Development of a Strategic Plan for Performing Analysis in Support of an Operating Station: A PLGS Perspective

Abstract

Safety analysis is traditionally viewed as a design related activity that is performed in order to obtain the Construction and Operating Licenses for a new plant. Its primary function is to evaluate and demonstrate the adequacy of Special Safety Systems, and to assess the overall plant design to ensure that safety objectives are met. Such analyses require large specialized resources both in terms of people and computing facilities and must be completed in a tight time frame consistent with the project schedule. In contrast to the design stage, the operations phase requires a significantly different kind of analytical support. Besides ensuring that the analysis reflects how the station is actually operated and maintained, there is a need to provide on-going analytical support as the station ages in a timely and cost-effective manner. The establishment of a Safety Analysis group at Point Lepreau fulfilled this need. At the same time it optimized the use of off-site consulting services for the large scale technical effort required to address on-going topical safety analysis issues. This paper follows from an earlier one which focused on the manner in which the on-site PLGS analysis group was formed (Reference 1). The intent of the present paper is to outline the functions of the group and to explain the process which has set the overall long term direction of the analytical program. A key element in the establishment of this process is the recognition of the eight basic components of analysis and the understanding of how they relate back to plant operation and maintenance. The rationale of how much effort should be expended and how these resources are allocated are also discussed.