Typical methods of continuing training are often viewed by employees as boring, redundant and unnecessary. It is hoped that the operating experience lesson in the required course, Radiation Worker Requalification, will be well received by employees because actual RFP events will be presented as case studies. The interactive learning atmosphere created by the case study method stimulates discussion, develops analytical abilities, and motivates employees to use lessons learned in the workplace. This problem solving approach to continuing training incorporates cause and effect analysis, a technique which is also used at RFP to investigate events. A method of designing the operating experience lesson in the Radiation Worker Requalification course is described in this paper. 7 refs., 2 figs

Stevens, R.D.

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, f , _, t : ). ;, _// !/. i/ d /"" <2" _'&,",,Paper to be presented at TRADE conference, October 23, 1990.p_p--4444DE9100o999THE USE OF THE CASE STUDY METHODIN RADIATION WORKER CONTINUING TRAININGBYROBERT D. STEVENS, Ed.D.EG&G ROCKY FLATS INC,GOLDEN, COLORADOABSTRACTTypical methods of continuing training are often viewed _by employees as boring,redundant and unnecessary, lt is hoped that the operating experience lesson inthe required course, Radiation Worker Requalification, will be well received byemployees because actual RFP events will be presented as case studies. Theinteractive learning atmosphere created by the case study method stimulatesdiscussion, develops analytical abilities, and motivates employees to uselessons learned in the workplace. This problem solving :approach to continuingtraining incorporates cause and effect analysis, a technique which is also usedat RFP to investigate events. A method of designing the operating experiencelesson in the Radiation Worker Requalification course is described in thispaper.KEY WORDSCase Study, Cause and Effect Analysis, Radiation Worker, Continuing TrainingDISCLAIMER- This report was p:epared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United StatesGovernment. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of theiremployees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsi-. bility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, orpr°cessdiscl°sed'°r represents that its use w°uld n°tinfringeprivate!y°wned rights' Refer" M4STER _LI__'_'Dence herein to any specific commercial product, pr(x:ess, or service by trade name, trademark,manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recom-mendation, or favoring by the United States Government o ny agency thereof. The vi ws Ni r_and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those' of the- United States Government or any agency therex_f....... _ ...... r-" .'frj;P_ r_P,_l IMENI"I" IS UI_ DIS] HII_LI l lUr_ _r i , .........IntroductionThe case study method is planned for use in a module of the Radiation Worker Requalificationcourse at the RFP because this method employs an .interactive learning mode which stimulatesdiscussion, develops analytical abilities, and motivatesemployees to use lessons learned in theworkplace, in addition, case studies are generally recognized as being an effective method ofdeveloping problem solving skills. A survey of 200 Training Directors of the largest Fortune500 companies, revealed that case study methodology was rated.as highly effective in problemsolving, knowledge acquisition, knowledge retention, and participant acceptance. 1Case studies are effective because they elicit active and emotional participant involvemeht. Casestudies allow participants practical experience in solving problems, while exposing them to anumber of different approaches to problem solution. An effective case study will also introducean element of realism into the lesson.By presenting employees with problems already faced by other employees in actual situations,case studies simulate real life challenges. The Institute of Nuclear Power Operators (INPO) hasrecommended that case studies utilizing actual events be used for continuing training, "Forindustry and in-house operating experience, the case study approach is a method that has beenused effectively to learn from the experience of others". 2 When case studies are presentedusing actual work problems, employees remember solutions better and are able to recall themfor similar solutions at their workstations. The desired results of such instruction at RFP arethe prevention of event recurrence and improved operational safety.Radiation Worker Requalification training at EG&G Rocky Flats, Inc. consists of three separatemodules or lessons" 1) A review of the topics identified for continuing training in Departmentof Energy (DOE) Order 5480.11, 2) A study of operating experience using past observedproblems at Rocky Flats Plant (RFP), and 3) A practical demonstration of general radiationworker performance skills. This paper presents a methodology that may be utilized indeveloping the operating experience lesson for the Radiation Worker Requalification course.BackgroundRFP as other DOE-owned/operated facilities is required by DOE 5000.3A to report alioccurrences, such as, Unusual Emergencies (UE), Unusual Occurrences Report (UOR), and Off-Normal Occurrences. 