IAEA safety codes and guides for nuclear power plants

The International Atomic Energy Agency has established a wide-ranging Nuclear Safety Standards (NUSS) programme to provide Member States with internationally acceptable safety codes and guides on the many aspects of safety associated with nuclear power plants. The NUSS programme deals with safety against ionizing radiations and is at present limited to land-based power plants with thermal neutron nuclear reactors and based on experience in safety practices gained by nuclear advanced countries. Two types of safety document are being developed, namely Codes of Practice and Safety Guides in the following areas: governmental organizations, siting, design, operation, and quality assurance. Twenty-four out of the approximately sixty planned documents have already been published, and the remaining documents will be completed within the next few years. The purpose of the NUSS documents and the progress achieved in each of the five above-mentioned areas are considered in this paper. (author)