Reporting Safety Concerns to the NRC
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Reporting Safety Concerns to the NRC
Transcript of Reporting Safety Concerns to the NRC
Reporting Safety Concerns to the NRC
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INTRODUCTIONAnyone should feel free to communicate any safety concern to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). It is the NRC’s policy to encourage workers at NRC-regulated facilities to take safety concerns to their own management first, since the facility operator has the primary responsibility for, and is most able to ensure, safe nuclear operations. However, workers and other members of the public can bring safety concerns directly to the NRC at any time. It is the agency’s responsibility to respond to those concerns in a timely manner and to protect the identity of the individual to the greatest degree possible.
This brochure discusses how you as a nuclear industry worker or a concerned member of the public can report safety concerns to the NRC, the degree to which the NRC can protect your identity, and the NRC process for handling allegations of discrimination against workers by licensees, their contractors, or subcontractors.
For the purpose of this brochure, the term “licensee” refers to an organization or an individual — or a contractor, subcontractor, or vendor to an organization or an individual — that is an applicant for, or holder of, a license, permit, or certificate issued by the NRC.
Safety concerns may be potential or actual safety issues associated with the NRC’s jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, the areas of design, construction, operation, maintenance, radiation protection, safeguards, security, emergency preparedness, harassment, intimidation, retaliation, discrimination, wrongdoing, a work environment that discourages workers from raising safety concerns, and other matters related to NRC-regulated activities.
A WORKER’S ROLE IN NUCLEAR SAFETYWorkers in the nuclear industry have an important role in ensuring safe operations and practices in handling nuclear materials. Protection of public health and safety begins with the NRC’s licensing requirements for safe design, construction, and operation of nuclear facilities
and handling of nuclear materials, and continues with inspections to ensure that licensees comply with these requirements and their commitments. However, NRC inspectors can observe only a sampling of the day-to-day activities at nuclear facilities. The NRC considers licensee management to be ultimately responsible for regulatory compliance, and management, in turn, relies on its workers to assist in this effort by identifying and reporting safety concerns. You and your coworkers are the first line of defense for preventing accidents and protecting public health and safety. Your knowledge, experience, and insight as nuclear workers give you the ability to identify safety concerns to your employer and the NRC so that problems may be corrected.
In the past, workers conducting activities associated with NRC-regulated facilities and concerned citizens have raised important safety issues and, as a result, public health and safety have benefitted. This vigilance must continue.
The NRC encourages you to take safety concerns to your employer because your employer—the licensee— has primary responsibility for ensuring the safety of nuclear design, construction, and operations. The licensee is also in the best position to deal with safety issues promptly and effectively. Anyone may raise safety concerns directly to the NRC at any time, but the NRC expects that employees normally will have raised their concerns with their employers before they come to the NRC, if possible.
The NRC believes that all workers should feel free to raise concerns to their employers so that issues can be dealt with quickly. At any time, however, employees and members of the public have the option of bringing a safety concern directly to the NRC.
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HOW TO REPORT SAFETY CONCERNS TO THE NRC
You may contact any NRC employee (including a resident inspector), e-mail the NRC at [email protected], or call the NRC’s toll-free Safety Hotline, 1-800-695-7403.
If you call the toll-free number during normal business hours, you will reach the NRC Allegation Coordinator for the NRC regional office serving your area code. If you call after normal business hours, or if your call can’t be answered during normal business hours by the regional staff, your call will be directed to the NRC’s Headquarters Operations Center, which is staffed 24 hours a day. Calls to the Headquarters Operations Center are recorded. In addition, you may reach an NRC Allegation Coordinator at your regional office by calling the appropriate number listed on the figure above during normal business hours.
If you submit your safety concern in writing or via e-mail to the NRC, we recommend you clearly indicate that you would like your concern to be considered by the NRC Allegation Program. This helps to ensure that your letter or e-mail gets prompt attention and is not placed in the public domain. It also helps protect your identity.
To assist you in reporting a safety concern, the NRC typically asks the following questions:■Facilityname.■Whatisyourconcern?Whatsystems,structures,components,orpersonnelareaffectedbyyourconcern?Beasfactualanddetailedaspossible.
■Onwhatdatedidtheeventoccurortheissuearise?■Whydoyoubelievethisisapotentialsafetyissue?■Recognizingthateveryissuedoesnothavethesamedegreeofsafetysignificance,doyoubelievethatthisconcernmeritsimmediateactiontoresolveit?Ifyes,why?
■Didyouobservetheeventyourself?■Ifyoudidnotwitnesstheevent,howdidyoufindoutaboutit?
■Arethereotherindividualswhocanprovideadditionalinformationrelatedtoyourconcern?Ifso,pleaseidentifythoseindividualssothatwecancontactthem,ifneeded.
■Ifyoudonotwanttoidentifytheotherindividuals,haveyouaskedthemtocontactNRCdirectly?Ifnot,why?
■Arethereanyrecordsweshouldreviewthatmayberelevanttoyourconcern?
■Yourname.■Yourhomeaddress.■TelephonenumberatwhichyouwouldprefertheNRCtocontactyou.
NRC REGIONS
Region IIAtlanta
(800) 577-8510
PA
NY
ME
IN
WA
OR
CA
NV
MT
ID
UT
AZ NM
CO
WY
TX
OK
KS
NE
SD
ND MN
IA
MO
AR
LA
MS AL GA
FL
SC
NC
VA
TN
KY
IL OH
MIWI
WV MDDENJ
CTRI
MA
NHVT
AKHI
Headquarters (1)Regional Office (4)Technical Training Center (1)
Region IKing of Prussia(800) 432-1156
Region IIILisle
(800) 522-3025
Region IVDallas
(800) 952-9677
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If you are a worker in the nuclear industry, the NRC staff will typically also ask the following:■Haveyoudiscussedthiswithyoursupervisororotherlicenseeofficial?Ifso,whatwastheresponse?
■Ifyouarenotsatisfiedwiththelicensee’sresponse,explainwhy.
■HaveyoudiscussedthiswithyourEmployeeConcernsProgramrepresentative?Ifso,whatwastheresponse?
■IfyouarenotsatisfiedwiththeEmployeeConcernsProgram’sresponse,explainwhy.
Although it will help the NRC respond to your concerns if you can answer these questions, you do not need to have answers to all of them in order to raise a safety concern with the NRC.
ALLEGATION PROCESSThe NRC strives to review all allegations objectively to ensure the outcome is fair, sound, and timely. All allegations brought to the NRC are assigned to an employee designated as an Allegation Coordinator. The coordinator’s job is to—
• Promptly contact you to confirm the details of the allegation and to confirm that the NRC has correctly interpreted and understood the information you provided. Normally, the staff sends an acknowledgment letter within 30 days of receipt of your allegation.
• Arrange for an evaluation of your concern by a group of NRC employees and managers designated as an Allegation Review Board (ARB). The ARB will review the concern and make a preliminary determination of its safety significance. The ARB will also determine whether the NRC staff alone will evaluate the allegation, or whether feedback from other agencies or organizations is needed to enable the NRC to complete its assessment of the allegation. The ARB will also determine whether the licensee needs to be contacted. It is the NRC’s policy to request from the licensee a written evaluation of concerns in all cases involving an overriding safety concern, and for other concerns whenever possible and appropriate, after considering certain conditions, including any objections you may have.
