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Information Notice No.80-14 – Safety Suggestions from Employees
SSINS No.: 6870 Accession No.: 8002280649 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 April 2, 1980 Information Notice No. 80-14 SAFETY SUGGESTIONS FROM EMPLOYEES On February 29, 1980, the NRC Office of Inspection and Enforcement issued an instruction to NRC inspectors on the handling of safety suggestions received from licensee employees during inspections. A copy of the instruction, Temporary Instruction No. 1210/1, is enclosed. The purpose of this instruction is to reaffirm to inspectors that they must be sensitive to the safety concerns of employees. We encourage employees to attempt resolution of their safety concerns through the normal communication channels to their supervisors and managers. Nevertheless, there are instances, where an employee apparently feels more comfortable expressing his or her safety concerns to an NRC inspector. In these cases, the inspector will follow the practices described in the enclosed instruction. We suggest that licensees post this Information Notice and the enclosed instruction in an area where employees can read them. Enclosure: IE Temporary Instruction No. 1210/1 . TI 1210/1 Issue Date: 2/29/80 SAFETY SUGGESTIONS RECEIVED DURING INSPECTIONS During inspections, inspectors may receive safety suggestions relating to plant conditions or operations from licensee employees. Inspectors must be receptive to such suggestions and should attempt to resolve or deal with each one received. Even in those cases where the suggestion would require a licensee to do more than is required by NRC regulations, license conditions, or technical specifications, the inspector should discuss the suggestion with the employee and provide, to the best of the inspector's ability, the options that are available. Depending upon the nature of the suggestion, some possible courses of action are as follows: 1. Encourage the employee to forward the suggestion in writing to plant management and, if appropriate, to the NRC. 2. For matters clearly under the jurisdiction of another Federal agency, or a state or local agency, encourage the employee to contact the appropriate agency, or offer to bring the information to the attention of the proper official. 3. Inform the employee that the matter will be evaluated and, if appropriate, brought to the attention of NRC management. It is important that an employee proffering a suggestion related to safety be made aware that the NRC is interested in such suggestions and they will be pursued. - 1 -
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