Investigation of criticality safety control infraction data at a nuclear facility

Cournoyer, Michael E.; Merhege, James F.; Costa, David A.; Art, Blair M.; Gubernatis, David C.

doi:10.1016/j.jchas.2014.09.012

Title: Investigation of criticality safety control infraction data at a nuclear facility

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Abstract

Chemical and metallurgical operations involving plutonium and other nuclear materials account for most activities performed at the LANL's Plutonium Facility (PF-4). The presence of large quantities of fissile materials in numerous forms at PF-4 makes it necessary to maintain an active criticality safety program. The LANL Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) Program provides guidance to enable efficient operations while ensuring prevention of criticality accidents in the handling, storing, processing and transportation of fissionable material at PF-4. In order to achieve and sustain lower criticality safety control infraction (CSCI) rates, PF-4 operations are continuously improved, through the use of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma (LSS) business practices. Employing LSS, statistically significant variations (trends) can be identified in PF-4 CSCI reports. In this study, trends have been identified in the NCS Program using the NCS Database. An output metric has been developed that measures ADPSM Management progress toward meeting its NCS objectives and goals. Using a Pareto Chart, the primary CSCI attributes have been determined in order of those requiring the most management support. Data generated from analysis of CSCI data help identify and reduce number of corresponding attributes. In-field monitoring of CSCI's contribute to an organization's scientific and technological excellence by providingmore »« less

Authors:

Cournoyer, Michael E. ^[1]; Merhege, James F. ^[1]; Costa, David A. ^[1]; Art, Blair M. ^[1]; Gubernatis, David C. ^[1]

Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Publication Date:: Mon Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2014

Research Org.:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1221771

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1251739

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-14-28889
Journal ID: ISSN 1871-5532; PII: S187155321400108X

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-06NA25396

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Journal of Chemical Health and Safety

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1871-5532

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY; 99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS; criticality safety; infraction; metric; lean six sigma; Pareto Chart

Citation Formats


                    Cournoyer, Michael E., Merhege, James F., Costa, David A., Art, Blair M., and Gubernatis, David C. Investigation of criticality safety control infraction data at a nuclear facility.  United States: N. p., 2014. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.jchas.2014.09.012.

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                    Cournoyer, Michael E., Merhege, James F., Costa, David A., Art, Blair M., & Gubernatis, David C. Investigation of criticality safety control infraction data at a nuclear facility.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2014.09.012

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                    Cournoyer, Michael E., Merhege, James F., Costa, David A., Art, Blair M., and Gubernatis, David C. Mon .  
"Investigation of criticality safety control infraction data at a nuclear facility".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2014.09.012.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1221771.

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@article{osti_1221771,

  title        = {Investigation of criticality safety control infraction data at a nuclear facility},

  author       = {Cournoyer, Michael E. and Merhege, James F. and Costa, David A. and Art, Blair M. and Gubernatis, David C.},

  abstractNote = {Chemical and metallurgical operations involving plutonium and other nuclear materials account for most activities performed at the LANL's Plutonium Facility (PF-4). The presence of large quantities of fissile materials in numerous forms at PF-4 makes it necessary to maintain an active criticality safety program. The LANL Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) Program provides guidance to enable efficient operations while ensuring prevention of criticality accidents in the handling, storing, processing and transportation of fissionable material at PF-4. In order to achieve and sustain lower criticality safety control infraction (CSCI) rates, PF-4 operations are continuously improved, through the use of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma (LSS) business practices. Employing LSS, statistically significant variations (trends) can be identified in PF-4 CSCI reports. In this study, trends have been identified in the NCS Program using the NCS Database. An output metric has been developed that measures ADPSM Management progress toward meeting its NCS objectives and goals. Using a Pareto Chart, the primary CSCI attributes have been determined in order of those requiring the most management support. Data generated from analysis of CSCI data help identify and reduce number of corresponding attributes. In-field monitoring of CSCI's contribute to an organization's scientific and technological excellence by providing information that can be used to improve criticality safety operation safety. This increases technical knowledge and augments operational safety.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.jchas.2014.09.012},

  journal      = {Journal of Chemical Health and Safety},

  number       = 2,

  volume       = 22,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Mon Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2014},

  month        = {Mon Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2014}

}

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