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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Organizational, managerial, and institutional influences on risk management

Conference · · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)
OSTI ID:6964693
 [1]
  1. Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States)

Organizational and managerial systems for risk management in nuclear power plants are under the influence of externally and internally generated goals. Externally, the NRC, public utility commissions, and such institutions as Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) establish requirements and guidelines for best practice. Internally, utility strategies define operational goals and standards for safety and production. One managerial responsibility in operating the complex, interdependent technological systems of nuclear power plants is to assure that the activities of departments, divisions, and functions are coordinated. These bridging processes need to be understood in order to suggest alternatives for organizing work and managing risk. To delineate the ways in which regulators and industry institutions affect these processes, details of their influences on daily practices can be addressed through a work system approach. The work system approach takes a dynamic view of organizational structures and managerial processes. Managers balance safety goals with efficiency and production goals through a continuous exchange of information, advice, expertise, budget allocations, personnel, and other resources, drawing on resources from within their organizations and from outside their boundaries. This exchange of resources is essential to organizational strategies for reducing and managing risk.

OSTI ID:
6964693
Report Number(s):
CONF-920606--
Journal Information:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States), Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Vol. 65; ISSN TANSA; ISSN 0003-018X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English