Frequently Asked Questions cont'd

DOE-HDBK-1148-2002

The entire safety management system should be described to the Confirmation Team so

they can assess the feasibility of the WSS Set. The Confirmation Team needs to clearly

understand the nature of the entire safety management system. This is needed to build

confidence in the current safety system and proposed ISM system before they can take

on the task of assessing the feasibility of the WSS Set.

A list of the complete set of proposed standards should be given to the Confirmation

Team. The Confirmation Team should be given the full set of ES&H standards so they

can evaluate both the completeness and adequacy of the final product.

Interested Parties need to be identified early in the Process (e.g., DOE/HQ, DNFSB) and

kept up to date. The N&S Process can result in significant changes to the way LLNL

performs work safely. Interested Parties must be identified early in the Process and kept

informed throughout the Process to ensure that they understand the potential changes,

their ramifications and to be better prepared to continue their relationship with LLNL.

Top management engagement throughout the entire Process is a key

success factor. Laboratory and DOE Oakland Operations Office top management must

be continually engaged to ensure the success of the Process. Their continued

involvement by attending Convened Group and Standards Identification Team meetings

clearly demonstrated to all the importance of the Process to safety at LLNL.

Management is also then in a better position to provide the necessary resources and

eliminate barriers to progress.

The N&S Process requires a transition from an expert based system to a standards

based system. LLNL works to manuals that have been maintained by safety subject

matter experts based on their extensive experience at LLNL and knowledge of related

safety areas. With the implementation of the WSS set of standards, the subject matter

experts will need to improve their knowledge of the current standards and be prepared to

propose modifications of the WSS set based on improvements of existing standards.

The N&S Process requires a commitment to formality and rigor for an organization such

as LLNL. The management of a N&S Process where a wide variety of work and

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