Preserving skills and expertise for nuclear safety

Full text: For many decades to come the international nuclear sector will require a wide range of highly trained, experienced and competent personnel. However, with the decline in the availability of nuclear expertise which is being felt in many countries, maintaining safety competence for both the industry and the regulator becomes a difficult challenge. Assessing the extent of the decline now and predicting what is the likely need for expertise in the future is an important task for all countries. Assessment should take account of likely scenarios for change in the nuclear industry and should aim to identify areas of expertise most likely to be at risk. International Agencies are playing a key role in raising awareness about regulatory concern and are starting to coordinate response and exchange good practice. Regulatory responsibility for preserving skills and expertise and International Agency leadership are essential for a successful outcome to the issue. (author)