Platts - Monday, May 05, 2003
http://www.platts.com

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Washington (Nuclear News Flashes)--2May2003

Safety culture still “inconsistent” at Davis-Besse,
report says

Safety values at Davis-Besse are still "inconsistently
accepted and understood," according to a report by a
consultant hired by operator FirstEnergy Nuclear
Operating Co. (Fenoc). The report--by Sonja Haber, a
specialist in human performance analysis--said "problems
still exist in the transmission, comprehension, and
implementation of the safety message." It also said the
organization lacks an "integrated and cohesive
organizational safety leadership process." The report
praised some aspects of Fenoc's efforts, saying that
"[m]ultiple mechanisms have been put into place at
[Davis-Besse] to communicate the value of safety" and
that Fenoc has undertaken "significant efforts" to
maintain an "open reporting culture" on safety. NRC is
conducting its own assessment of Davis-Besse safety
culture and has a special inspection team on site.
Safety culture is one of the key remaining items in
Fenoc's effort to obtain NRC approval to restart the
reactor, which has been out of service since February
2002. The Haber report is available on NRC's Adams
system, accession number ML031210151.

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Washington (Nuclear News Flashes)--2May2003

Chernobyl health effects smaller than predicted, Swiss
doctors’ group says

The health effects of Chernobyl are less severe than
predicted, according to a report by the Swiss "Forum
Medizin" and Energie FME, an organization of doctors.
FME President Johannes Locher, a nuclear medicine
specialist, said that various United Nations studies
have found a higher rate of thyroid gland cancer among
children in the area affected by the 1986 accident but
that these mostly were curable. He added that medical
records do not prove that emissions caused any notably
higher leukemia rate or subsequent genetic defects.

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