Year
2018
Abstract
A cornerstone of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verification mission is the independent analysis of inspection samples by means of advanced laboratory capabilities. Analytical capabilities that are dedicated to the Department of Safeguards are housed in its Seibersdorf laboratory facilities, which were modernized from 2011 to 2015 as part of the project, “Enhancing the Capabilities of Safeguards Analytical Services”, which was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. The modernization of the Seibersdorf labs included the construction of a completely new nuclear material laboratory, an expanded mechanical workshop and an extension to the environmental sample laboratory. The IAEA also maintains a network of analytical laboratories (NWAL) which is operated and paid for by Member States and provides analytical services to the IAEA at nominal cost. The NWAL consists of 23 laboratories and supplies the IAEA with quality-confirmed analytical results on a routine basis, but also stands ready to react quickly to surges in sample requests, such as which came in December 2015, near the onset of implementation day for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. As the assurance of the quality of analytical results is imperative to the Department of Safeguards, a rigorous set of measures is taken by the Department of Safeguards to verify that every step of the sample process is under control, from the training of inspectors on correct sample taking, to the logistics of sample transport, to the handling of the samples in the labs, to the quality control of the measurement results, and finally to the reporting of measurement results for evaluation. The modernization of the IAEA’s own safeguards laboratories, together with the integration of services from its highly capable network of analytical laboratories, assures that the IAEA remains fully prepared to accomplish its sample verification objectives for years to come.