IAEA Safety Standards

This Safety Guide provides recommendations on the safe disposal of disused sealed radioactive sources in borehole disposal facilities. Sealed radioactive sources are used all over the world for a wide range of purposes, in areas such as health, industry, research and agriculture. These sources are usually managed safely while in use, but States often experience challenges in their management once the sources reach the end of their useful lives. Even though they may no longer emit sufficient radiation for their intended purpose, disused sources are radioactive and potentially hazardous, and they need to be managed as radioactive waste. Written for regulators and others involved in the development and management of borehole disposal facilities, the objective of this Safety Guide is to provide recommendations on the commissioning, operation, closure, institutional control and regulation of borehole disposal facilities for disused sealed radioactive sources, and small volumes of low and intermediate level secondary waste generated during the management of these sources. This Safety Guide can also be used as a basis for reassessing and, where appropriate, upgrading the safety of existing borehole disposal facilities.

This Safety Guide provides recommendations on how to meet the applicable safety requirements in relation to the design aspects of new nuclear installations subjected to seismic hazard. These recommendations focus on the consistent application of methods and procedures, in accordance with best practice, for seismic analysis, design, testing and qualification of structures, systems and components. New recommendations include applications of seismic isolation systems, the seismic margin to be achieved by the design and application of the graded approach. This Safety Guide is intended for use by organizations involved in the seismic design of nuclear installations, in analysis, verification and review, and in the provision of technical support, as well as by regulatory bodies.

This Safety Guide provides recommendations on specific safety measures to meet the requirements of “IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 3” and other relevant Safety Requirements publications on the use of X ray generators and other types of radiation sources that are used for inspection purposes and for non-medical human imaging. The recommendations provided are primarily for organizations that are authorized to use X ray generators and other types of radiation sources for such purposes, as well as for radiation protection experts, radiation protection officers and staff of regulatory bodies. The publication may also be of interest to designers and manufacturers of relevant X ray generators and sources.

This Safety Guide provides recommendations on how to meet the requirements of “IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SSR-2/1 (Rev. 1)”, Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Design, in relation to fuel handling and storage systems. The publication addresses the design aspects of handling and storage systems for fuel that remain part of the operational activities of a nuclear reactor. It covers the following stages of fuel handling and storage in a nuclear power plant: receipt, storage and inspection of fresh fuel before use and transfer of fresh fuel into the reactor; removal of irradiated fuel from the reactor and transfer of the irradiated fuel to the spent fuel pool; and reinsertion of irradiated fuel from the spent fuel pool into the reactor. Recommendations are also provided on the storage, inspection and repair of irradiated or spent fuel in the spent fuel pool, and the preparation for the removal of this fuel from the spent fuel pool and on the handling of fuel casks in the spent fuel pool and on their transfer.

This Safety Guide provides recommendations on the protection of workers against exposure due to radon in existing exposure situations and planned exposure situations. It focuses on the identification of workplaces of concern and the implementation of requirements for radiation protection through the application of a graded approach and the principles of justification and optimization of protection and safety. This includes exposure in workplaces such as buildings, underground locations and industrial premises involving the processing of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). The recommendations provided in this Safety Guide are aimed at governments, regulatory bodies and other relevant authorities, employers, workers, and service providers.

The recommendations provided in this Safety Guide are aimed primarily at operating organizations of nuclear power plants and regulatory bodies. It covers the concept of operational limits and conditions (OLCs), their content as applicable to nuclear power plants, and the responsibilities of the operating organization for their establishment, modification, compliance and documentation. Operating procedures (including emergency operating procedures and severe accident management guidelines) to support the implementation of the OLCs and to ensure their observance are also within the scope of this Safety Guide.

Aimed primarily at regulatory bodies and the operating organizations of nuclear power plants, this Safety Guide provides recommendations on controlling activities relating to modifications to nuclear power plants. It covers modifications relating to plant configuration and to the operating organization, as well as temporary modifications. The responsibilities of the operating organization for the design, safety assessment and review, control, implementation and testing of these modifications are also within the scope of this Safety Guide as are the repair and replacement of equipment and components as part of the maintenance of the plant leading to new components.

This Safety Guide identifies the main objectives and responsibilities of the operating organization for the recruitment, qualification and training of personnel for new and existing nuclear power plants to establish and maintain a high level of competence of personnel and to ensure safe operation of the nuclear power plant. This publication can also be used as a guide for the recruitment, training and qualification of personnel for nuclear installations other than nuclear power plants.

Written for use by regulatory bodies and the operating organizations of nuclear power plants, this Safety Guide addresses the commissioning, operation and preparation for decommissioning stages for a nuclear power plant. The role of the operating organization in the siting, design, manufacturing and construction of a nuclear power plant is outside the scope. In most States, the operating organization is the legal entity responsible for safety, financial and commercial obligations, as well as other obligations that are connected with the operation of a nuclear power plant. This Safety Guide is solely concerned with those responsibilities and obligations that are necessary to ensure the safe operation of the nuclear power plant(s) under the control of the operating organization.

Aimed primarily at operating organizations of nuclear power plants (NPPs) and regulatory bodies, this Safety Guide provides specific recommendations to ensure that operations in NPPs are conducted in a safe, effective, thorough and professional manner. It identifies the main responsibilities and operating practices in relation to such safe operation. The structure of the operations department, which is the part of the operating organization responsible for the conduct of operations of an NPP is addressed. Also addressed are the setting of high standards of performance and making safety related decisions in an effective manner, conducting control room activities in a thorough and professional manner and maintaining a nuclear power plant within the established operational limits and conditions.