• Document NRC actions taken to address the allegation.
• Advise you periodically about the status of the allegation.
• Provide a final report to you upon completion of the allegation evaluation.
The NRC will complete the review of any technical concerns you may bring forward and send a final report to you. If it takes longer than 6 months for the NRC to complete an evaluation of a concern, you will receive a letter explaining the status of the NRC’s review.
CONCERNS OUTSIDE THE NRC’S JURISDICTIONConcerns outside the NRC’s jurisdiction are not addressed within the NRC’s allegation process. The NRC will, as necessary, forward such concerns to the appropriate Federal or State agency. You will be notified of the action taken. Examples of these concerns include—
• utility rates
• pay or performance issues not related to raising nuclear safety concerns or other protected activity
• nonradiological industrial or occupational safety
• disposal of nonnuclear waste
AllegationReceived
AllegationCoordinator
AllegationReviewBoard
Inspection or Tech Review
Request LicenseeEvaluation/Info
Referral toAnother Agency
Early ADR
Investigation
Acknowledgement Letter
Enforcement
Results toAlleger
CloseConcern
?
Licensee Informed of OIInvestigation Results or If a
Violation Is Identi�ed
Yes
No
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IDENTITY PROTECTIONThe NRC recognizes that some people will only come forward if they believe their identities will be protected from disclosure. If you are concerned about protecting your identity, NRC representatives will make arrangements to call you at your home or meet with you at a discreet location.
The NRC will make all reasonable efforts not to disclose an individual’s identity outside the agency. Only NRC staff who have a need to know will be provided an individual’s identity. This would happen, for example, when an inspector or investigator is assigned to interview the individual. Documents that contain the individual’s identity are stored in a secured area and are not placed in NRC public document rooms or entered into the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS).
Even if you do not object to being identified as the source of an allegation, the NRC will not reveal your identity unless it is necessary to evaluate the allegation or otherwise serves the mission of the agency or the public’s interest. However, the NRC may be required to reveal your identity outside the agency under the following rare circumstances:
(1) Disclosure is necessary to protect public health and safety because of an overriding safety issue identified in your allegation.
(2) Disclosure is necessary to satisfy a request from Congress or from a State or Federal agency.
(3) Disclosure is required to respond to a court order or Commission order or when necessary in adjudicatory proceedings.
(4) The NRC needs to pursue a wrongdoing investigation or support a hearing on an NRC enforcement matter.
(5) You take an action that is inconsistent with protecting your identity, such as notifying the news media or in some way publicly identifying yourself with the allegation.
The NRC will make every effort to withhold your identity in response to Freedom of Information Act requests, unless you have been identified as having brought the concern to the NRC under one of the circumstances outlined above.
Furthermore, if the NRC were to investigate a claim that you were a victim of discrimination because you raised a safety concern, investigating the allegation without identifying you would be extremely difficult. Therefore, when investigating a claim of discrimination, the NRC will disclose your name.
CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTSIf, after the identity protection afforded by the NRC allegation process is explained to you, you remain concerned that your identity may be disclosed, the NRC can provide formal confidentiality. However, the NRC requires you to explicitly request confidentiality, and it is not granted routinely. Confidentiality affords protection of information that directly or otherwise could identify you by name and the fact that you provided the information to the NRC. After an authorized NRC official grants confidentiality, you and the NRC would sign a written agreement. The agreement would explain the conditions under which the NRC will protect your identity. As with the standard identity protection within the allegation process, your identity will be divulged to other NRC employees only on a need-to-know basis.
LIMITATIONS ON CONFIDENTIALITYEven if confidentiality is granted, the NRC cannot protect your identity under all circumstances. The specific situations requiring identity disclosure are very similar to those described earlier under the standard identity protection within the allegation process. However, disclosures involving overriding safety issues and requests from State or Federal agencies necessitate that the NRC staff seeks your prior approval. If you cannot be reached or do not agree to disclosure, the responsible NRC staff will contact the Commission for resolution.
On rare occasions, the NRC may revoke confidentiality. This may occur if you take an action so inconsistent with the agreement that it overrides the purpose of granting confidentiality, such as discussing the matter with the news media and being publicly identified by the media. Only the Commission itself, the NRC’s Executive Director for Operations, or the Director of the Office of Investigations can make a decision to revoke confidentiality.
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LICENSEE RESPONSIBILITYThe NRC expects licensees to establish and maintain a safety-conscious work environment that encourages employees to raise safety concerns to their management, free of any fear of reprisal for doing so. Such a work environment is critical to a licensee’s ability to safely carry out its responsibilities. Licensees must post or otherwise make available to workers a copy of NRC regulations, licenses, and operating procedures that apply to their work. All NRC-issued Notices of Violations involving radiological working conditions and proposed imposition of civil penalties and orders also must be posted.
Further, licensees are required by law to post NRC Form 3, “Notice to Employees,” that describes protected activities and explains how allegations of licensee violations can be reported directly to the NRC. Protected activities include, but are not limited to—
• conferring privately with NRC inspectors about any past or present condition that a worker believes contributed to or caused a violation of NRC regulations
• refusing to engage in activities that violate NRC requirements
• requesting the NRC to enforce its rules against the worker’s employer
• testifying, helping with or taking part in an NRC, congressional, or any Federal or State proceeding
• posting of radiation caution signs and labels
• recording and reporting worker radiation exposure
NRC Form 3 must be posted at prominent locations at the workplace to permit workers to view it easily. A copy of NRC Form 3 is reproduced at the end of this brochure for your reference.
HANDLING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WORKERSYou should know that it is illegal for licensees to take discriminatory action—such as firing, reduction of pay, poor performance appraisals, or reassignment to a lower position or job—against a worker for raising safety concerns to management or the NRC.
You should be aware that while the NRC will investigate some discrimination complaints, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is the agency from which nuclear workers must seek personal remedies when they believe they have been discriminated against for reporting a concern. You may also file a complaint with appropriate State agencies, if applicable. The NRC’s authority is limited to taking an enforcement action against the licensee, such as a fine, an order modifying an NRC license, or, in criminal cases, referral to the U.S. Department of Justice for prosecution.
If the NRC determines that your discrimination concern warrants evaluation under the NRC’s regulations, the NRC Office of Investigations (OI) may investigate your concern. During an investigation, OI gathers testimonial and documentary evidence related to the discrimination concern. Since performing such an investigation without identifying you can be extremely difficult, your name will be disclosed to a limited number of people who work for the employer. If, on the basis of the investigation, the NRC substantiates your discrimination concern, the NRC will consider enforcement action against the employer, as appropriate.
As an alternative to an OI investigation, once the NRC determines that an evaluation of your discrimination claim is warranted, you will be offered an opportunity to participate in the NRC’s preinvestigative alternative dispute resolution (ADR) program, which offers mediation in the handling of discrimination complaints. Mediation is a voluntary process in which two parties, you and your employer/former employer, use an unbiased, neutral individual, or mediator, in an attempt to resolve and settle your discrimination complaint. If an agreement is reached, the NRC will close the discrimination complaint upon settlement and will not perform an investigation. The ADR process applies only to your discrimination complaint—any technical safety issues you raised will be addressed separately.
