[Three] decades of nuclear power safety

The change over the last 30 years in safety management and relations with the licensing authority is explained. During that time the reactor design has changed from Magnox, to Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors, to the first Pressurized Water Reactor to be built in Britain. The following topics are discussed in turn: the licensing process, the development of standards, developments in technology, the man-machine interface and how to deal with ageing plant. The safety of the reactors is judged by the risks to the public from radiation releases. Over the past 30 years a vast amount of experience has been gained and, together with the advances in technology, will enable identification of safety gains in the future to be achieved cost effectively. The risks are assessed in the context of the principle of 'As Low as Reasonably Practicable' and the document 'Tolerability of Risk from Nuclear Power Stations'. (U.K.)