Operations and Maintenance of MC&A Equipment at Rosatom Facilities

In the course of the U.S.-Russia cooperative work in the area of Material Protection, Control and Accounting (MPC&A), Rosatom facilities received equipment for upgrading their MC&A systems. As these systems are complex and varied, an effective system of repairs and maintenance of the equipment is crucial for their successful operation. This paper reviews status of operations and maintenance (O&M) of several types of MC&A equipment, including gamma spectrometers of high and low resolution, mass- and alpha- spectrometers, radiation monitors, electronic scales, and surveillance systems. The data reviewed include information on delivery, status of implementation and operational readiness of the equipment provided to Rosatom facilities from 1995 to 2004, types and statistics of equipment failures, as well as the existing approach to repairs and maintenance. Based on an analysis of the data, specific recommendations directed on improvement of the existing system of MC&A equipment repairs and maintenance has been made. Results of the analysis will be used in the MC&A Equipment and Methodological Support (MEMS) Strategic Plan to ensure an effective and sustainable MC&A system is implemented at Rosatom facilities. The strategic plan and O&M review have been developed and coordinated by Rosatom’s Russian MC&A Equipment and Methodologies (MEM) Working Group, with additional support and coordination from the MC&A Measurements Project under the U.S.-Russian Cooperative MPC&A Program.