Re: Zion -- Another one falls...

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@ix.netcom.com>]

The Zion closure shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, who has followed 
the nuclear industry in the US for the past 5 to 10 years. It was 
inevitable, the indicators were all there. This wasn't fate, it was 
premeditated suicide. Zion isn't the first to fall, nor will it be 
the last to fall. The US is heading to an energy crisis, and it 
thinks that it is the Titanic ... too strong to break, to necessary 
to fall. False sense of security...  

The Turkey Point Plant was in the same boat as Zion and Millstone, 
back in 1987. It was close to closure by the NRC. It had a significant 
number of NOVs from the NRC, the MTBF was pitiful, <10 days MTBF, and 
the morale was horrible. FPL assessed the situation and did what many 
plants should consider doing today, to bring itself from the bottom 
to the top. BTW, Turkey Point was on the hit list while its sister 
plant, St. Lucie was at the top. This makes one think .. same 
executive management, different problems...  This is what FPL had to 
circumvent, and, they did it well ... Perhaps this should be a road 
map for others to follow:

1. Bring in the best people to manage the plant.
2. Use Root Cause Analysis to determine what the REAL problems are, 
and not just the symptoms.
3. Develop an extensive Action Plan that addresses each Root Cause.
4. Define realistic milestones .. Rome wasn't built in a day you 
know. 
5. Establish a sense of teamwork amongst all employees at all 
levels. If you don't build up morale of those who actually turn the 
screw, seal the leaks, operate the units and maintain the plant, 
you'll never succeed.
6. Hold people accountable, but not to the point that you are 
constantly holding them in contempt. 
7. STOP vindicativeness. Encourage individuals to come forward when a 
problem exists, and STOP punishing each and every person for a 
problem.
8. Reward workers for a job well-done.
9. Constant COMMUNICATION from management. Keep everyone informed of 
what progress is being made, and where more effort is needed.
10. Management needs to be IN the field, and not sitting behind a 
lovely oak desk in an ivory tower somewhere.
11. STOP downsizing to the point where expertise is lost... What you 
lose you can't build up...  You can't buy experience forever.

The above all makes sense. Unfortunately downsizing has eliminated a 
lot of great employees from the ranks of the employed power plant 
worker. I personally believe that the nuclear power plant industry is 
in a death spiral. The signs are all there, and management is taking 
all the wrong steps. The motto of today's management is $$$$$$$ and 
the rest be damned. Until management decides that its customers, its 
employees are key, and not the bottom line $$$ and stockholders, we 
will see many more reactors shut down, when it makes sense to make 
more $$$$...
------------------
Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Office: (800) 548-5100 x2306 
Fax:    (714) 668-3149
  
sandyfl@ix.netcom.com
sperle@icnpharm.com

Personal Homepage:
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1205

ICN Dosimetry Website:
http://www.dosimetry.com


"The object of opening the mind, as of opening 
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -