This page provides an index to the generic communications pertinent to operator licensing.
-
"Preparation and Scheduling of Operator Licensing Examinations." This annual RIS informs addressees of the NRC staff's need for updated information on projected site-specific operator licensing examination schedules, as well as on the estimated number of applicants planning to take operator licensing examinations. This information will help the NRC plan its resources more effectively. Addressee actions to collect and transmit the information requested are strictly voluntary. Each RIS supersedes in its entirety the previous RIS:
RIS-21-01, RIS-20-01, RIS-19-02, RIS-18-02, RIS-17-03, RIS-16-09, RIS-15-05, RIS-14-05, RIS-13-06, RIS-12-07, RIS-11-04, RIS-10-08, RIS-09-11, RIS-08-16, RIS-07-17, RIS-06-15, RIS-05-19, RIS-04-10, RIS-03-14.
-
RIS-07-29, "Clarified Guidance for Licensed Operator Watch-Standing Proficiency," dated December 27, 2007. This RIS summarized the clarifications on this subject contained in Section ES-605 of Supplement 1 to Revision 9 of NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors." Supplement 1 to Revision 9 of NUREG-1021 was issued on October 19, 2007. This RIS required no action or written response on the part of the addressees.
-
RIS-03-10, "Licensed Operator Requalification Training: Written Exam Frequency," dated June 13, 2003. This RIS clarifies the NRC staff's expectations regarding the frequency of licensed operator requalification written examinations.
-
RIS-01-01, "Eligibility of Operator License Applicants," dated January 18, 2001. This document reviews and updates the status of this issue since Information Notice (IN) 98-37, "Eligibility of Operator License Applicants," was issued on October 1, 1998. This RIS does not transmit any new requirements or staff positions, nor does it require any specific action or written response.
-
Generic Letter 2006-02, "Grid Reliability and the Impact on Plant Risk and the Operability of Offsite Power," dated February 1, 2006. This document required addressees to provide information related to electrical power system operability, maintenance, and restoration to determine if compliance is being maintained with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulatory requirements governing electric power sources and associated personnel training.
-
Generic Letter 95-06, Supplement 1, "Changes in the Operator Licensing Program," dated January 31, 1997. This document (1) informed addressees of the results of the pilot program described in GL 95-06 and (2) notified addressees of NRC's decision to change the operator licensing process so that facility licensees could prepare the operating tests and prepare, administer, and grade the written examinations that the NRC would review, approve, and use to determine the competence of operator license applicants at power reactor facilities. This change was implemented on an interim basis pending the completion of an amendment to 10 CFR Part 55 that, had it been approved in its proposed format, would have required power reactor facility licensees to prepare their own examinations.
-
Generic Letter 95-06, "Changes in the Operator Licensing Program," dated August 15, 1995. This document (1) notified addressees of the NRC's intent to change the operator licensing process so that facility licensees will have the option to prepare draft written examinations and operating tests used by the NRC to determine the competence of operator license applicants at power reactor facilities and (2) solicited volunteers to participate in a pilot program that evaluated and refined the new examination development process.
-
Generic Letter 89-05, "Pilot Testing of Fundamentals Examination," dated April 4, 1989. This letter is to inform facility licensees and potential applicants under 10 CFR Part 55 that the NRC is offering a second pilot test of the fundamentals examination for candidates for an NRC operator's license. During this pilot test, examinations will be administered to candidates for a license to operate both Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) and Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). The pilot test will be used to refine the development, administration, and grading process for the fundamentals examination. Applicants who participate in this pilot test and achieve a passing grade of 70 percent or a higher percentage will receive a waiver under 10 CFR 55.47 of the applicable section of the written examination that is required by 10 CFR 55.41 or 55.43.
-
Generic Letter 88-09, "Pilot Testing of Fundamentals Examination," dated May 17, 1988. This letter is to inform facility licensees and potential applicants under 10 CFR 55 of a pilot testing program of a fundamentals examination for Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs). The pilot test is to refine the examination development methodology, administration, and grading process. Applicants who participate in this pilot test and achieve a passing grade of 70 percent or more will receive a waiver under 10 CFR 55.47 of the applicable section of the written examination under 55.41 or 55.43.
-
Generic Letter 87-07, "Information Transmittal of Final Rulemaking for Revisions to Operator licensing 10 CFR 55 and Conforming Amendments," dated March 19, 1987. This document announced a series of public meetings to discuss an amendment to 10 CFR Part 55, which was published in the Federal Register (52 FR 9453) on March 25, 1987, and highlighted the option of substituting an accredited training program for initial and requalification training programs previously approved by NRC.
-
Information Notice 2012-10 - "Recent Issues Associated with Submittal of NRC Form 396, Certification on Medical Examination by Facility Licensee, for Applicants and Licensed Operators at Non-Power Reactors," dated July 16, 2012. This notice is to inform addressees about recent issues on the completeness of information required in the "Certification of Medical Examination by Facility Licensee" (NRC Form 396) to meet NRC medical requirements for applicants and holders of operator and senior operator licenses.
-
Information Notice 2011-02 - "Operator Performance Issues Involving Reactivity Management at Nuclear Power Plants," dated January 31, 2011. This notice addresses recent plant events related to reactivity control during low-power operations that were attributed at least in part to human performance issues.
-
Information Notice 2010-06 - "Inadvertent Control Rod Withdrawal Event While Shutdown," dated February 17, 2010. This notice addresses recent plant events that were attributed at least in part to human performance issues.
