Innovative Safeguards Implementation Under Covid-19 Restrictions

The COVID-19 pandemic forced most organizations to rethink their way of working. While the nuclear industry has been solving how to keep their employees safe and still keep operation normal, the regulatory authorities have tried to figure out how to conduct regulatory activities without endangering their inspectors or the operators. At the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), nuclear safeguards has not been hindered by the pandemic. Instead, new innovative inspection methods have been deployed alongside the traditional ones. In addition to traditional meetings, we have utilized remote video meetings e.g. for interviews of nuclear material responsible persons and nuclear inventory verification. In the latter, a direct video stream to a small holder’s nuclear material storage was established and NPP inspections were performed by a remotely operating safeguards inspector together with STUK’s resident inspector at the NPP. STUK emphasizes the responsibility of the operators. STUK involves them and their responsible persons in development of more efficient safeguards implementation. Practical communication channels, such as biannual meetings between STUK and the responsible persons, and competent personnel on both sides enable both STUK and the operators to adapt to the circumstances. Operator initiative is seen in one inspection case where the responsible persons brought accountancy documents to STUK’s office for one day. An inspection was then held by video meeting. After the pandemic, the efficient practices from these exceptional times should be promoted and seen as facilitators of efficient safeguards in new challenges where already established methods may prove expensive or difficult to arrange. Remote inspections can save money and time from both the inspectorate and the subject. For example, some modern small modular reactor concepts feature remote operation. If a nuclear facility can be operated remotely, it should also be possible to safeguard it remotely.