REGIONAL OFFICES REGION ADDRESS TELEPHONE U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region I 2100 Renaissance Boulevard, Suite 100 King of Prussia, PA 19406-2713
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region II 245 Peachtree Center Avenue ,NE., Suite 1200 Atlanta, GA 30303-1257
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region III 2443 Warrenville Road, Suite 210 Lisle, IL 60532-4352
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region, IV 1600 East Lamar Boulevard Arlington, Texas 76011-4511
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Washington, DC 20555-0001
NRC FORM 3(8-2017)
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGIONAL OFFICE LOCATIONSA representative of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can be contacted by employees who wish to register complaints or concerns about radiological working conditions or other matters associated with NRC-regulated activities at the following addresses and telephone numbers.
To report incidents involvingfraud, waste, or abuseby an NRC employee
or NRC contractor,
telephone:
OFFICE OF THEINSPECTOR GENERAL
HOTLINE1-800-233-3497
I
II
III
IV
(800) 432-1156
(800) 577-8510
(800) 522-3025
(800) 952-9677
WHAT IS THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION?The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent Federal regula-tory agency responsible for licensing and inspecting nuclear power plants and other commercial uses of radioactive materials.
WHAT DOES THE NRC DO?The NRC’s primary responsibility is to ensure that workers and the public are protected from unnecessary or excessive exposure to radiation and that nuclear facilities, including power plants, are constructed to high quality standards and operated in a safe and secure manner. The NRC does this by establishing requirements in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) and in licenses issued to nuclear users.
WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DOES MY EMPLOYER HAVE?Any company that conducts activities licensed by the NRC must comply with the NRC’s requirements. If a company violates NRC requirements, it can be fined or have its license modified, suspended or revoked.Your employer must tell you which NRC radiation requirements apply to your work and must post NRC Notices of Violation involving radiological working conditions.
WHAT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY?For your own protection and the protection of your co-workers, you should know how NRC requirements relate to your work and should follow them. If you observe violations of the requirements or have a safety concern, you should report them.
WHAT IF I CAUSE A VIOLATION?If you engaged in deliberate misconduct that may cause a violation of the NRC requirements, or would have caused a violation if it had not been detected, or deliberately provided inaccurate or incomplete information to either the NRC or to your employer, you may be subject to enforcement action. If you report such a violation, the NRC will consider the circumstances surrounding your reporting in determining the appropriate enforcement action, if any.
HOW DO I REPORT VIOLATIONS AND SAFETY CONCERNS?If you believe that violations of NRC rules or the terms of the license have occurred, or if you have a safety concern, you should report them imme-diately to your supervisor. You may report violations or safety concerns directly to the NRC. However, the NRC encourages you to raise your con-cerns with the licensee since the licensee has the primary responsibility for, and is most able to ensure, safe operation of nuclear facilities. If you choose to report your concern directly to the NRC, you may report it to an NRC in-
spector or call or write to the NRC Regional Office serving your area. If you send your concern in writing, it will assist the NRC in protecting your identity if you clearly indicate that you would like your concern to be considered by the NRC Allegation Program. The NRC’s toll-free SAFETY HOTLINE for re- porting safety concerns is listed below. The addresses for the NRC Regional Offices and the toll-free telephone numbers are also listed below. You can also e-mail safety concerns to [email protected].
WHAT IF I WORK WITH RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL OR IN THE VICINITY OF A RADIOACTIVE SOURCE?If you work with radioactive materials or near a radiation source, the amount of radiation exposure that you are permitted to receive may be limited by NRC regulations. The limits on exposure for workers at NRC licensed facilities whose duties involve exposure to radiation are contained in sections 20.1201, 20.1207, and 20.1208 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 20) depending on the part of the regulations to which your employer is subject. While these are the maximum allowable limits, your employer should also keep your radiation exposure as far below those limits as is “reasonably achievable.”
MAY I GET A RECORD OF MY RADIATION EXPOSURE?Yes. Your employer is required to make available to you the information in your dose records (as maintained under the provisions of 10 CFR 20.2106). In addition your employer is required to provide you with an annual report of the dose you received in that monitoring year if the dose exceeds 100 millirem, or if you request an annual report.
HOW ARE VIOLATIONS OF NRC REQUIREMENTS IDENTIFIED?NRC conducts regular inspections at licensed facilities to assure compliance with NRC requirements. In addition, your employer and site contractors may conduct their own inspections to assure compliance. All inspectors are pro-tected by Federal law. Interference with them may result in criminal prosecu- tion for a Federal offense.
MAY I TALK WITH AN NRC INSPECTOR?Yes. NRC inspectors want to talk to you if you are worried about radiation safety or have other safety concerns about licensed activities, such as the quality of construction or operations at your facility. Your employer may not prevent you from talking with an inspector. The NRC will make all reasonable efforts to protect your identity where appropriate and possible.
MAY I REQUEST AN INSPECTION?Yes. If you believe that your employer has not corrected violations involving radiological working conditions, you may request an inspection. Your request should be addressed to the nearest NRC Regional Office and must describe the alleged violation in detail. It must be signed by you or your representative.
HOW DO I CONTACT THE NRC?Talk to an NRC inspector on-site or call or write to the nearest NRC Regional Office in your geographical area (see map below). If you call the NRC’s toll- free SAFETY HOTLINE during normal business hours, your call will automati-cally be directed to the NRC Regional Office for your geographical area. If you call after normal business hours, or if your call can’t be answered during normal business hours by the regional staff, your call will be directed to the NRC’s Headquarters Operations Center, which is manned 24 hours a day. Calls to the Headquarters Operations Center are recorded. You can also e-mail safety concerns to [email protected].
CAN I BE FIRED FOR RAISING A SAFETY CONCERN?Federal law prohibits an employer from firing or otherwise discriminating against you for bringing safety concerns to the attention of your employer or the NRC. You may not be fired or discriminated against because you engage in certain protected activities, including but not limited to,• asking the NRC to enforce its rules against your employer;• refusing to engage in activities which violate NRC requirements;• providing information or preparing to provide information to the NRC or your
employer about violations of requirements or safety concerns; or• asking for, or testifying, helping, or taking part in an NRC, Congressional,
or any Federal or State proceeding.
WHAT FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION ARE PROHIBITED?It is unlawful for an employer to fire you or discriminate against you with respect to pay, benefits, or working conditions because you help the NRC or raise a safety issue or otherwise engage in protected activities. Violations of Section 211 of the Energy Reorganization Act (ERA) of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5851) include actions such as harassment, blacklisting, and intimidation by employ- ers of (i) employees who bring safety concerns directly to their employers or to the NRC; (ii) employees who have refused to engage in an unlawful practice, provided that the employee has identified the illegality to the employer; (iii) employees who have testified or are about to testify before Congress or in any Federal or State proceeding regarding any provision (or proposed provision) of the ERA or the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) of 1954; or (iv) employees who have commenced or caused to be commenced a proceeding for the administration or enforcement of any requirement imposed under the ERA or AEA or who have, or are about to, testify, assist, or participate in such a proceeding.
