Phase III - Corrective Actions

Does the corrective action introduce new risks? Are the assumed risks clearly stated?

(The safety of other systems must not be degraded by the proposed corrective action.)

Were the immediate actions taken appropriate and effective?

A systems approach, such as Kepner-Tregoe, should be used in determining appropriate corrective

actions. It should consider not only the impact they will have on preventing recurrence, but also the

potential that the corrective actions may actually degrade some other aspect of nuclear safety. Also, the

impact the corrective actions will have on other facilities and their operations should be considered. The

proposed corrective actions must be compatible with facility commitments and other obligations. In

addition, those affected by or responsible for any part of the corrective actions, including management,

should be involved in the process. Proposed corrective actions should be reviewed to ensure the above

criteria have been met, and should be prioritized based on importance, scheduled (a change in priority or

schedule should be approved by management), entered into a commitment tracking system, and

implemented in a timely manner. A complete corrective action program should be based, not only on

specific causes of occurrences, but also on items such as lessons learned from other facilities, appraisals,

and employee suggestions.

A successful corrective action program requires management that is involved at the appropriate

level and is willing to take responsibility and allocate adequate resources for corrective actions.

Additional specific questions and considerations in developing and implementing corrective actions

include:

Do the corrective actions address all the causes?

Will the corrective actions cause detrimental effects?

What are the consequences of implementing the corrective actions?

What are the consequences of not implementing the corrective actions?

What is the cost of implementing the corrective actions (capital costs, operations, and

maintenance costs)?

Will training be required as part of the implementation?

In what time frame can the corrective actions reasonably be implemented?

What resources are required for sucessful development of the corrective actions?

What resources are required for successful implementation and continued effectiveness of

the corrective actions?

What impact will the development and implementation of the corrective actions have on

other work groups?

Is the implementation of the corrective actions measurable? (For example, "Revise step

6.2 of the procedure to reflect the correct equipment location," is measurable; "Ensure the

actions of procedure step 6.2 are performed correctly in the future," is not measurable.)