Refinement of the bottom boundary of the INES scale

No existing edition of the International Nuclear Events Scale (INES) Manual addresses in depth the determination of the bottom boundary of the Scale, although a need for a definition is felt. The article introduces a method for determining the INES bottom boundary applicable to pressurized water reactors. This bottom boundary is put identical with the threshold of degradation of the installation's nuclear safety assurance. A comprehensive flowchart has been developed as the main outcome of the analysis of the nuclear safety assurance violation issue. The use of this flowchart in INES classification to replace the introductory question in the General INES Rating Procedure in the INES Manual is recommended. (orig.)