Nuclear safety: Five years after the Fukushima Daiichi accident

It is the nature of nuclear operations and regulation to learn from all experience. Many lessons have come to light as a result of the Fukushima Daiichi accident, and nuclear power plants in NEA member countries have become safer today thanks to a range of actions that have been taken in response to lessons learnt from the accident. The implementation of such actions and related research activities are, however, long-term initiatives that will continue to evolve as regulators and the nuclear industry examine their regulations and practices in light of the accident. Since the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Nuclear Energy Agency has been working closely with its member and partner countries to identify lessons learnt and follow-up actions at the national and international levels in order to maintain and enhance the level of safety at nuclear facilities. In 2013, the NEA published a report entitled, The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: OECD/NEA Nuclear Safety Response and Lessons Learnt, which detailed the key immediate responses of the NEA and its member countries. The most important conclusion reached in the 2013 report was that, in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident, nuclear power plants in NEA member countries were safe to operate while additional actions and reviews were being conducted to enhance the level of safety. The 2016 NEA report, Five Years after the Fukushima Daiichi Accident: Nuclear Safety Improvements and Lessons Learnt, focuses on what has been done by the NEA and its member countries to improve safety since 2011. It provides a high-level summary and an update on activities performed by member countries and by NEA committees, as well as further lessons learnt and challenges identified for future consideration, including: - actions taken by regulatory authorities in NEA member countries to establish new requirements for specific nuclear power plant improvements in multiple areas, such as protective equipment for natural hazards, portable cooling water pumps and electrical power supplies; - actions to underline the importance of using operating experience and risk insights, in particular through international co-operation; - activities to improve regulatory frameworks in member countries, for example reinforcing the independence of the regulatory body; - near- and long-term research activities undertaken to improve the knowledge and understanding of the accident itself; - activities implemented to improve emergency preparedness and radiological protection, for instance improved co-ordination between on-site and off-site response organisations; - efforts to understand and characterise the importance of strong nuclear safety cultures; - actions taken to continue enhancing stakeholder involvement and public communication; - legal improvements, such as those in the area of liability law. The report was prepared with input from the NEA committees involved in nuclear and radiation safety issues - the Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA), the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI), the Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) and the Nuclear Law Committee (NLC) - under the leadership of the CNRA. It is complementary to reports produced by other international organisations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). (authors)