Hypothetical Nuclear Facility Interactive Training Tool To Support Practical Application of Nuclear Security Skills

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) document entitled Nuclear SecurityRecommendations on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities(INFCIRC/225/Revision 5) [1] highlights the importance of considering and mitigating against insider threats when developing physical protection systems for nuclear materials and facilities. The IAEA provides implementing guidance related to insider threats in Nuclear Security Series No. 8, Preventive and Protective Measures against Insider Threats [2]. To support States in applying this guidance to develop insider threat mitigation measures, the IAEA offers courses on insider threat mitigation, including Preventive and Protective Measures against Insider Threats. As part of these courses, the IAEA uses a hypothetical research reactor facility named Shapash, documented in Hypothetical Facility Data Book: The Shapash Nuclear Research Institute (SNRI) [3]. To enhance the learning in these courses, the United States Department of Energy developed a 3D interactive model of the Shapash facility. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory led the development of the model and interactive software with support from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. The model allows users to move around the facility as though they were workers or visitors in a real facility. It can be challenging for course participants to visualize a facility from a two-dimensional paper document, and the model translates the document into a 3D representation to help participants understand how the hypothetical facility represents a realistic facility similar to their own facilities.