Developing Better Practice in Security, Safeguards and Nuclear Materials Management across the NDA Estate

The biggest asset that the civil nuclear industry possesses is its people. Workforce experience, skills and competencies require proper knowledge management arrangements in order to harvest that knowledge for efficient delivery of the civil nuclear industry mission in the UK, now and for the future. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is a young organisation created to hold and manage the assets of the civil nuclear facilities formerly owned by British Nuclear Fuels and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. The NDA contracts out the operation of its nuclear sites and uses an assurance model to ensure that safety, security, safeguards and environment requirements are met; there is a healthy skills base; and that good practice is identified and shared to promote innovation and efficiency. This paper presents the work of NDA in the area of good practice sharing in security, safeguards and nuclear materials accountancy both for operations and for decommissioning. This work comes at a time of nuclear renaissance in the UK and there is a wider backdrop of new build driving a number of initiatives for better regulation, skills provision and training. Perfect timing for the formation of a UK chapter of the INMM.