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. 

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