Nuclear skills – is the glass half full? The skills required to meet the ‘gold standard’ of the nuclear industry are now available in a variety of complex industrial sectors. Pictured is the placement of the containment liner at Olkiluoto, Finland. Photo: Areva NP
As nuclear power plants are planned for construction around the globe much attention has been given to where qualified staff will be found to build and run these complex projects. However other industrial sectors offer an existing pool of highly talented professionals who are already trained in the safety culture and ‘gold standard’ required for the nuclear industry. By Pat Swords, Associate Director, PM Group, Ireland As a chemical engineer with more than
progress which was evident on the
several factors were overlooked when
twenty years of experience in the design
Finnish EPR site at Olkiluoto. Indeed
the inevitable question was asked; how
and regulatory compliance of industrial
some aspects of construction relating to
are these new nuclear plants going to get
facilities in the chemical, pharmaceutical
deviations from the project’s technical
built?
and power generating sectors, it is
specifications have also been reported for
extremely unlikely that I will ever design
the EPR site at Flamanville in France.
Learn from the past
a nuclear plant. However, the skills I and
What struck me about this article in
We cannot predict the future but we can
other similarly experienced professionals
Der Spiegel was not that it was nuclear
certainly learn from the past. The origins
have developed can certainly play a
related, but that it was just an example
of nuclear power began in 1954, but it
major role in contributing to the inevitable
of a project demonstrating deficient skills
was not until 1970 that the technology
nuclear renaissance that is on the horizon.
in project management and construction.
began to be rolled out, with 90 GW of
The ‘spark’ for this article originated
It’s not as if such occurrences haven’t
capacity coming on-stream in the 1970s,
when reading an article in Der Spiegel
happened before, they have. To me the
rising to 200 GW in the 1980s, before
in October 2009, which later appeared
surprise was that they were happening
going into rapid decline. Most of these
in English on the on-line version as
again on such a prestige project, when
plants are still with us today providing
“Nuclear Renaissance Stalls: Problems
there is a ready skill base out there,
reliable and cost effective power.
Plague Launch of ‘Safer’ Next-Generation
which is schooled in delivering projects of
Without question the nuclear industry
Reactors”. The content of this was
equal complexity, albeit at a smaller scale
requires the application of science
related to the poor quality of project
and without a nuclear tag. It appears
and engineering in a highly technical
Focus on Nuclear Power Generation, January 2011
30
in many cases a parallel development in the system of regulation and inspection, which in many cases enforced these more advanced measures of control over a wide range of industrial sectors. While in the past the nuclear industry was the ‘gold standard’ and the rest were very much also-rans, currently there are a lot of ‘gold standard’ projects being delivered in a variety of complex industrial sectors. The skill base is there, just slightly different. Most importantly the required culture and behaviour to operate safely in a nuclear environment is already ingrained.
Risk based Verification
What is also a recurrent theme is that
environment, to ultra high standards and
of workmanship, quality assurance and
many technical and organisational
driven by a demanding statutory and
quality control for many aspects of a
measures that evolved in the nuclear
regulatory environment. In those days it
safety critical sector”.
industry and then stagnated, got ‘picked
was probably the only ‘kid on the block’
There is a natural tendency to
up’ by other sectors and were refined
operating to those standards. These days
concentrate on the fact that the majority
and became common practice. For
it most certainly is not.
of employees in the nuclear industry are
instance, from a regulatory perspective,
There is no reason why 200 GW of
rapidly closing in on retirement age, and
radiological emergency response was
capacity per decade cannot be achieved
on the very long timeframe it would take
well established in the 1970s, but the
again, even exceeded, as is projected
to bring school leavers through additional
equivalent level of off-site emergency
by the International Energy Agency. It
education and job experience to reach
preparedness was not extended to the
will require a huge application of skilled
the necessary standards. The conclusion
non-nuclear high risk industrial sectors
manpower, but the glass is very much
therefore is that the glass is half empty,
until the mid-1980s (Seveso I Directive
half full and not half empty, the starting
if even that. However, let’s consider the
in Europe and the EPCRA Act in the
base is very much stronger than it was
other ‘kids on the block’.
