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Operating experience feedback from safety significant events at research reactors

  • A. M. Shokr and D. Rao
Published/Copyright: April 24, 2015
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Abstract

Operating experience feedback is an effective mechanism to provide lessons learned from the events and the associated corrective actions to prevent recurrence of events, resulting in improving safety in the nuclear installations. This paper analyzes the events of safety significance that have been occurred at research reactors and discusses the root causes and lessons learned from these events. Insights from literature on events at research reactors and feedback from events at nuclear power plants that are relevant to research reactors are also presented along with discussions. The results of the analysis showed the importance of communication of safety information and exchange of operating experience are vital to prevent reoccurrences of events. The analysis showed also the need for continued attention to human factors and training of operating personnel, and the need for establishing systematic ageing management programmes of reactor facilities, and programmes for safety management of handling of nuclear fuel, core components, and experimental devices.

Kurzfassung

Betriebliche Erfahrungswerte sind ein effektiver Mechanismus um aus sicherheitsrelevanten Ereignissen Lehren zu ziehen und geeignete Korrekturmaßnahmen durchzuführen, die zu einer verbesserten Sicherheit einer kerntechnischen Anlage führen. Dieser Beitrag analysiert sicherheitsrelevante Ereignisse bei Forschungsreaktoren und analysiert Ursachen und aus den Ereignissen gezogene Lehren. Einblicke zu Ereignissen bei Forschungsreaktoren aus der Literatur und Feedback aus Ereignissen bei Kernkraftwerken, die für Forschungsreaktoren relevant sind werden ebenfalls diskutiert. Die Ergebnisse der Analyse zeigen die Bedeutung der Kommunikation sicherheitsrelevanter Informationen und des Austauschs von betrieblichen Erfahrungswerten. Die Analyse zeigt auch die Notwendigkeit der Weiterbildung des Betriebspersonals und der Einführung systematischer Altersmanagementprogramme für Reaktoranlagen, sowie Programme für das Sicherheitsmanagement beim Umgang mit Brennelementen, Kernkomponenten und experimentellen Vorrichtungen.

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Received: 2015-01-23
Published Online: 2015-04-24
Published in Print: 2015-04-28

© 2015, Carl Hanser Verlag, München

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