-
Information Notice 2009-22 - "Recent Human Performance Issues at Nuclear Power Plants," dated October 2, 2009. This notice addresses recent plant events that were attributed at least in part to human performance issues.
- Information Notice 09-21, "Incomplete Medical Testing for Licensed Operators," dated September 30, 2009. This IN addresses several recent examples that have occurred where licensed operators did not meet NRC medical requirements because the facility licensee failed to adequately perform the required medical testing specified in American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/American Nuclear Society (ANS)-3.4, "Medical Certification and Monitoring of Personnel Requiring Operator Licenses for Nuclear Power Plants."
-
Information Notice 07-39, "Control of Simulation Software Categorized as Sensitive Unclassified Nonsafeguards Information," dated January 7, 2008. This IN was sent to all power reactors, category I fuel cycle facilities, independent spent fuel storage installations, conversion facility, and gaseous diffusion plants. Note that this information notice contains physical security information and is, therefore, being withheld from public disclosure in accordance with 10 CFR 2.390.
-
Information Notice 07-31 , "U.S. Food and Drug Administration Announcement Related to Certain Sleep Disorder Drugs," dated November 13, 2007. This IN provided information regarding a March 14, 2007, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement related to certain sleep disorder drugs. The information described in the announcement could be applicable to a licensee's Fitness-for-Duty Program (FFD), Behavioral Observation Program (BOP), and Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
-
Information Notice 07-11, "Recent Operator Performance Issues At Nuclear Power Plants," dated March 6, 2007. This notice informed addressees of recent operator performance issues such as examples of misalignments that rendered plant safety systems inoperable and instances in which operators did not control reactivity as specified in plant procedures.
-
Information Notice 06-09, "Performance of NRC-Licensed Individuals while on Duty with Respect to Control Room Attentiveness," dated April 11, 2006. This notice informed addressees of recent instances in which on-duty control room operators were inattentive.
-
Information Notice 04-20, "Recent Issues Associated With NRC Medical Requirements for Licensed Operators," dated November 24, 2004. This notice highlighted concerns related to the conduct and documentation of medical examinations for applicants and holders of reactor operator and senior operator licenses.
-
Information Notice 98-37, "Eligibility of Operator License Applicants," dated October 1, 1998. This notice to reminded addressees that the eligibility requirements for applying for an operator license have not changed since 10 CFR Part 55 was amended in 1987.
-
Information Notice 98-28, "Development of Systematic Sample Plan for Operator Licensing Examinations," dated July 31, 1998. This notice alerted addressees to concerns that NRC found while conducting its licensed operator examination program.
-
Information Notice 98-15, "Integrity of Operator Licensing Examinations," dated April 20, 1998. This notice advised addressees of several instances of potential compromise of the integrity of operator licensing examinations.
-
Information Notice 97-67, "Failure to Satisfy the Requirements for Significant Manipulation of the Controls for Power Reactor Operator Licensing," dated August 21, 1997. This notice alerted addressees that operator license applicants are required to perform at least five significant control manipulations on the facility for which a license is sought (Section 55.31(a)(5) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations [10 CFR 55.31(a)(5)]).
-
Information Notice 95-48, "Results of Shift Staffing Study," dated October 10, 1995. This notice informed addressees of the results of the NRC's study to address the adequacy of minimum shift staffing levels at nuclear power plants.
-
Information Notice 95-24, "Summary of Licensed Operator Requalification Inspection Program Findings," dated April 25, 1995. This notice alerted addressees regarding the NRC's findings during the more than 50 requalification program inspections using IP 71001 or its predecessor, Temporary Instruction 2515/117, conducted since January 1993.
-
Information Notice 95-23, "Control Room Staffing Below Minimum Regulatory Requirements," dated April 24, 1995. This notice alerted addressees to several instances from 1992 through 1994 in which control room staffing fell below the regulatory requirements in 10 CFR 50.54(k), 10 CFR 50.54(m)(2)(iii), and facility Technical Specifications and procedures.
-
Information Notice 94-14, "Failure to Implement Requirements for Biennial Medical Examinations and Notification to the NRC of Changes in Licensed Operator Medical Conditions," dated February 24, 1994, and its Supplement, dated April 14, 1997. This notice reminded addressees of the requirements for licensed reactor operators and senior reactor operators to be examined by a physician every 2 years and for facility licensees to notify the NRC of changes in a licensed operator's physical or mental condition, as determined by a physician, that cause the operator to fail to meet the medical requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 55, "Operators' Licenses" (10 CFR Part 55).
-
Information Notice 91-77, "Shift Staffing at Nuclear Power Plants," dated November 26, 1991. This notice alerted addressees to problems that could result from inadequate controls to ensure that shift staffing is sufficient to accomplish all necessary functions required by an event.
-
Information Notice 91-24, "Recent Operating Experience Involving Reactor Operation Without a Licensed RO or SRO Present in the Control Room," dated March 26, 1991. This notice alerted addressees to recent operating experience involving reactor operation without a licensed reactor operator or senior reactor operator present in the control room.
-
Information Notice 91-08, "Medical Examinations for Licensed Operators," dated February 5, 1991. This notice alerted addressees to recent problems identified in the administration and documentation of medical examinations for licensed operators and operator license applicants.
-
Information Notice 90-54, "Summary of Requalification Program Deficiencies," dated August 28, 1990. This notice alerted addressees to problems identified during administration of the NRC's licensed operator requalification examination program. The problems and weaknesses summarized therein were compiled from NRC examination reports issued to facilities that received unsatisfactory requalification program evaluations or exhibited significant weaknesses during the examination process.