HOW DO I FILE A DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT?If you believe that you have been discriminated against for bringing violations or safety concerns to the NRC or your employer, you may file a complaint with the NRC, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), or appropriate state entities. If you desire a person-
al remedy, a complaint may be filed with the DOL pursuant to Section 211 of the ERA or with appropriate state entities. Your complaint to the DOL must describe in detail the basis for your belief that the employer discriminated against you on the basis of your protected activity, and it must be filed in writing either in person or by mail within 180 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory action or the date you re-ceived any notice, in writing or otherwise, of an adverse personnel action, whichever occured first. Additional information is available at the DOL web site at www.osha.gov. Filing an allegation, complaint, or request for action with the NRC does not extend the requirement to file a complaint with the DOL within 180 days. To do so, you may contact the Allegation Coordinator in the appropriate NRC Region, as listed below, who will provide you with the address and telephone number of the correct OSHA Regional office to receive your complaint. You may also check your local telephone directory under the U.S. Government listings for the address and telephone number of the appropriate OSHA Regional office.
WHAT CAN THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR DO?If your complaint involves a violation of Section 211 of the ERA by your employer, the DOL provides a process for obtaining a personal remedy. The DOL will notify your employer that a complaint has been filed and will investigate your complaint.If the DOL finds that your employer has unlawfully discriminated against you, it may order that you be reinstated, receive back pay, or be compensated for any injury suffered as a result of the discrimination and be paid attorney’s fees and costs.Relief will not be awarded to employees who engage in deliberate violations of the Energy Reorganization Act or the Atomic Energy Act.
WHAT WILL THE NRC DO?The NRC will evaluate each allegation of harassment, intimidation, or discrimi- nation to determine whether sufficient information is provided to initiate NRC involvement. To assist in this evaluation, an investigator from the NRC’s Office of Investigations (IO) may interview you and gather any applicable documentation in your possesion. If the NRC determines that the allegation falls within its purview, NRC’s OI will initiate an investigation of your allegation of discrimination unless, prior to the initiation of such investigation, you choose to engage in mediation with your employer in an attempt to settle your allegation of discrimination. If a settlement is reached and the NRC is provided such agreement for review and finds it acceptable, the NRC will close your allegation of discrimination and will not perform an investigation. However, any settlement agreement between you and your employer on your discrimination claim will not impact, in any way, the resolution of the underlying technical issues or any other allegation you may have filed or will file with the NRC. Alternatively, if an acceptable settlement is not reached, NRC’s OI will initiate an investigation. If the NRC or the DOL finds that unlawful discrimination has occurred, the NRC may issue a Notice of Violation to your employer, impose a fine, or suspend, modify, or revoke your employer’s NRC license.
NOTICE TO EMPLOYEESSTANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION (PART 20); NOTICES, INSTRUCTIONS AND
REPORTS TO WORKERS; INSPECTIONS (PART 19); EMPLOYEE PROTECTION
To report safety concerns orviolations of
NRC requirementsby your employer,
telephone:
NRCSAFETY HOTLINE
1-800-695-7403
Nuclear Power Plants • Each regional office oversees the
plants in its region—except for the Callaway plant in Missouri, which Region IV oversees.
Materials Licensees • Region I oversees licensees and
Federal facilities located geographically in Region I and Region II.
• Region III oversees licensees and Federal facilities located geographically in Region III.
• Region IV oversees licensees and Federal facilities located geographically in Region IV.
Nuclear Fuel Processing Facilities • Region II oversees all the fuel
processing facilities in all regions. • Region II also handles all construction
inspection activities for new nuclear power plants and fuel cycle facilities in all regions.
NRC FORM 3
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If ADR does not result in a settlement, the NRC (OI) may initiate an investigation into your discrimination complaint. As mentioned above, the NRC’s ADR program is voluntary, and any participant may end the mediation at any time.
The NRC encourages employers to develop similar dispute resolution processes for use in conjunction with their own employee concerns programs. If a worker and employer resolve and settle a discrimination concern using such a process, the employer may voluntarily report the settlement to the NRC. If the NRC is notified of an internal settlement before an NRC OI investigation is initiated, the NRC will close the discrimination complaint and will not perform an investigation.
Although participation in the NRC’s ADR program may lead to negotiation of your discrimination complaint, you should still consider filing a discrimination complaint with the DOL. In order to protect your right to file a discrimination claim with DOL, you must file a written complaint with DOL within 180 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory action or the date you received any notice, in writing or otherwise, of an adverse personnel action, whichever occurs first.
DOL may choose to wait for the ADR mediation to finish in case you reach a settlement with your employer, but timely filing of a discrimination complaint with DOL ensures that DOL will review your claim in the event ADR is unsuccessful.
Once entered, the entire DOL complaint process may take several years to complete. It begins with an attempt by the local DOL office to negotiate a settlement between you and your employer. If this effort is unsuccessful, the local DOL office will investigate to determine whether discrimination occurred and provide its conclusions to the parties involved. Usually, this phase is completed within about 90 days.
At the request of the worker or employer, a DOL administrative law judge can review the conclusions of the local DOL office. The judge will hold a hearing and issue a recommended decision that will be reviewed by the DOL Administrative Review Board. The Administrative Review Board’s decision becomes the Secretary of Labor’s final decision. The Secretary’s decision may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Depending on the outcome in each step of the DOL process, you will have to await decisions concerning reinstatement to your job, payment of back wages, and compensatory damages, including repayment of legal fees. To fully preserve your rights to a personal remedy, you will need to participate in each step of the process.
Written complaints can be sent to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration at any of the DOL regional offices. To obtain the address of the correct regional office, you can either look it up in your local telephone directory or contact an NRC Allegation Coordinator, who can also answer questions about how to file a complaint with DOL.
If you file a discrimination complaint with DOL and later find that you need information from the NRC about issues associated with your protected activity or NRC requirements, you may contact the NRC by calling 1-800-368-5642 and asking for the Agency Allegation Advisor or calling 301-415-8529 directly.
SAFETY CONSCIOUS WORK ENVIRONMENTThe NRC recognizes that concerns about discrimination can discourage workers from raising safety concerns. Other behaviors, such as defensive or ineffective responses to concerns raised, could also impact the free flow of information at a facility. Therefore, in 1996, the NRC issued a policy statement to convey the Commission’s expectation that licensees establish and maintain a safety conscious work environment in which the following occurs:
• Employees are encouraged and are free to raise safety concerns, both to their management and to the NRC, without fear of retaliation.
• Concerns are promptly reviewed, given the proper priority based on their potential safety significance, and appropriately resolved.
Workers who raise safety concerns serve a vital role in the protection of public health and safety. Retaliation against those who do so is unlawful and will not be tolerated by the NRC.
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• Timely feedback is provided to the individual raising the concern or others as necessary.
Concerns about the safety conscious work environment are of interest to the NRC. Some individuals refer to this type of concern as a “chilling effect.” To assist the NRC staff evaluating such a concern, you may be asked the following questions:
• Are there any specific safety concerns you or others have not raised? If so, will you tell us about them now?
