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Title: U.S. assistance enhancing safety culture in countries operating Soviet-designed reactors

Conference ·
OSTI ID:50941

The United States Department of Energy (USDOE) is managing the International Nuclear Safety Program (INSP), which is aimed at providing assistance to enhance safety at commercial nuclear power plants (NPPS) in Russia and Ukraine, as well as Central European countries (CEC). The funding for this program has been provided by the US Agency for International Development (AID). Brookhaven National Laboratory has been assisting DOE in certain portions of this program. The enhancement of safety culture is one of the most important goals of the joint International Nuclear Safety Program. In terms of the INSP, safety culture is comprised of two major components; (1) an environment that is a function of regulations, management sensitivity and structure; and (2) an individual commitment to safety in the day to day execution of activities in terms of thought and accountability. The long term impact of the INSP activities can only be measured by the effectiveness of strengthening safety culture within our partner counties. The strengthening of this culture will manifest in reduced risk of a nuclear accident long after other evidence of the INSP activities has disappeared. One area within the INSP, which has already led to a number of successful specific projects, is under the plant safety upgrade activities. Here, the US and the partner countries jointly identify specific target areas for the INSP efforts. Each identified area has a major component involving safety culture enhancement. With any direct involvement in the particular assistance activities, areas are identified to include a need for training. As technical experts and management from the partner country are assisted in addressing the identified needs, the training programs are provided which will not only address the specific need at hand, but will also teach skills which can be applied to different, but related needs that may exist or develop.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH00016
OSTI ID:
50941
Report Number(s):
BNL-61690; CONF-950434-2; ON: DE95010830; TRN: 95:011944
Resource Relation:
Conference: International topical meeting on safety culture in nuclear installations, Vienna (Austria), 24-28 Apr 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1995]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English