Application of the Graded Approach in ORR Planning

DOE-STD-3006-2000

APPLICATION OF THE GRADED APPROACH IN ORR PLANNING

For the purposes of this appendix, the graded approach is defined as the process by which the readiness

determination is adjusted in depth of detail required and magnitude of resources expended to be

commensurate with the facility's potential impact on safety, environmental compliance, safeguards and

security, and its programmatic importance, including present and future mission. The graded approach is

commensurate with:

(1) The relative importance to safety, safeguards, and security;

(2) The magnitude of any hazard involved;

(3) The life cycle stage of a facility;

(4) The programmatic mission of a facility;

(5) The particular characteristics of a facility;

(6) The cause and circumstances of the facility shutdown;

(7) Complexity of the weapons-related or research activity; and

(8) Other relevant factors.

All ORR s address the minimum set of core requirements and any additional requirements as deemed

necessary for adequate review (breadth). A recent review, equivalent to an ORR, may be used as

justification for eliminating a core requirement from the breadth of the ORR. With respect to ORR

planning, a graded approach is utilized to determine the level of detail, that is, the depth. The

combination of breadth and depth forms the envelope (scope) within which the ORR is conducted.

Proper utilization of the graded approach is essential to conducting a successful ORR. The supporting

principle governing the use of the graded approach must be that knowledgeable personnel analyze the

factors surrounding the restart, determine the depth of the review needed, and then document this

determination. Precise documentation facilitates communication with knowledgeable outside officials

that the proper level of review has been conducted and that readiness to operate has been accurately

verified.

The depth of an ORR cannot be determined using a cookbook or formula approach. Depth requirements

depend on knowledgeable people identifying relevant topics based on their experience, the facility's

characteristics, the facility's operating environment, the operating and support organizations' capabilities,

and the risks associated with the proposed startup or restart. The breadth discussion in the approved

Appendix 1-3