US). These days risk assessment, risk
in 1970.
mitigation and emergency preparedness
Cogent, the UK Skills for Science based
Meeting the gold standard
are key aspects to be found right
Industries has produced an excellent
Huge advances in both technical and
throughout the processing sector.
document on “Next Generation: Skills
organisation measures have occurred in
Another example is that both
for New Build Nuclear”. This document
many companies and corporations in the
the chemical and pharmaceutical
clearly outlines the resource requirements
last three decades. The consequence
sectors process compounds that are
and timeframes associated with the
of this is that accidents with adverse
carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic for
delivery of 16 GW of nuclear new build
impacts to both man and environment
reproduction (CMR). Sealed systems,
in the UK, an average of 10,000 jobs per
have significantly reduced in many
such as gloveboxes, originally developed
year. It states: “To deliver a new nuclear
Western Countries over that period, with
for the nuclear industry, are now routine
programme in the UK of this scale or larger will require a significant number of people across a range of disciplines. Meeting this requirement will be a challenge, given the existing size and demographics of the sector”. As Cogent rightly points out: “Skills planning for a nuclear build requires long induction periods for some skills due to the high levels of training and experience required to produce the highest levels
31
Focus on Nuclear Power Generation, November 2010
About Pat Swords Pat Swords is a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a Chartered Environmentalist. Since graduation from University College Dublin in 1986 Pat has worked for PM Group in developing the high technology manufacturing industry in Ireland. His work experience has also included projects in over a dozen other countries throughout Europe and North America. Since 1999 he has worked extensively on EU Technical Aid Projects in Central and Eastern Europe helping to implement EU Industrial Pollution Control and Control of Major Accident Hazards legislation. See www.pmgroup.eu
ensuring that manufacturing systems
Statistics gave a national average OSHA
and even as
and equipment are fit for intended use,
DART rate reported for the construction
are to be found (Note:
and to satisfy requirements for design,
industry in 2008 of 2.5. PM Group has
A nanogram is one billionth of a gram).
installation, operation, and performance.
achieved figures ranging from 0.25 to
Indeed the engineering challenge is even
See the Figure 1 for Risk Based
2.5 on a variety projects throughout
greater, the release of radioactivity is easy
Verification.
Europe. Safe construction sites can be
in that sector, in which occupational exposure below 1 low as 1
ng/m3
μg/m3
realised, for instance on the Shell Corrib
to detect while that of complex chemical compounds is not. There therefore
Look after your people
gas terminal in the West of Ireland on
has to be an enormous emphasis on
Construction safety is also a key item
two occasions a million manhours were
Commissioning and Qualification (C&Q)
in the chemical and pharmaceutical
worked without a lost time accident.
to ensure that the system performs
industries. Not only are there the
The key is a proper safety culture and
continuously to its design intent. This also
obvious ethical considerations, but large
a constant attention to detail, i.e. a
applies to product quality, such as where
multinational companies, particularly in
disciplined approach.
sterile solutions are routinely produced for
the healthcare sector, have a standing
In conclusion you do not need to be a
direct intravenous applications.
and image in the community that they
nuclear scientist to contribute to the
The field of C&Q has thus been highly
wish to maintain. Furthermore, that
nuclear new build programme, indeed
refined in the pharmaceutical sector.
people are your strongest asset is not
the approach of the Generic Design
The latest approach is based on the
a cliché. If you want to operate at the
Assessment will be that a limited number
ASTM E2500 – 07: “Standard Guide for
cutting edge of science and technology
of standard designs will be implemented.
Specification, Design, and Verification of
you have to look after your people, if
The necessary skills to be deployed for
Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical
you don’t they will go elsewhere. The
the nuclear new build are already present,
Manufacturing Systems and Equipment”.
benchmark used for construction safety
but currently operating in a different
Application of this is intended to satisfy
is the OSHA Day Away / Restricted or
sector.
international regulatory expectations in
Transfer (DART) rate; US Bureau of Labor
Focus on Nuclear Power Generation, January 2011
32