This activity enables members to directly share plant operating experience and ideas for improvement through face-to-face communication. It lets members from all WANO regions compare their operations and emulate each other’s best practices, which leads to improved operational performance. Contact between nuclear power plant staff is largely in the form of operator exchange visits, twinnings and the exchange of personnel. It also includes the exchange of documentation and other cooperation between operating organisations.

Operator Exchanges are visits of staff from one plant to another. Participants are normally directly involved with plant operations, and the information exchange is open and frank. The visits provide an opportunity for staff to observe different approaches to their work which enables them to reconsider their own practices. The visits address all aspects of plant operations such as operations, maintenance, training, radiological protection, organisation and administration, chemistry, quality assurance and emergency planning.

Several exchanges between plants have turned into long-term relationships known as twinnings. Typically, these relationships involve ongoing information exchanges, visits, a deeper cooperation and, in some cases, exchanges of technology and personnel.