Safety Culture Assessment Review Team - SCART
To conduct an in-depth independent review of safety culture at a Member State nuclear facility.
Safety Culture Assessment Review Team (SCART) missions are independent and conducted by a team of safety culture experts from several countries, excluding only the host country. SCART missions may be requested by various kinds of nuclear facilities in any stage of development - during commissioning, operation and decommissioning.
The SCART review process follows the IAEA safety standards. It also responds to the need to consider more specific or detailed requirements, in accordance with national cultures, and national or international good practices. Specific aspects particularly in the area of safety culture need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis in an atmosphere of constructive impartiality. The overall aim is to provide advice and assistance to Member States to enhance the safety culture of the nuclear facility. SCART missions are not an audit; rather they are a joint search by SCART team members and designated nuclear facility personnel (counterparts) to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement of safety culture.
SCART missions are centred on human performance--including the performance of the nuclear facility management and staff--rather than the adequacy of the design of a nuclear facility. Factors affecting nuclear facility management and the performance of personnel, such as organizational structure, management goals, and personnel qualification are reviewed.
SCART Guidelines have been developed and are used by team experts when reviewing safety culture in a nuclear facility. The key objectives of a SCART mission are to:
- Provide the host nuclear facility with recommendations in areas where safety culture should be improved to meet IAEA safety standards and international good practices
- Provide the host nuclear facility with suggestions where safety culture could be enhanced by use of proven good programmes and practices
- Provide key staff at the host nuclear facility with informal assistance and/or advice on how improvements might be achieved
- Identify good safety culture practices at the host nuclear facility to be brought to the attention of other facilities around the world
- Provide Member States with information regarding good safety culture practices identified in the course of SCART reviews
- Provide experts and observers in SCART missions with the opportunity to learn safety culture review methodology, to enhance their skills, and broaden experience and knowledge.
Approximately twelve to eighteen months after the initial SCART mission, a follow-up visit could be appropriate, during which a group of IAEA-led experts evaluate progress made toward resolving issues raised during the initial SCART review. Special attention is given to reviewing of the following topical areas:
- Did the nuclear facility become more pro-active in its handling of the relationship between safety and production targets?
- Were recommendations, suggestions and conclusions of the SCART review followed within a safety culture enhancement programme?
- Was a more “blame-tolerant” culture in relationship to human error either introduced or further developed in the nuclear facility?
Feedback of SCART review experience is of immense importance for the continuous improvement of the quality of the missions.
For further information please contact Christer Viktorsson, Anne Kerhoas or Marin Ignatov.