3 EG&G management investigates RFP off-normal events in critiquemeetings using the INPO root cause analysis technique. 4 Critiques focus on a clearunderstanding of the incident, cause analysis, corrective actions, and lessons learned.DOE gave EG&G mangement high marks for recent eventscritiques but found that lessons learnedwere not being conveyed to the operating floor. As a result, contamination incide_ts continued tooccur and a method was needed to eliminate events prior to the resumption of operations at RFP.One of the ways the RFP Performance-Based Training seeks to reduce and/or eliminate eveL_tsisby teaching radiation workers lessons learned from past events.1r*Instructional StrategiesBrainstorming, discussion, and consensus decision making are instructional strategiescommonly utilized inthe case studymethod. In addition, a problem solving strategy that is usedin the RFP operatingexperience case studies is known as cause and effect analysis. A literaturesearch using the following key words-- cause analysis, problem solving, and group work--revealed only one recently published article on cause and effect analysis. According to Jonesand McBride, cause and effect analysis is a structured problem-solvingtool developed and namedby Professor Kaoru Ishikawa of the University of Tokyo in 1950. 5 The Ishikawa problemsolving technique employs a cause and effect diagramor 'fishbone'. "The cause and effectdiagram is a picture composedof lines and symbols designed to representa meaningfulrelatiOnshipbetween the effect and its causes", (Figure 1). sThe fishbone diagram may be constructed in several configurations using a variety Of formats•In a recent Department of Energy (DOE)wol'kshop,the fishbone technique was shownto beeffective in cause and effect problem solving, (Figure 2). 7 In the DOE format, the major causecategories listed on the fishbone diagram are similar to those used in event investigation by RFPmanagement, for example, Procedures,Facilities/Equipment, Human Factors, Training &Knowledge,Communications,and PerformanceStandards. At RFP, the termManagementSystemsis used instead of PerformanceStandards.The processor format employed irl the cause and effect analysis strategy may have any numberof steps and may involve other instructionalstrategies. The basic steps and strategies used inthe DOEworkshop case study were 1) Identify problem by large group consensus voting, 2)Identify probable causes in major cause areas by small group brainstorming, 3_ Reduce list ofprobable causes to most likely (root) causes by small group consensus voting, 4) List actionsrecommended to correct problem and prevent recurrence, 5) List lessonslearned from event.Lesson Design .Baseduponthe INPO recommendationto incorporatecase studiesin continuingeducationforoperatingexperience,the case studymethodwas selectedfor use inthe operatingexperiencelessonof RadiationWorker Requalification.Since rootcause analysisis usedin eventinvestigationat RFP, cause and effect analysis,brainstorming,discussion,and consensusdecision making strategies were selected as learning activities for the lesson.The format used in the RFP operating experience lesson case study is similar to the previouslymentioned DOE workshop case study, however,does not require the participants to determinecorrective actions. The case study format used in the operating experience lesson involves fivesteps performed in a small group setting 1) Presentation of the method of reviewing actualevents to be studied, 2) Reading and analyzing the highlights of the critique (scenario), 3)Determining and listing event causes, 4) Determining and listing the lessons learned from the_, event, and 5) Presentation of the findings by work group.in2in==,tu' ' q_l_f _ ' '_ ' ' 'lpCI ' *"F! _ ,In the design pleaseof the course, copies of several recent RFP events were requestedfrom theRFP Safety ReviewGroupand a selection of the events:tobe used for trainingwas made. Thefollowing objectives for the lesson were then formulated:Terminal Objective.Upon completion of the operating experience lesson, the employee will become familiar.... with the purpose and method of reviewing actual plant events.Enabling Objectives-Given an actual RFP event report, the employee will be able to perform the followingactivities:1) Read and analyze the event scenario.2) 'List root causes for the event.3) List lessons learned for the event,A group worksheet and an instructor checklist with items keyed to Objectiveswas designed toevaluate employee participation in group exercises. Media used in the course, such as, handoutsand overhead transparencies (OHT)were developed from actual event critiques and UnusualOccurrence Reports (UOR) at RFP. A lesson plan was developedwhich containsali informationusedin tile handoutsand OHTs.To provide consistency, the target audience for operating experience case studied wasdetermined to be ali radiation workers on plantsite. The class sizes are kept small, usuallylimited to 30 employees divided intowork groups of 4-6 per group. Large meeting rooms withmovable chairs are utilized to allow for small groups to interact without distraction.During the development phase, critiques and UORs selected for training, Objectives,evaluationinstruments, lesson plan, and media were reviewed by subject matterexperts (SMEs). SMEcomments were then incor_x)ratedin ali instructional materials, and another review conductedby the Health & Safety Training Qualificationand Plant Training Support Groups. The commentsreceived were incorporated in the lesson plan and pilot presentations were conducted.Pilot PresentationPilot presentations were conducted using quidelinesstated in the lesson plans. After a briefintroduction in which the instructor established credibility and rapport with the class, theattendance roster was circulated, and the ground rules covered. Ground rules include schedule-- information, such as, breaks and lunch, location of restrooms, smoking policy, notetaking andhandling of questions, and evaluation format.Course materialswere then distributed and goals and objectives for the lesson displayed onOHTs. The importanceof the lesson may be conveyedto each employeeby reviewing the purposeof the case study on OHT: 1)Learn lessons from real situations, so we can prevent futuresimilar events, 2) Increase knowledge of potential contamination circumstances, 3) Increase. awareness of need for procedure compliance, 4) Strengthen attitude of personal responsibilityfor radiation safety, 5) Become alert to future potential problems with radiation safety, and 6)Improve radiological safety performance., kPrior to conducting the case studies of actual events, the instructor's role as facilitator duringreviewswas explained. The importance of active class participation was stressed. The casestudy format was then reviewed by listing the following points on separate OHTs:* The essential parts of an actual event critique are scenario, root causes, correctiveactions, and lessons learned.* The methodof reviewingactual events are 1) As a Group: A. Read Scenario, B. Determineand list event causes, C. Determine and list lessons learned from the event, 2)Groupspokespersonto present group's scenarioand findingsor_causes and lessons learned.* The location and procedure for completing the worksheets in the handout materials.At this point it is the InstrUctor's option to provide participants with a brief scenario of asample event, a completedsample worksheet,and modelthe cause and effect processstepsrequired of participants. The instructor then divides the class into work groups and explainsthat they are to proceedon their own as much as possible. The instructor advises the class thathe/she will assist in their reviews only when they have questions.ConclusionsLiterature reveals that the case study method has been rated as highly effective in problemsolving and learning from the experiences of others. For these reasons, case study methodologywas selected for use in the RFP Radiation Worker Requalificationoperating experience lesson•By presenting radiation workers with case studies of actual events, lessons learned fromprevious events can be taught and recurrence of events may be prevented.An instructional strategy know as cause and effect analysis was employed in the lesson design.A similar technique has been used by the DOE in presenting accreditation workshops and by theRFP management in event i'_vestigation. The cause and effect analysis process (format) used inthe operating experience lesson included five steps: 1) Presentation of the method of reviewingo actual events to be studied, 2) Reading and analyzing the highlights of the critique (scenario),3) Determining and listing event causes, 4) Determining and listing the lessons learned fromthe event, and 5) Presentation of the findings by work group. A presentation method utilizingcause and effect analysis, brainstorming, discussion, and consensus decision makinginstructional strategies was outlined.=4iEnd Notes1. Carroll, S.J., et al: "The Relative Effectiveness of Training Methods-Expert Opinion andResearch", Personnel Psychology, Vol. 25, #3, 1972, p.498.2 Ir,,*s,..,_....... ,ut_,of Nuclear Power Operations: _uidellnes for General Employee Training (INPO 87-004), July 1987, p._3.3. U.S. Department of Energy: Draft Order-Occurrence Reporting and Processing of OperationsIt,formation (DOE 5000.3A), Washington, D,C., May 2, 1990, p. 6.4. Institute Of Nuclear Power operations' Root Cause Analysis (INPO 09-004); January1990, 67 pp.5. Jones, L. and McBride, R.: An Introduction to Team-Approach Problem Solving, Milwaukee:ASQC Quality Press,1990, p.35.6 op sit, Jones and McBride, p.37.!7. U.S. Department of Energy: Program Evaluation and Corrective Action-ExercisesHandouts,Augusi 1990, p. 6-H-4A.5I causeA__ !causeBICAUSES PROBLEM(effect)[ causeC J i causeD 1Figure 1. Cause-and-effect diagram showing more than one cause(From Jones and MacBride, An introduction to Team-ApproachProblem Solving)Facilities / HumanProcedures Equipment FactorsmlEFFECT..,.._.,..=_ = , , , , ,Training & Communications PerformanceKnowledge StandardsFigure 2- CAUSE AND EFFECT DIAGRAM(FromU.S.DepartmentofEnergy,ProgramEvaluationandcorrectiveactionExercises/ Handout), r,, ' lm' ' _ .... _' ' fl rf' '_',lrZLU C:: _"•- (/) "0 (Um,, • • • •..... iiitJ' o 'i_irIF ,Qa

The use of the case study method in radiation worker continuing training

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The use of the case study method in radiation worker continuing training

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