I see guys at lunch playing checkers all the time.

You're going to have to be more specific if you want a good answer...

You mean the person who verifie certain activities in accordance with 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, "Quality Assurance Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants and Fuel Reprocessing Plants?"

I might have some knowledge.  Of course, if you work at a nuclear plant, there are quite a few people and procedures that will tell you all you need to know in much more detail and relevancy to your job.

Patricia Lougheed

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I mean,
I heard that after all formal procedures, inspection and testing and examination. one person assigned as "Checker" who has no technical backround. Just he is questioning like:
"Why this is here?" Is it necessary? How its working? etc."

Sounds like top management to me...

Regards,

Mike

Never heard of having someone come in with no technical knowledge just to ask questions that should have been asked well beforehand.

Maybe a bit more explanation of why you want to know?

Patricia Lougheed

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At the plant I worked at (5 years), to tighten a door hinge screw required 17 signatures.  
Yes, someone got in trouble for tightening a door hinge screw without the 17 signatures, and yes the screw needed tightening.
After reviewing this issue, a generic document was generated with 27 signatures (rewritten once per year), that allowed the man to tighten any door hinge screw that needed tightening, or any other problem with doors such as handles, closures ect.
Some of those people that needed to sign the document had no technical background but asked the what if and why questions.
Hydrae

I don't know about now, but we used to call them "the neckties."

rmw

to assist with all the work packages, clarical personel are hired to help administer all the paper work.  one of thier responsiblites is to verify all the steps are signed by the approiate; if recomendations are made then the approate additional paper work is started; and that all packages are complete before being submitted to document control.  to perform these task, they constaintly are asking questions to the persons performing the work, not to ensure the work is techinical correct, but it is admenstratively correct.


 

Here is an operational answer for the checker at a nuke plant that I worked at:

Verbatim compliance is required when performing a procedure like a quarterly test of an ECCS.  Because operators have accidently turned the wrong switch or opened the wrong valve, they have been given the option to request a "checker".

And of course, due to the cost of having two licensed operator perform the procedure that normally would take only one person, the term "no knowledge" is a slight embellishment for someone who may not be fully qualified to perform the procedural task but can fill the position of "checker".

The role of the "checker" is to follow along with the procedure and confirm that the operator has put his finger on the correct switch (or valve) and identified the proper action to be taken (on, off, open, close, etc..).  Once the checker has provided concurrence, the operator then procedes with the action.  Sometimes the checker will initial the procedure along with the operator but usually only if qualified to perform the procedure in the first place.

This has reduced the number of mistakes and also gives the operator a fall back position, if a mistake was made but no checker was provided, when requested.


 

Getting at the real question seems a challenge.

I am sure there is no task that requires lack of technical knowledge as a prerequisite.  The closest I can come...

There instances when "independent verification" must be performed.  In that case the person performing the independent verification must be independent of the person performing the task originally to the maximum extent possible.  If possible should not be in the same area when the task is done... should come back later by himself and verify it was done by some kind of inspection.  

In a sense the verifier must have no first-hand-observation knowledge of the original task performance prior to performing his independent verification.

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