• What specifically happened, and when, that impacted your or others’ willingness to raise safety concerns?
• What types of concerns are you hesitant to raise and why? What is their impact on safety?
• To whom are you hesitant to raise concerns and why? What reporting avenues are impacted?
• Which organizations and how many individuals are impacted by the chilling effect?
• Who is contributing to the chilled work environment and what is his or her relationship to those who are chilled?
• Do you believe management is aware of the chilled work environment? If yes, have actions been taken to address the situation and do you feel the actions have been effective?
SUMMARYThe NRC believes that all workers should feel free to raise concerns to their employers so that issues can be dealt with quickly. At any time, however, employees and members of the public have the option of bringing a safety concern directly to the NRC.
Workers who raise safety concerns serve a vital role in the protection of public health and safety. Retaliation against those who do so is unlawful and will not be tolerated by the NRC.
DEFINITIONSAgency Allegation Advisor—A designated NRC staff member who is responsible for monitoring the NRC’s allegation program and providing advice and guidance to NRC management and staff on handling allegations.
Allegation—A declaration, statement, or assertion of impropriety or inadequacy associated with the NRC-regulated activities, the validity of which has not been established.
Allegation Review Board (ARB)—A board established by regional administrators or headquarters office directors to determine the safety significance and appropriate NRC follow up for each allegation. The ARB consists of a chairperson (a senior NRC manager), an Allegation Coordinator, and other individuals within an NRC office or region.
Allegation Coordinator—A designated staff member who serves as the point of contact for processing allegations in an NRC region or headquarters office.
Alleger—An individual who, or organization that, submits an allegation to the NRC.
Confidentiality—Identity protection for an alleger who has been granted confidential source status.
Investigation—An activity conducted by the NRC’s OI to independently gather and examine testimonial, documentary, and physical evidence, and relevant facts, to assist the staff, the NRC’s Office of Enforcement, or the U.S. Department of Justice in evaluating allegations of wrongdoing and/or discrimination.
Wrongdoing—A willful violation of regulatory requirements through deliberate action or a violation resulting from careless disregard of regulatory requirements.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES■ NRC Alternative Dispute Resolution Program
brochure NUREG/BR-0313 at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/brochures/br0313/
■ Occupational Safety and Health Administration Web site at http://www.osha.gov
■NRC Report a Safety Concern Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/allegations/safety-concern.html
REG
ION
AL
OFF
ICES
REG
ION
AD
DR
ESS
TELE
PHO
NE
U.S
. Nuc
lear
Reg
ulat
ory
Com
mis
sion
, Reg
ion
I
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enai
ssan
ce B
oule
vard
, Sui
te 1
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of P
russ
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lear
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ulat
ory
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mis
sion
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ion
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acht
ree
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ter A
venu
e ,N
E., S
uite
120
0
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lant
a, G
A 30
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. Nuc
lear
Reg
ulat
ory
Com
mis
sion
, Reg
ion
III
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renv
ille R
oad,
Sui
te 2
10
Lisl
e, IL
605
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. Nuc
lear
Reg
ulat
ory
Com
mis
sion
Reg
ion,
IV
1600
Eas
t Lam
ar B
oule
vard
Ar
lingt
on, T
exas
760
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511
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ITED
STA
TES
NU
CLE
AR R
EGU
LATO
RY C
OM
MIS
SIO
N
Was
hing
ton,
DC
205
55-0
001
NR
C F
OR
M 3
(8-2
017)
UN
ITED
STA
TES
NU
CLE
AR
REG
ULA
TORY
CO
MM
ISSI
ON
REG
ION
AL
OFF
ICE
LOC
ATIO
NS
A re
pres
enta
tive
of th
e N
ucle
ar R
egul
ator
y C
omm
issi
on c
an b
e co
ntac
ted
by e
mpl
oyee
s w
ho w
ish
to re
gist
er c
ompl
aint
s or
con
cern
s ab
out r
adio
logi
cal
wor
king
con
ditio
ns o
r oth
er m
atte
rs a
ssoc
iate
d w
ith N
RC
-regu
late
d ac
tiviti
es a
t the
follo
win
g ad
dres
ses
and
tele
phon
e nu
mbe
rs.
To re
port
inci
dent
s in
volv
ing
fraud
, was
te, o
r abu
seby
an
NR
C e
mpl
oyee
or N
RC
con
tract
or,
tele
phon
e:
OFF
ICE
OF
THE
INSP
ECTO
R G
ENER
AL
HO
TLIN
E1-
800-
233-
3497
I II III IV
(800
) 432
-115
6
(800
) 577
-851
0
(800
) 522
-302
5
(800
) 952
-967
7
WH
AT IS
TH
E N
UC
LEA
R R
EGU
LATO
RY C
OM
MIS
SIO
N?
The
Nuc
lear
Reg
ulat
ory C
omm
issi
on (N
RC
) is a
n in
depe
nden
t Fed
eral
regu
la-
tory
age
ncy
resp
onsi
ble
for l
icen
sing
and
insp
ectin
g nu
clea
r pow
er p
lant
s an
d ot
her c
omm
erci
al u
ses
of ra
dioa
ctiv
e m
ater
ials
.
WH
AT D
OES
TH
E N
RC
DO
?Th
e N
RC
’s pr
imar
y re
spon
sibi
lity
is to
ens
ure
that
wor
kers
and
the
publ
ic a
re
prot
ecte
d fro
m u
nnec
essa
ry o
r exc
essiv
e ex
posu
re to
radi
atio
n an
d th
at n
ucle
ar
faci
litie
s, in
clud
ing
pow
er p
lant
s, a
re c
onst
ruct
ed to
hig
h qu
ality
sta
ndar
ds a
nd
oper
ated
in a
saf
e an
d se
cure
man
ner.
The
NR
C d
oes
this
by
esta
blis
hing
re
quire
men
ts in
Titl
e 10
of t
he C
ode
of F
eder
al R
egul
atio
ns (1
0 C
FR) a
nd in
lic
ense
s is
sued
to n
ucle
ar u
sers
.
WH
AT R
ESPO
NSI
BIL
ITY
DO
ES M
Y EM
PLO
YER
HAV
E?An
y co
mpa
ny th
at c
ondu
cts
activ
ities
lice
nsed
by
the
NR
C m
ust c
ompl
y w
ith
the
NR
C’s
requ
irem
ents
. If a
com
pany
vio
late
s N
RC
requ
irem
ents
, it c
an b
e fin
ed o
r hav
e its
lice
nse
mod
ified
, sus
pend
ed o
r rev
oked
.Yo
ur e
mpl
oyer
mus
t tel
l you
whi
ch N
RC
radi
atio
n re
quire
men
ts a
pply
to y
our
wor
k an
d m
ust p
ost N
RC
Not
ices
of V
iola
tion
invo
lvin
g ra
diol
ogic
al w
orki
ng
cond
ition
s.
