IAEA Activities on

Research Reactor Safety

William Kennedy
Research Reactor Safety Section
Division of Nuclear Installation Safety
International Atomic Energy Agency
Dengkil, Malaysia
19/05/2015

IAEA
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
Contents

Introduction
Research reactor (RR) safety issues and trends
IAEA activities on research reactor safety
Future challenges

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Overview of RRs Worldwide

Built to date: ~ 700

Operational 234
Temp. shutdown 13
Shutdown 142
Decommissioned 298

Under construction/planned:

Argentina, Belgium, Brazil,

France, Indonesia, Jordan,
Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Netherlands, Saudi Arabia,
Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia,
UAE, Vietnam.

Information taken from the

IAEA Research Reactor
Database (RRDB)

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Department of Nuclear Safety and Security

Vision: To provide a strong, sustainable and visible global nuclear safety and
security framework, working to protect people, society and the environment
from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.
Department of Nuclear
Safety and Security (NS)

Division of Nuclear
Installation Safety (NSNI)

Research Reactor Safety

Section (RRSS)

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Safety Issues and Trends

RRSS identifies safety issues and

trends and plans future activities
on the safety of research reactors
accordingly.

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 Role of the State: Percentage of Implementation
100
90
80 9%
Percentage %

70
12%
60
50
40 53%
30
26%
20
10
0
Level 0: Not implemented

Paragraph Number Level 1: Incomplete

9 Legal and regulatory framework.

Level 2: Partially implemented
10 Establishment, functioning and independence of regulatory body.
11 Authority and resources of the regulatory body.
Level 3: Fully implemented
12 Involvement of public and other bodies in regulatory process.
13 (part) Resources for safe operation and/or for safe extended shutdown state.
13 (part) Financing system for decommissioning. Data from 38
14 Governmental emergency response system. Member States.
15 Legal and infrastructure arrangements for decommissioning.
16 (part) Safety review of operating research reactors.
16/17
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Extended shutdown safety, if applicable.
18 Information for neighbouring states, if applicable.
 Role of the Regulatory Body: Percentage of
Implementation
100
90 6%
80 7%
Percentage %

70
60
50 24%
40
30 63%
20
10
0

Level 0: Not implemented

Paragraph Number
19a Process of issuing authorizations. 20f Requirement for quality assurance program.
Level 1: Incomplete
19b Regulatory inspections and assessments. 20g Requirement to take human factors into account.

19c Enforcement of regulations and authorizations. 20h,i Requirements for radiation protection .
Level 2: Partially implemented
Review and assessment of safety submissions
19d 20j Criteria for emergency preparedness .
during lifetime of reactor.
Level 3: Fully implemented
19e Availability of regulatory requirements and decisions. 20k Criteria for siting research reactors.

Requirements for design, construction and

20a Requirement for management of safety. 20l,m,n
commissioning.

Requirement to prepare and maintain SAR and Requirement for operation, maintenance,
Data from 38
20b 20o,p,q,r,s
obtain authorization. modification and utilization.

Requirements to undertake periodic safety reviews

Member States.
20c and make proposals for upgrading and 20t Criteria for safety in extended shutdown.
refurbishment.

Requirement for financial and human resources to

20d
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support safe operation. 20u
Criteria for release from regulatory control of
decommissioned research reactors.
20e Requirement for personnel training.
 Role of the Operating Organization: Percentage of
Implementation
100
90 3%
80 11%
70
Percentage %

60
50
40
51%
30
20
35%
10
0
21 22 23 24 25 26 27/28 29 30 31 32 33 34/35
Paragraph Number
Level 0: Not implemented
21 Management of safety.
22 Assessment and verification of safety.
Level 1: Incomplete
23 Financial resources.
24 Qualified human resources. Level 2: Partially implemented
25 QA programmes.
26 Human factors. Level 3: Fully implemented
27/28 Radiation protection.
29 Emergency preparedness.
Data from 38
30 Siting. Member States.
31 Design, construction and commissioning.
32 Operation, maintenance, modification and utilization.
33 IAEAExtended shutdown.
34/35 Decommissioning.
 Specific Safety Areas Needing Improvements as Indicated by
Member States (2014 self-assessment responses)
Financial and
Human Resources
Decommissioning Planning
- Areas needing improvements
Emergency Preparedness
include:
Assessment of Safety
- Resources (human and
Safety Culture financial);
Regulatory Supervision - Decommissioning;
Human Factors
- Emergency preparedness;
- Assessment of safety,
Quality Assurance
including safety
Ageing Management
reassessment;
Extended Shutdown - Safety culture.
Radiation Protection
Programme
Siting
Design, Construction,
Commissioning

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
IAEA Number of Member States
IAEA Activities on RR Safety

Safety Standards and supporting documents

Safety review services and expert missions
Fostering networking for safety enhancement
Training activities, and provision of exchange of experience
Dissemination of operating experience feedback from the
Incident Reporting System for Research Reactors
Monitoring and enhancing the safety of RRs under Project
and Supply Agreements with the IAEA
Coordinated research projects
Countries establishing a first/new RR

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Safety Standards

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Safety Standards

SSG-37, Instrumentation
and Control Systems and
Software Important to
Safety for Research
Reactors (in printing)

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 and Supporting Documents

Safety Reports

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 and Supporting Documents

TECDOCs

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Links to Safety Standards and Documents

IAEA Safety Standards homepage:

http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/default.asp?s=11&l=90

IAEA Safety Standards for RRs:

http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/documents/default.asp?s=11&l=90&sub=20&vw=9#sf

IAEA Safety Report Series:

http://www-pub.iaea.org/books/IAEABooks/Series/73/Safety-Reports-Series

IAEA TECDOCs:
http://www-pub.iaea.org/books/IAEABooks/Series/34/Technical-Documents

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Safety Review Services and Expert Missions

Conducting Integrated Safety Assessment of Research Reactors (INSARR) and

other safety review missions, and assisting in the implementation of the
recommended safety enhancements.

