One Path to Integrating Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards Systems: Perspectives of GNEII Alumni

As their capstone project, one team of fellows attending the Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute’s (GNEII) 2011 Fundamentals Course investigated the functional, cost, and organizational issues involved in integrating nuclear safety, security, and safeguards systems in a nuclear power program. Given their backgrounds, the fellows based their analysis on the nascent United Arab Emirates (UAE) nuclear program. The fellows addressed their task by (1) defining the safety, security, and safeguards functions required to support the UAE’s national nuclear power program, (2) outlining the roles and responsibilities of the personnel tasked with carrying out those functions & highlighting the common areas between 3S’s, (3) analyzing the results using a responsibility assignment matrix, and (4) Analyzing the effect of integrating the 3S's on the nuclear power plant organization structure coupled with a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. Recommendations from the GNEII fellows’ analysis include establishing a single Nuclear Safety, Security, and Safeguards manager, subordinate supervisors responsible for each specific area of expertise, and subordinate supervisors responsible for plant design and 3S planning and cultural development. The GNEII fellows conclude that such a path toward 3S integration offers the best path to meeting the UAE’s goal of a responsible nuclear power program.