Report on the activities of the Czechoslovak Atomic Energy Commission in the field of surveillance over nuclear safety of nuclear facilities in 1991

In response to requests by the responsible organizations and in compliance with Act No. 28/1984, State Surveillance over Nuclear Safety of Nuclear Facilities issued 291 binding decisions in 1991; these concerned the siting, construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear facilities, including their safety protection and fresh and spent fuel transportation. The routine activities of permanent inspectors at Czechoslovak nuclear power plants were complemented with 159 special inspections in which the Inspector General in Prague took part. Serious shortcomings were identified in 32 cases. In two cases, State Surveillance imposed on the responsible organizations penalties which in total amounted to 55 000 CSK. Of the 327 failures which were dealt with by ordinary and extraordinary failure commissions at Czechoslovak NPPs, 6 were classed as level 1 on the INES scale, i.e. as anomalies, and 1 was classed as level 3, i.e. as an incident. The latter was a radiation incident at the Bohunice A-1 NPP, which is under decommissioning. A total of 8 emergency shutdowns occurred at the 8 operated reactor units in 1991. The surveillance activities at the NPPs under operation and under construction and at the Bohunice A-1 NPP, as well as in the field of radioactive wastes, are described. (Z.S.). 3 tabs