ASN Report 2017

74 ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2017 Chapter 02  - The principles of nuclear safety and radiation protection and the regulation and oversight stakeholders The regional divisions contribute to ASN’s public information duty. They for example take part in the meetings of the Local Information Committees (CLIs) and maintain regular relations with the local media, elected officials, associations, licensees and local administrations. ASN’s regional divisions are presented in chapter 8 of this report. 2.3.3 Operation Human resources As at 31st December 2017, the total ASN workforce stood at 508, divided between the head office departments (281 staff members), the regional divisions (225 staff members) and various international organisations (2 staff members). This workforce can be further broken down as follows: ཛྷ ཛྷ 430 tenured or contract staff members; ཛྷ ཛྷ 78 staff members seconded by public establishments (Andra, Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris , CEA, IRSN, Departmental Fire and Emergency Response Service). ASN implements a diversified hiring policy in terms of profiles and experience, with the aim of ensuring that it has enough qualified and complementary human resources to perform its duties. The 50 additional positions granted by Government and Parliament for the 2015-2017 three-year period, at a time of budget restrictions, were assigned to the priority issues identified by ASN. In parallel with these recruitments, ASN is continuing to implement the measures it has adopted for several years now, to reinforce its efficiency and enhance its performance. Despite these efforts, ASN considers that its headcount remains insufficient. Furthermore, the detection in 2016 of irregularities in the Areva NP Creusot Forge plant requires the deployment of teams to examine the irregularities discovered and to carry out reinforced long-term monitoring of the licensees and their subcontractors, to prevent the occurrence of such situations. These needs led ASN, in its opinion dated 1st June 2017, to request the recruitment of an additional 15 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff for the 2018-2020 three-year period, at a rate of 5 FTE each year. These expressed needs do not cover the examination of any new nuclear facility projects that would result from future energy policy decisions. In order to obtain the required experience and level of expertise, ASN sets up training programmes and procedures for integrating new arrivals and handing down specific know-how. It also aims to offer a variety of career paths, commensurate with its needs, based in particular on the experience of its staff. Skills management Competence is one of the four key values of ASN. The tutor system, initial and continuing training, whether general, linked to nuclear techniques, the field of communication, or legal matters, as well as day-to-day practices, are essential aspects of the professionalism of ASN staff. Management of the skills of ASN personnel is built primarily around a technical training programme tailored to each staff member, based on professional training requirements that include minimum experience conditions. Pursuant to the provisions of Articles L. 592-22 and L. 592-23 of the Environment Code, which more specifically state that “ASN shall appoint nuclear safety inspectors […] and radiation protection inspectors […] from among its staff” and Decree 2007- 831 of 11th May 2007 setting the procedures for appointing and qualifying nuclear safety inspectors, which states that the “nuclear safety inspectors and the staff responsible for checking nuclear pressure equipment […] are chosen for their professional experience and their legal and technical knowledge” , ASN set up an official process for accrediting certain of its staff members to perform its inspections and, as necessary, carry out judicial policing roles. ASN also carries out labour inspectorate duties in the nuclear power plants, pursuant to Article R. 8111-11 of the Labour Code. For each of the inspectors it qualifies, the accreditation decision taken by ASN is based on the adequacy of the skills acquired, both within and outside ASN, with those specified in the professional baseline requirements. Furthermore, and in order to recognise the expertise and experience of its inspectors, ASN has set up a process enabling it to select senior inspectors from among its staff, to whom it can entrust inspections that are more complex or with more significant implications. As at 31st December 2017, 39 ASN nuclear safety and radiation protection inspectors were senior inspectors, or nearly 12.5% of the 311 ASN staff members holding at least one accreditation. In 2017, nearly 4,506 days of training were provided to ASN staff through 201 sessions forming part of 111 different courses. Social dialogue ASN comprises various entities enabling it to maintain and develop high-quality social dialogue. During 2017, the ASN Social Dialogue Committee (SDC) met on five occasions to discuss various subjects: relocation of the Caen and Bordeaux divisions, reorganisation of the head office entities, modification of the decision concerning the organisation of the ASN services further to the reform of the regions, travel charter, social audit, training audit, budget implementation, on-call duty system, etc. Complementing the action of the ASNSDC, the Joint Consultative Commission (CCP) - which has competence for contract staff - met twice. In addition to prolonging the tenure system for contractual staff set out in Decree 2016-1085 of 3rd August 2016, the discussions mainly concerned the general situation of ASN contractual staff and their career prospects. Finally, the ASN Health, Safety and Working Conditions Committee (CHSCT) met three times in 2017. The discussions with the personnel representatives mainly concerned the following topics:
 ཛྷ ཛྷ working of the CHSCT; ཛྷ ཛྷ actions carried out by the CHSCT and follow-up: prevention of psychosocial risks, first-aid worker training, preventive medicine and occupational health and safety inspectorate, etc.;