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Safety Review Services and Expert Missions

RRSS conducted more

than 20 missions since
the beginning of 2013:
Bangladesh, China,
Congo, Egypt, Ghana,
Indonesia, Iran, Israel,
Italy, Jamaica, Jordan,
Malaysia, Morocco,
Nigeria, Poland,
Romania, Slovenia,
South Africa, Thailand,
Turkey, and Uzbekistan.
In addition, RRSS conducted missions on new research
reactor projects: Kuwait, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, and Tunisia. These mission
were cross-cutting with the IAEA Department of Nuclear
Energy (NE) and the IAEA Department of Nuclear
Applications (NA).

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Networking for Safety

Supporting the functioning of the Global Nuclear Safety

and Security Network:
Asian Nuclear Safety Network (ANSN);
Arab Network of Nuclear Regulators (ANNuR);
Forum of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa (FNRBA).

Facilitating establishment and supporting the functioning

of Regional Advisory Safety Committees for Research
Reactors in Africa (RASCA), Asia and the Pacific
(RASCAP) and Europe regions (EURASC);
Supporting the implementation of more than 25 national
and regional technical cooperation projects.

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Training and Information Exchange

National, regional and international training workshops and technical meetings

focusing on identified common safety issues:
ANSN regional workshop on application of the Code of Conduct on the Safety of
Research Reactors: core management and safety of experiments, Indonesia,
September 2013;
ANSN workshop on safety reassessments of research reactors in light of the feedback
from the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, USA, December 2013;
Safety analysis and safety documents, Vienna, May 2014;
International Meeting on the Code of Conduct on the Safety of Research Reactors,
Vienna, June 2014. Participants supported by RAS1019;
National workshop on ageing management, Bangladesh, October 2014;
ANSN workshop on fire hazards analysis, USA, December 2014;
National workshop on ageing management and periodic safety review, Pakistan, March
2015;
ANSN WS on regulatory inspection programmes , Malaysia, May 2015;
Workshop on managing the interface between safety and security, Vienna, June 2015;
Workshop on research reactor modelling, Vienna, October 2015.

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Dissemination of Feedback from IRSRR

RRSS operates the IRSRR and organizes

regular meetings for exchange of operating
experience and lessons learned from events.
The IRSRR currently has 57 participating
Member States.
The last meeting for the IRSRR National
Coordinators was held in March 2015, Sofia,
Bulgaria.
An IAEA publication on operating experience
from events reported to IRSRR is now
available on the IAEA webpage: http://www-
pub.iaea.org/books/IAEABooks/10847/Opera
ting-Experience-from-Events-Reported-to-
the-IAEA-Incident-Reporting-System-for-
Research-Reactors.

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RRs Under Project and Supply Agreements

23 countries operating 27 research reactors under Project

and Supply Agreements with the IAEA.
Monitoring and enhancing safety of research reactors under
Project and Supply Agreements:
Collecting, analysing, and disseminating the results of Safety
Performance Indicators;
Regular meetings on the safety of the research reactors under
agreements. The latest meeting was in May 2013. Next meeting is
scheduled in Vienna in June 2015.

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Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs)

CRPs are conducted jointly with NE and NA as research

reactor cross-cutting activities.
New CRP on benchmarking computer codes for fuel burnup and
material activation in RRs. 1st research coordination meeting was held in
Vienna in April 2015.
On-going CRP on establishing a database of core structural material for
ageing management of RRs.

Completed CRP on benchmarking neutronics and thermal-hydraulics

computer codes for RRs. Completed in 2013. First publication
(experiments database) is in printing stage (IAEA TRS 480). Second
publication on results of the CRP in final drafting.

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Supporting New RR Projects

Advisory services and expert missions in different phases of the project,

such as assessment of national safety infrastructure, assistance with
development of technical safety requirements, siting, and preparation
and review of safety documents.
Meetings and training workshops;

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Upcoming Meetings

International Conference on Research Reactors: Safe

Management and Effective Utilization, 16-20 November
2015, Vienna.
ANSN Regional Workshop on regulatory inspection programmes
for research reactors, Malaysia, May 2015;
Technical Meeting for research reactors under project and supply
agreements, Vienna, June 2015;
Workshop on managing the interface between safety and security
of research reactors, Vienna, June 2015;
Biennial technical meeting on research reactor ageing
management, refurbishment and modernization, USA, October
2015.

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Future Challenges

Maintaining and expanding worldwide application of the

Code of Conduct and the IAEA safety standards;
Enhancing the safety of research reactors considering the
feedback from the Fukushima Daiichi accident;
Strengthening regulatory infrastructure and capabilities;
Establishing the necessary safety infrastructure for Member
States planning to build their first research reactor;
Maintaining adequate safety levels for ageing research
reactors;
Sustaining and improving international networking for
sharing knowledge, experience and good practices.

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Thank You for Your Attention.

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