The internationalization of nuclear safety

The response of the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Chernobyl accident centers on an expanded safety program calling for a continuing increased emphasis on operational safety matters. Implementation of the expanded activities is well underway and some accomplishments will be brought out. Over the next few years a substantial increase in the use of operational safety review teams (OSARTs) to perform in-depth, on-site reviews of local operating practices is foreseen. Visits have been running one per month and both the US and USSR authorities have expressed interest in the program. The incident reporting system (IRS), now serving 24 countries, will be strengthened and specialized teams to conduct on-site, in-depth analyses of operational experience and safety significant events to determine root causes of incidents are now available. The process of revising and updating the Nuclear Safety Standard (NUSS) documents especially in operational and selected design areas, such as operator training requirement, fire protection, and additional safety design features has begun with revised codes of practice planned. This paper illustrates the evolving responsibilities assigned to the IAEA for ensuring nuclear safety globally