Good Practices - s1042cn10017

DOE-STD-1042-93

4. GOOD PRACTICES

4.1 Control Area Access

Facility policies should state access requirements for control areas. In special cases,

which involve security concerns, access may need to be more rigidly enforced through

security policies and procedures. Access requirements should include permission to

enter, when (i.e., time periods) personnel are allowed to enter, and under what

conditions personnel may enter. The policies should also indicate the positions of

personnel who have authorization to enter the control area without permission (e.g.,

Operations Manager, on-duty Shift Supervisor). Personnel should be instructed to

adhere to procedures and restrictions for entering a control area. As a reminder to

personnel, control area entrances should be posted with the access requirements.

Access to control areas that are open (i.e., no walls or partitions) may require

additional guidance (e.g., communicating from outside the control area into the area,

what constitutes entry into the control area).

Access to the control areas of a facility should be limited to personnel on official

business. Access should not be granted when additional personnel would obstruct the

ability to monitor or control. Since information transfer in the control area is crucial to

safe operations, during periods of turnover, access should be restricted to on-coming

control area personnel needed for the turnover. For information concerning turnovers,

refer to DOE Order 5480.19, Chapter XII, "Operations Turnover." This should reduce

the distractions from monitoring of the control panels and associated noise generated

from additional personnel. During abnormal or emergency operations, entry should be

limited to personnel attending to the situation. Reports should be communicated from

outside work stations through work station communication equipment instead of

attempting to access the control area. Access for non-work-related reasons should be