Interview. - std55050107

DOE-EM-STD-5505-96

6.13.4 Interview. Interviews of operations personnel should occur during observations and

document reviews. Additional scheduled interviews should also be conducted to follow up and

clarify leads. The following personnel may be subject to interviews when assessing this area of

conduct of operations:

Activity operators

Matrixed technicians

Shift supervisors

Matrixed organization supervisors

Activity managers and operations supervisors

The primary focus of interviews should be to determine the level of technical knowledge that is

required by each area of conduct of operations, and a working knowledge of the administrative

requirements. For example, the following general questions could be asked of operators:

What are the general requirements when a parameter leaves its normal control band?

Have you ever received data from a matrixed organization (such as a chemist) on which you

could not have reacted in a timely manner?

Do you conduct trend analysis? (i.e., look at recorded parameter data to understand why it

changed and determine if the trend predicts the parameter leaving the normal band).

Have you ever received an alarm that was caused by maintenance? Were you informed prior

to receiving that alarm?

General questions to ask matrixed technicians are:

Who do you inform when you are taking samples or monitoring parameters at the activity?

How do you ensure that samples taken at multiple locations are not switched?

Are you required to inform anyone when complete sampling? Who?

Are you required to inform the activity of the results? How?

What are you required to do prior to performing work that will cause an alarm condition?

Interviews with operators and technicians are most effectively conducted in conjunction with