WH
AT IS
MY
RES
PON
SIB
ILIT
Y?Fo
r yo
ur o
wn
prot
ectio
n an
d th
e pr
otec
tion
of y
our
co-w
orke
rs, y
ou s
houl
d kn
ow h
ow N
RC
req
uire
men
ts r
elat
e to
you
r w
ork
and
shou
ld fo
llow
them
. If
you
obse
rve
viola
tions
of t
he r
equi
rem
ents
or
have
a s
afet
y co
ncer
n, y
ou
shou
ld re
port
them
.
WH
AT IF
I C
AU
SE A
VIO
LATI
ON
?If
you
enga
ged
in d
elib
erat
e m
isco
nduc
t tha
t may
cau
se a
vio
latio
n of
the
NR
C
requ
irem
ents
, or w
ould
hav
e ca
used
a v
iola
tion
if it
had
not b
een
dete
cted
, or
delib
erat
ely
prov
ided
inac
cura
te o
r inc
ompl
ete
info
rmat
ion
to e
ither
the
NR
C
or to
you
r em
ploy
er, y
ou m
ay b
e su
bjec
t to
enfo
rcem
ent a
ctio
n. If
you
repo
rt su
ch a
vio
latio
n, th
e N
RC
will
cons
ider
the
circ
umst
ance
s su
rroun
ding
you
r re
porti
ng in
det
erm
inin
g th
e ap
prop
riate
enf
orce
men
t act
ion,
if a
ny.
HO
W D
O I
REP
OR
T VI
OLA
TIO
NS
AN
D S
AFE
TY C
ON
CER
NS?
If yo
u be
lieve
that
vio
latio
ns o
f NR
C ru
les
or th
e te
rms
of th
e lic
ense
hav
e oc
curre
d, o
r if
you
have
a s
afet
y co
ncer
n, y
ou s
houl
d re
port
them
imm
e-di
atel
y to
you
r su
perv
isor
. You
may
rep
ort
viol
atio
ns o
r sa
fety
con
cern
s di
rect
ly to
the
NR
C. H
owev
er, t
he N
RC
enc
oura
ges
you
to r
aise
you
r co
n-ce
rns
with
the
licen
see
sinc
e th
e lic
ense
e ha
s th
e pr
imar
y re
spon
sibi
lity
for,
and
is m
ost a
ble
to e
nsur
e, s
afe
oper
atio
n of
nuc
lear
faci
litie
s. If
you
cho
ose
to r
epor
t you
r con
cern
dire
ctly
to th
e NR
C, y
ou m
ay re
port
it to
an
NRC
in-
spec
tor o
r cal
l or w
rite
to th
e N
RC
Reg
iona
l Offi
ce s
ervi
ng y
our a
rea.
If y
ou
send
you
r con
cern
in w
ritin
g, it
will
assis
t the
NRC
in p
rote
ctin
g yo
ur id
entit
y if
you
clear
ly in
dica
te th
at y
ou w
ould
like
you
r co
ncer
n to
be
cons
ider
ed b
y th
e NR
C Al
lega
tion
Prog
ram
. The
NRC
’s to
ll-fre
e SA
FETY
HO
TLIN
E fo
r re-
po
rting
saf
ety
conc
erns
is li
sted
bel
ow. T
he a
ddre
sses
for t
he N
RC R
egio
nal
Offi
ces
and
the
toll-
free
tele
phon
e nu
mbe
rs a
re a
lso li
sted
bel
ow. Y
ou c
an
also
e-m
ail s
afet
y co
ncer
ns to
NRC
.Alle
gatio
n@nr
c.go
v.
WH
AT IF
I W
OR
K W
ITH
RA
DIO
AC
TIVE
MAT
ERIA
L O
R IN
TH
E VI
CIN
ITY
OF
A R
AD
IOA
CTI
VE S
OU
RC
E?If
you
work
with
radi
oact
ive m
ater
ials
or n
ear a
radi
atio
n so
urce
, the
am
ount
of
radi
atio
n ex
posu
re th
at y
ou a
re p
erm
itted
to re
ceive
may
be
limite
d by
NRC
re
gula
tions
. The
lim
its o
n ex
posu
re fo
r w
orke
rs a
t NR
C li
cens
ed fa
cilit
ies
who
se d
utie
s in
volv
e ex
posu
re to
radi
atio
n ar
e co
ntai
ned
in s
ectio
ns 2
0.12
01,
20.1
207,
and
20.
1208
of T
itle
10 o
f the
Cod
e of
Fed
eral
Reg
ulat
ions
(10
CFR
20
) dep
endi
ng o
n th
e pa
rt of
the
regu
latio
ns to
whi
ch yo
ur e
mpl
oyer
is su
bjec
t. W
hile
thes
e ar
e th
e m
axim
um a
llowa
ble
limits
, you
r em
ploy
er sh
ould
also
keep
yo
ur ra
diat
ion
expo
sure
as f
ar b
elow
thos
e lim
its a
s is “
reas
onab
ly ac
hiev
able
.”
MAY
I G
ET A
REC
OR
D O
F M
Y R
AD
IATI
ON
EXP
OSU
RE?
Yes.
You
r em
ploy
er is
requ
ired
to m
ake
avai
labl
e to
you
the
info
rmat
ion
in
your
dos
e re
cord
s (a
s m
aint
aine
d un
der t
he p
rovi
sion
s of
10
CFR
20.
2106
). In
add
ition
you
r em
ploy
er is
requ
ired
to p
rovi
de y
ou w
ith a
n an
nual
repo
rt of
th
e do
se yo
u re
ceiv
ed in
that
mon
itorin
g ye
ar if
the
dose
exc
eeds
100
milli
rem
, or
if y
ou re
ques
t an
annu
al re
port.
HO
W A
RE
VIO
LATI
ON
S O
F N
RC
REQ
UIR
EMEN
TS ID
ENTI
FIED
?N
RC
con
duct
s re
gula
r ins
pect
ions
at l
icen
sed
faci
litie
s to
ass
ure
com
plia
nce
with
NR
C re
quire
men
ts. I
n ad
ditio
n, y
our e
mpl
oyer
and
site
con
tract
ors
may
co
nduc
t the
ir ow
n in
spec
tions
to a
ssur
e co
mpl
ianc
e. A
ll in
spec
tors
are
pro
-te
cted
by
Fede
ral l
aw. I
nter
fere
nce
with
them
may
resu
lt in
crim
inal
pro
secu
- tio
n fo
r a F
eder
al o
ffens
e.
MAY
I TA
LK W
ITH
AN
NR
C IN
SPEC
TOR
?Ye
s. N
RC in
spec
tors
wan
t to
talk
to yo
u if y
ou a
re w
orrie
d ab
out r
adia
tion
safe
ty
or h
ave
othe
r saf
ety
conc
erns
abo
ut li
cens
ed a
ctiv
ities
, suc
h as
the
qual
ity
of c
onst
ruct
ion
or o
pera
tions
at y
our f
acilit
y. Yo
ur e
mpl
oyer
may
not
pre
vent
yo
u fro
m ta
lkin
g w
ith a
n in
spec
tor.
The
NR
C w
ill m
ake
all r
easo
nabl
e ef
forts
to
pro
tect
you
r ide
ntity
whe
re a
ppro
pria
te a
nd p
ossi
ble.
