Development of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Safety Culture Policy Statement

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is in the process of updating its safety culture policy statement. The agency’s goal is to develop a policy statement that is more inclusive of the full range of the NRC’s licensed activities, and better able to address security issues. On November 6, 2009, the NRC published a draft safety culture policy statement for public comment which states that a strong safety culture is an essential element for individuals performing or overseeing activities regulated by the NRC, and that the NRC will include appropriate means to monitor safety culture in its oversight programs. The NRC has increased its focus on safety culture because we have found either weaknesses in safety culture or a deteriorating safety culture at those licensees and facilities that have experienced problems with safety or security. Weaknesses in safety culture appear to increase the likelihood of performance problems and increase the consequences of those problems that do occur. Because safety culture has a bearing on public safety, the NRC has a responsibility to consider safety culture as part of its oversight responsibilities. The NRC has long recognized the importance of a strong safety culture. In a 1989 policy statement the Commission described its expectations for utility management and licensed operators at nuclear power reactor facilities to establish and maintain a professional working environment with a focus on safety in control rooms and throughout their facilities. In a 1996 policy statement the Commission described its expectation that all employers subject to NRC authority establish and maintain a safety conscious work environment as part of their responsibility to ensure the safety of nuclear operations. The NRC staff will provide a draft policy statement to the Commission in March 2011 that will be applicable to the entire NRC-regulated nuclear industry. As part of this initiative, the NRC is seeking to develop a definition of safety culture and safety-culture-related language that can be used by the NRC, the Agreement States, licensees, and others involved with nuclear materials (byproduct, source, and special nuclear material) in the United States.