Self-assessment for improving safety performance in the nuclear industry

Abstract

Due to the possibility of catastrophic accidents when operating a nuclear plant, ensuring the highest level of safety and continuously improving safety-related performance are imperative in the nuclear industry. One of the prerequisites for such assurance and improvement is a structured program for the assessment of safety performance, consisting of both internal and external evaluation of existing systems and achieved results. This paper discusses a comprehensive program for the self-assessment of safety performance enablers and safety performance outcomes. The main self-assessment concepts are presented, including the framework, objectives, and scope of a self-assessment, a set of main principles and prerequisites for conducting it, and the resulting benefits. An illustration of a self-assessment program currently under development in the International Atomic Energy Agency is also provided. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.