Administrative Control Factors - STD-1128-98master0210

DOE-STD-1128-98

Guide of Good Practices for Occupational Radiological Protection in Plutonium Facilities

7.2.3 Administrative Control Factors

Administrative control factors are the combination of personnel, programs, plans,

procedures, training, audits and reviews, and quality assurance practices which are used to

administer a nuclear criticality safety program. Administrative controls are used in addition

to engineered controls or design features to ensure nuclear criticality safety of facility

operations. Administrative control factors are outlined in ANSI/ANS-8.19 (ANSI, 1984).

An effective nuclear criticality safety program requires a joint effort by managers,

supervisors, plutonium workers, and nuclear criticality safety staff and relies upon

conformance with operating procedures by all involved personnel. The following sections

describe the key requirements of a nuclear criticality safety program from ANSI/ANS-8.19.

7.2.3.1 Nuclear Criticality Safety Program

Management shall develop a nuclear criticality safety policy and ensure that it is

distributed to fissile material workers. They also delegate authority to implement the

policy, monitor the nuclear criticality safety program, and periodically participate in

audits of the program. Supervisory staff shall ensure that nuclear criticality safety

procedures are written and that staff is trained in those procedures. The nuclear

criticality safety staff shall provide technical guidance for the design of equipment and

processes and for the development of operating procedures. A nuclear criticality

safety evaluation shall be performed by the nuclear criticality safety staff before

starting a new operation with fissile materials or before an existing operation is

changed. An independent evaluation of the technical adequacy of the nuclear

criticality safety program shall also be performed periodically.

7.2.3.2 Nuclear Criticality Safety Organization

Like the radiation protection program, the nuclear criticality safety organization

should have a reporting line to the highest level of facility management independent of

operations. The nuclear criticality safety organization shall have the responsibilities

and authorities of its staff clearly delineated and communicated to the other facility

personnel. Lines of interaction and interfaces with other facility organizational

components should be clearly defined, both organizationally and procedurally. In any

case, the responsibility for nuclear criticality safety should be assigned in a manner

that is compatible and consistent with the other safety disciplines. The organization

should also contain an independent nuclear criticality safety review committee and

have access to consultants to assist in the conduct of the criticality safety program.

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