MAY
I R
EQU
EST
AN
INSP
ECTI
ON
?Ye
s. If
you
bel
ieve
that
you
r em
ploy
er h
as n
ot c
orre
cted
vio
latio
ns in
volv
ing
radi
olog
ical
wor
king
con
ditio
ns, y
ou m
ay re
ques
t an
insp
ectio
n. Y
our r
eque
st
shou
ld b
e ad
dres
sed
to th
e ne
ares
t NR
C R
egio
nal O
ffice
and
mus
t des
crib
e th
e al
lege
d vio
latio
n in
det
ail.
It m
ust b
e sig
ned
by y
ou o
r you
r rep
rese
ntat
ive.
HOW
DO
I CO
NTAC
T TH
E NR
C?Ta
lk to
an
NRC
insp
ecto
r on-
site
or c
all o
r writ
e to
the
near
est N
RC R
egio
nal
Offi
ce in
you
r geo
grap
hica
l are
a (s
ee m
ap b
elow
). If
you
call
the
NRC’
s to
ll-
free
SAFE
TY H
OTL
INE
durin
g no
rmal
bus
ines
s ho
urs,
you
r cal
l will
auto
mat
i-ca
lly b
e di
rect
ed to
the
NRC
Regi
onal
Offi
ce fo
r you
r geo
grap
hica
l are
a. If
you
ca
ll af
ter
norm
al b
usin
ess
hour
s, o
r if
your
cal
l can
’t be
ans
wer
ed d
urin
g no
rmal
bus
ines
s ho
urs
by th
e re
gion
al s
taff,
yo
ur c
all w
ill be
dire
cted
to
the
NR
C’s
Hea
dqua
rters
Ope
ratio
ns C
ente
r, w
hich
is m
anne
d 24
hou
rs a
da
y. C
alls
to th
e H
eadq
uarte
rs O
pera
tions
Cen
ter
are
reco
rded
. You
can
al
so e
-mai
l saf
ety
conc
erns
to N
RC.A
llega
tion@
nrc.
gov.
CAN
I BE
FIRE
D FO
R RA
ISIN
G A
SAF
ETY
CONC
ERN?
Fede
ral la
w pr
ohib
its a
n em
ploy
er fr
om fir
ing
or o
ther
wise
disc
rimin
atin
g ag
ains
t yo
u fo
r brin
ging
saf
ety
conc
erns
to th
e at
tent
ion
of y
our e
mpl
oyer
or t
he N
RC.
You
may
not
be
fired
or d
iscrim
inat
ed a
gain
st b
ecau
se y
ou e
ngag
e in
cer
tain
pr
otec
ted
activ
ities,
inclu
ding
but
not
limite
d to
,•
askin
g th
e NR
C to
enf
orce
its
rule
s ag
ains
t you
r em
ploy
er;
• re
fusin
g to
eng
age
in a
ctivi
ties
which
vio
late
NRC
requ
irem
ents
;•
prov
idin
g in
form
atio
n or
pre
parin
g to
pro
vide
info
rmat
ion
to th
e NR
C or
you
r em
ploy
er a
bout
vio
latio
ns o
f req
uire
men
ts o
r saf
ety
conc
erns
; or
• as
king
for,
or te
stify
ing,
hel
ping
, or t
akin
g pa
rt in
an
NRC,
Con
gres
siona
l, or
any
Fed
eral
or S
tate
pro
ceed
ing.
WHA
T FO
RMS
OF
DISC
RIM
INAT
ION
ARE
PRO
HIBI
TED?
It is
unl
awfu
l for
an
empl
oyer
to fi
re y
ou o
r di
scrim
inat
e ag
ains
t you
with
re
spec
t to
pay,
bene
fits,
or w
orkin
g co
nditio
ns b
ecau
se y
ou h
elp
the
NRC
or
raise
a s
afet
y iss
ue o
r oth
erwi
se e
ngag
e in
pro
tect
ed a
ctivi
ties.
Vio
latio
ns o
f Se
ctio
n 21
1 of
the
Ener
gy R
eorg
aniza
tion
Act (
ERA)
of 1
974
(42
U.S.
C. 5
851)
in
clude
act
ions
suc
h as
har
assm
ent,
blac
klist
ing,
and
intim
idat
ion
by e
mpl
oy-
ers
of (i
) em
ploy
ees
who
brin
g sa
fety
con
cern
s di
rect
ly to
thei
r em
ploy
ers
or to
th
e NR
C; (i
i) em
ploy
ees
who
have
refu
sed
to e
ngag
e in
an
unla
wful
pra
ctice
, pr
ovid
ed th
at th
e em
ploy
ee h
as id
entifi
ed th
e ille
gality
to th
e em
ploy
er; (
iii)
empl
oyee
s wh
o ha
ve te
stifie
d or
are
abo
ut to
test
ify b
efor
e Co
ngre
ss o
r in
any
Fede
ral o
r Sta
te p
roce
edin
g re
gard
ing
any
prov
ision
(or p
ropo
sed
prov
ision
) of
the
ERA
or th
e At
omic
Ener
gy A
ct (A
EA) o
f 195
4; o
r (iv)
em
ploy
ees
who
have
co
mm
ence
d or
cau
sed
to b
e co
mm
ence
d a
proc
eedi
ng fo
r the
adm
inist
ratio
n or
enf
orce
men
t of a
ny r
equi
rem
ent i
mpo
sed
unde
r th
e ER
A or
AEA
or
who
have
, or a
re a
bout
to, t
estif
y, as
sist,
or p
artic
ipat
e in
suc
h a
proc
eedi
ng.
HOW
DO
I FI
LE A
DIS
CRIM
INAT
ION
COM
PLAI
NT?
If you
belie
ve th
at yo
u hav
e bee
n disc
rimin
ated
agai
nst fo
r brin
ging
viol
atio
ns or
safe
ty
conc
erns
to th
e NR
C or
your
em
ploy
er, y
ou m
ay fil
e a
com
plai
nt w
ith th
e NR
C, th
e U.
S. D
epar
tmen
t of L
abor
(DO
L), o
r app
ropr
iate
stat
e ent
ities.
If yo
u des
ire a
pers
on-
al re
med
y, a c
ompl
aint
may
be fil
ed w
ith th
e DO
L pur
suan
t to S
ectio
n 211
of th
e ERA
or
with
appr
opria
te st
ate e
ntitie
s. Yo
ur co
mpl
aint
to th
e DO
L mus
t des
crib
e in d
etai
l th
e bas
is fo
r you
r bel
ief th
at th
e em
ploy
er di
scrim
inat
ed ag
ains
t you
on th
e bas
is of
yo
ur pr
otec
ted a
ctivi
ty, an
d it m
ust b
e file
d in w
ritin
g eith
er in
pers
on or
by m
ail w
ithin
18
0 da
ys o
f the
dat
e of
the
alle
ged
disc
rimin
ator
y ac
tion
or th
e da
te y
ou r
e-ce
ived
any
notic
e, in
writ
ing
or o
ther
wise
, of
an
adve
rse
pers
onne
l act
ion,
wh
ichev
er o
ccur
ed fi
rst.
