ensuring safety, security and safeguards in nuclear power: opportunities and challenges of an...

Ensuring Safety, Security and Safeguards in Nuclear Power: Opportunities and Challenges of an Integrated Approach – Preston 12 June 2013

Laurence G Williams FREng

Professor of Nuclear Safety & RegulationUniversity of Central Lancashire


The Relationship between Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards


• Nuclear safety is about protecting people and the environment from plant malfunction and human error

What is nuclear safety?

Potential HazardsFrom

Normal Operations&

Accidents

Nuclear Safety Workers

Public Environment

The Relationship between Nuclear safety, Security and Safeguards


• What is nuclear security?

Workers Public

Environment

Nuclear Security


Malicious Acts

Nuclear security is about protecting people and the environment from malicious acts



• What is nuclear safeguards?

Workers Public

Environment

Nuclear Security

Nuclear safeguards is about protecting people and the environment from the theft or diversion of nuclear materials and technologies that could be used to proliferate nuclear weapons

Potential Hazards

from loss of Safeguards



Workers Public

Environment


Malicious Acts

Security

Safeguards Potential Hazards

from loss of

Safeguards


Normal Operations&

AccidentsSafety

Workers, the public and the environment require protection from plant malfunction, human error, malicious acts and proliferation of nuclear materials and technologies

Why have a coordinated approach to the 3 “S”s?



Malfunction, human errors Malevolent

acts by non-State actors

Misuse by State





Nuclear security is necessary but not sufficient for the protection of people and the environment





Similarly nuclear safety is necessary for the protection of people and the environmental but again it is not sufficient





Similarly nuclear safety is necessary for the protection of people and the environmental but again it is not sufficient

The effective application of non-proliferation safeguards is again necessary but not sufficient


Total Protection: The Case for an Integrated Approach to Nuclear Safety Nuclear Security and Safeguards

Many nuclear safety, nuclear security and safeguards issues are not mutually exclusive


Potential Hazards

From

Malicious Acts

Potential Hazards

From

Normal Operation

&

Accidents

Potential Hazards

from

Diversion of Nuclear

Materials &

Technologies




Potential Hazards

From

Malicious Acts

Potential Hazards

From

Normal Operation

&

Accidents

Potential Hazards

from

Diversion of Nuclear

Materials &

Technologies

In these areas it is necessary to have an integrated approach to ensure that the solutions for one do not adversely affect the other




• All 3 are needed to provide the Continuum of Protection society needs




Many examples of either nuclear safety or nuclear security have been compromised by through a lack of coordination

• Fences• Plant configuration controls• Armed protection forces• Safety access points• Etc.




There are important synergies in the measures used to deliver nuclear safety, nuclear security and non-proliferation safeguards

For effective protection all three areas need to treated in a coordinated way

Nuclear safety, nuclear security and where appropriate safeguards professionals need to work together




There needs to be much closer integration of nuclear safety, nuclear security and safeguards approaches in:

• design, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning of nuclear installations

• the transport of nuclear and radioactive materials

• the use of radioactive sources


Challenges


Responsibility

Licensee responsible for safety & security

Responsibility for nuclear safety is more easily discharged

Responsibility for security is more problematic

• Not in complete control

• Cannot define the Threat

• Cannot carry out all the actions to reduce the Threat

• Government is in control of defining the Threat


Challenges


Safety & Security Communities

Nuclear safety and security practitioners have had little in common

Developed from different communities

Nuclear safety community comprised engineers and scientists who undertake detailed design and analysis to demonstrate the behaviour of nuclear plants and processes and to determine risk

Nuclear security community has been shrouded in secrecy and operated within a “need to know” culture


Challenges


Risk Evaluation

Nuclear safety is about

• understanding plant failure characteristics and human error

• providing effective engineered or administrative barriers to counter such failures and mitigation of the consequences

• using numerical approach to evaluate risk and hence acceptability


Challenges


Risk Evaluation

Nuclear security is about

• protecting against unknown, possibly unquantifiable, malicious acts

• evaluate risk from specifically defined event


Challenges


Risk Management

In the nuclear safety world

• risk is evaluated through a detailed understanding of plant and process failure mechanisms

• detailed technical analyses enables defence in depth to be designed in and effectively managed


Challenges


Risk Management

In the nuclear security world

• the nature and probability of the threat is not as easily amenable to calculation

• risk is more difficult to quantify

• risk is managed in conjunction with others, possibly including an armed protection force


Challenges


Culture

Nuclear safety culture is well established

Nuclear security culture is in its infancy

World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) Guide

Culture is about beliefs and values


Challenges


Culture - beliefs

In the case of nuclear safety culture

• Staff believe that accidents can happen

For nuclear security it is important for staff to believe that:

• Nuclear security is important in combating terrorist threats

• Credible threats nuclear materials exist at all times


Challenges


Culture - Values

In the case of nuclear safety culture • Staff recognise the nuclear safety is their

responsibility

For nuclear security it is important for staff to recognise that:

• Maintaining effective security is the responsibility of everyone in the organisation

• they should challenge, question and report security concerns


Effective Organizations


To be effective, nuclear safety and security staff will need to work together to meet the above challenges

Nuclear Security must be given the same recognition at Board level as nuclear safety and environmental protection

Organization should have an integrated nuclear safety and security culture

An effective organization will have an integrated approach to the management of nuclear safety, nuclear security and safeguards



MSc Nuclear Safety, Security & Safeguards

UCLan Contribution to Skills

Module 1: Introduction to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Module 2: Nuclear Safety Law and Regulation

Module 3: The Delivery of Nuclear Safety

Module 4: Nuclear Security & Safeguards Law and Regulation

Module 5: The Delivery of Nuclear Security & Safeguards

Module 6: Leadership and Management

Module 7: Research Methodology


Conclusions


Protection of workers, the public and the environment depends upon the effective delivery of nuclear safety, nuclear security and non-proliferation safeguards


Conclusions


Nuclear safety, nuclear security and non-proliferation safeguards communities have developed separately for understandable reasons but to deliver a sustainable nuclear programme in the future they need to work together


Conclusions


The risks to society that arise from the use of nuclear energy can be reduced through the effective integration of our approach to nuclear safety, nuclear security and safeguards within

• Government

• Regulators

• Licensees

• Nuclear supply chain


Safeguards: Non-Proliferation Agreements

and Additional Protocols

Safety: Int’l Safety Standards

And ConventionsSecurity:

Physical Protection,Detection and Response,

Information;Conventions and

Recommendations

SYNERGY

Safeguards

Safety Security

Promotes the Peaceful, Safe and Secure use of Nuclear Technology




Thank You

ensuring safety, security and safeguards in nuclear power: opportunities and challenges of an...

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