
Contact us today, and let us help you prepare the next generation of nuclear workers at your plant.
