Operational Safety and Experience Feedback

The main objective of the Operational Safety Section is to assist Member States in enhancing the operational safety of nuclear power plants. This is achieved through the use and development of the IAEA Safety Standards and the promotion of continuous self assessment of nuclear power plants through operational safety review
team (OSART) and peer review of operational safety performance experience (PROSPER) and assistance activities based on IAEA Safety Standards.

The information disseminated to Member States includes good practices of nuclear installations plus model insights from the industry.

• Enhancing the operational safety performance of nuclear power plants
• Enhancing the sharing and use of international experience
• Supporting Member States in safety culture
• Engineering support for design, operation, maintenance, and plant life management for safe long term operation

Safety Standards for Operational Safety

Enhancing operational safety performance

To ensure that Member States possess the capabilities to manage and enhance the level of nuclear safety of their nuclear power plants through the development and application of the Agency Safety Standards and Operational Safety Review Team (OSART).

Related Service: OSART

Related information:

• OSART Brochure: English
• OSART Guidelines
• OSART Good Practices
• OSART Mission results (OSMIR)
• OSART Highlights 2003 - 2006
• OSART Highlights 2007 - 2009
• OSART Mission list
• Most recent OSART missions and requested missions in each country

Enhancing the sharing and use of international experience

To confirm and enhance, wherever necessary, the effective use of national and international operating experience feedback; to achieve a high level of self-assessment capabilities in operational safety for all Member States.

Related Service: OSART, PROSPER, IRS

Related information:

• PROSPER Guidelines
• Web Based Incident Reporting System (WB IRS)
• IRS leaflet
• IRS Guidelines
• IAEA Safety Standards Series Safety Guide No. NS-G-2.11 A System for the Feedback of Experience from Events in Nuclear Installations
• NPP Operating Experiences 1996 - 1999
• NPP Operating Experiences 1999 - 2002
• PP Operating Experiences 2002 - 2005
• NPP Operating Experiences 2005 - 2008

Supporting Member States in safety culture

To provide advice and assistance to Member States in enhancing the safety culture of a nuclear facility. To provide the host nuclear facility with advice in areas where safety culture should be improved to meet IAEA Safety Standards, and to identify strength in safety culture.

Related Service: Independent Safety Culture Assessment (ISCA)

Engineering support for design, operation, maintenance, and plant life management for safe long term operation

To assist Member States in ensuring safe long term operation of nuclear power plants including ageing management. To develop related safety standards and promote and assist in their application by Member States through safety review services. To exchange experience from periodic safety review, plant relicensing, implementation of ageing management programmes as well as disseminate information on good practices among Member States.

Related Service: Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation of Water Moderated Reactors (SALTO)

Related information:

• IAEA Safety Standards Series Safety Guide No. NS-G-2.12 Ageing management for Nuclear Power Plants
• IAEA Safety Report Series No 57 Safe Long Term Operation of Nuclear Power Plants
• IAEA Services Series No 17 SALTO Guidelines – Guidelines for peer review of long term operation and ageing management of Nuclear Power Plants
• IAEA EBP – Final Report of Extrabudgetary Programme on Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation of Water Moderated Reactors (SALTO)

For further information please contact