Published on Apr.16 ,2014 : The Denki shinbun(The Electric Daily News)
Shojiro Matsuura
Chairman of JANSI

When you hear the word “supervisor” it conjures an image of someone in a suit and tie looking over your shoulder while you work at a desk. However, a supervisor in the nuclear context is someone who directs, supervises and educates several subordinates or workers and operators that work under him/her. It can refer to a site foreman, a group leader, a shift manager, a team leader, and in days long past even the straw boss.

These people take great pride in their work and ability, and taking full responsibility is vital for steadily and efficiently proceeding with the task at hand. At the same time, it is also extremely important to ensure the safety of the facility.

This is what I felt when I used to watch roadside construction as a boy, I used to think, “Being a supervisor is a tough job.” I became even more aware of this fact in the 1960s when I joined JAERI and started working at nuclear facilities.

Then, at some point along the way I began to have experiences that forced me to ask the questions, “Have supervisors gotten weaker?” and “Have the number of old-fashioned supervisors dramatically decreased?”

I worked at the Nuclear Safety Commission for six years starting in 2000, immediately following the JCO accident. Coupled with the rash of scandals and troubles that occurred during this period, the seeds of concern were sown in regards to maintaining and promoting safety culture in the nuclear power industry. During this time I had the opportunity to visit the major nuclear power plants in Japan for the purpose of sharing recognition and awareness of fieldworkers and safety culture, and I also had the chance to exchange opinions with field managers. One thing I was told time and time again was that, “there are no straw bosses in the field anymore.” Many of them pointed out that the ability to supervise in the field was weakening.

Now, let's jump to present day. Recently I have had many opportunities to experience voluntary safety reviews conducted in the office and in the field at nuclear power stations. During these opportunities I have seen many things which I think are the causes of this weakening supervisory ability. Most of them would not cause direct dangers in the field or lead to nuclear power safety issues, but as all of these factors accumulate and mutually interact with one another they have the potential to cause safety issues. In other words, these factors increase risk.

It should be particularly pointed out that most of the causes of these accidents and troubles that have occurred to this point stem from reactor system component connections and boundaries, and paying attention to these areas relies heavily on the ability of supervisors. Connections are important not only for equipment but for organizations as well. In the past, supervisors were an important connection between the field and upper management.

The staff at the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station united to protect the power station from that gigantic tsunami, and the resilience that they showed in the face of adversity should be praised. Of course, this could not have been done without the cool judgment and leadership of everyone from the superintendent on down, but the existence of a talented field supervisor is indispensable for constructing a close relationship between the field and management.

The commitment of upper management is particularly important in terms of safety culture, but if field supervisors don't have the ability to take command in the field on the front lines, then the field will lack the structural ability to leverage the commitment of upper management.

When I exchanged opinions with field managers as I mentioned earlier, many causes of this weakening of supervisory ability were pointed out. These include technical changes to the tasks being done, structural changes to work conditions due to increases in outsourcing, changes to training systems, and social changes.

However, what have been overlooked amidst all of these changes are the root causes; namely the importance of the ability for the field supervisor to fulfill his/her responsibilities, and a decrease in the valuation of field supervisors by society and companies. I believe that we must enhance this supervisory ability and give comprehensive consideration to cultivating field supervisors in order to reduce risk during normal operation as well as strengthen the ability to handle emergencies.

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