Addi
tiona
l inf
orm
atio
n is
avai
labl
e at
the
DOL
web
site
at w
ww.o
sha.
gov.
Filin
g an
alle
gatio
n, c
ompl
aint
, or
req
uest
for
act
ion
with
th
e NR
C do
es n
ot e
xten
d th
e re
quire
men
t to
file a
com
plai
nt w
ith th
e DO
L wi
thin
180
day
s. T
o do
so,
you
may
con
tact
the
Alle
gatio
n Co
ordi
nato
r in
th
e ap
prop
riate
NRC
Reg
ion,
as
liste
d be
low,
who
will
prov
ide
you
with
th
e add
ress
and t
elep
hone
num
ber o
f the c
orre
ct O
SHA
Regi
onal
offic
e to r
ecei
ve
your
com
plai
nt. Y
ou m
ay a
lso ch
eck y
our l
ocal
tele
phon
e di
rect
ory u
nder
the
U.S.
G
over
nmen
t list
ings
for t
he a
ddre
ss a
nd te
leph
one
num
ber o
f the
app
ropr
iate
O
SHA
Regi
onal
offi
ce.
WHA
T CA
N TH
E DE
PART
MEN
T O
F LA
BOR
DO?
If yo
ur co
mpl
aint
invo
lves a
viol
atio
n of
Sec
tion
211
of th
e ER
A by
your
em
ploy
er,
the
DOL
prov
ides
a p
roce
ss fo
r obt
aini
ng a
per
sona
l rem
edy.
The
DOL
will n
otify
yo
ur e
mpl
oyer
that
a co
mpl
aint
has
bee
n file
d an
d wi
ll inv
estig
ate
your
com
plai
nt.
If the
DO
L find
s tha
t you
r em
ploy
er ha
s unl
awfu
lly d
iscrim
inat
ed ag
ains
t you
, it m
ay
orde
r tha
t you
be
rein
stat
ed, r
ecei
ve b
ack
pay,
or b
e co
mpe
nsat
ed fo
r any
inju
ry
suffe
red
as a
resu
lt of
the
disc
rimin
atio
n an
d be
pai
d at
torn
ey’s
fees
and
cos
ts.
Relie
f will
not b
e aw
arde
d to
em
ploy
ees
who
enga
ge in
del
iber
ate
viola
tions
of
the
Ener
gy R
eorg
aniza
tion
Act o
r the
Ato
mic
Ener
gy A
ct.
WHA
T W
ILL
THE
NRC
DO?
The
NRC
will e
valu
ate
each
alle
gatio
n of
har
assm
ent,
intim
idat
ion,
or d
iscrim
i- na
tion
to d
eter
min
e wh
ethe
r suf
ficie
nt in
form
atio
n is
prov
ided
to in
itiate
NRC
in
volve
men
t. To
assis
t in th
is ev
alua
tion,
an
inve
stig
ator
from
the
NRC’
s Offi
ce o
f In
vest
igat
ions
(IO
) may
inte
rvie
w yo
u an
d ga
ther
any
app
licab
le d
ocum
enta
tion
in
your
pos
sesio
n. If
the
NRC
dete
rmin
es th
at th
e al
lega
tion
falls
with
in its
pur
view,
NR
C’s
OI w
ill in
itiate
an
inve
stig
atio
n of
you
r alle
gatio
n of
disc
rimin
atio
n un
less
, pr
ior t
o th
e in
itiatio
n of
suc
h in
vest
igat
ion,
you
cho
ose
to e
ngag
e in
med
iatio
n wi
th y
our e
mpl
oyer
in a
n at
tem
pt to
set
tle y
our a
llega
tion
of d
iscrim
inat
ion.
If a
se
ttlem
ent i
s re
ache
d an
d th
e NR
C is
prov
ided
suc
h ag
reem
ent f
or re
view
and
finds
it a
ccep
tabl
e, th
e NR
C wi
ll clo
se y
our a
llega
tion
of d
iscrim
inat
ion
and
will
not p
erfo
rm a
n in
vest
igat
ion.
How
ever
, any
set
tlem
ent a
gree
men
t bet
ween
you
an
d yo
ur e
mpl
oyer
on
your
disc
rimin
atio
n cla
im w
ill no
t im
pact
, in
any
way,
the
reso
lutio
n of
the
unde
rlyin
g te
chni
cal i
ssue
s or
any
oth
er a
llega
tion
you
may
ha
ve fi
led
or w
ill file
with
the
NRC.
Alte
rnat
ively,
if a
n ac
cept
able
set
tlem
ent i
s no
t rea
ched
, NRC
’s O
I will
initia
te a
n in
vest
igat
ion.
If
the
NR
C o
r th
e D
OL
finds
that
unl
awfu
l dis
crim
inat
ion
has
occu
rred,
the
NRC
may
issu
e a
Notic
e of
Vio
latio
n to
your
em
ploy
er, im
pose
a fin
e, o
r sus
pend
, m
odify
, or r
evok
e yo
ur e
mpl
oyer
’s NR
C lic
ense
.
NO
TIC
E TO
EM
PLO
YEES
STAN
DAR
DS
FOR
PR
OTE
CTI
ON
AG
AIN
ST R
ADIA
TIO
N (P
ART
20);
NO
TIC
ES, I
NST
RU
CTI
ON
S AN
D
REP
ORT
S TO
WO
RKE
RS;
INSP
ECTI
ON
S (P
ART
19);
EMPL
OYE
E PR
OTE
CTI
ON
To re
port
safe
ty c
once
rns
orvi
olat
ions
of
NR
C re
quire
men
tsby
you
r em
ploy
er,
tele
phon
e:
NR
CSA
FETY
HO
TLIN
E
1-80
0-69
5-74
03
Nuc
lear
Pow
er P
lant
s •
Each
regi
onal
offi
ce o
vers
ees
the
plan
ts in
its
regi
on—
exce
pt fo
r the
C
alla
way
pla
nt in
Mis
sour
i, w
hich
R
egio
n IV
ove
rsee
s.
Mat
eria
ls L
icen
sees
•
Reg
ion
I ove
rsee
s lic
ense
es a
nd
Fede
ral f
acilit
ies
loca
ted
geog
raph
ical
ly
in R
egio
n I a
nd R
egio
n II.
•
Reg
ion
III o
vers
ees
licen
sees
and
Fe
dera
l fac
ilitie
s lo
cate
d ge
ogra
phic
ally
in
Reg
ion
III.
• R
egio
n IV
ove
rsee
s lic
ense
es a
nd
Fede
ral f
acilit
ies
loca
ted
geog
raph
ical
ly
in R
egio
n IV
.
Nuc
lear
Fue
l Pro
cess
ing
Faci
litie
s •
Reg
ion
II ov
erse
es a
ll th
e fu
el
proc
essi
ng fa
cilit
ies
in a
ll re
gion
s.
• R
egio
n II
also
han
dles
all
cons
truct
ion
insp
ectio
n ac
tiviti
es fo
r new
nuc
lear
po
wer
pla
nts
and
fuel
cyc
le fa
cilit
ies
in
all r
egio
ns.
NUREG/BR-0240, Rev. 8 August 2017
