Nuclear and Radiological Source Security Culture Assessment of Radiation Users at an Academic Institution

Significant progress has been made globally to secure vulnerable nuclear materials. But, as threats constantly evolve, attention to nuclear security in non-nuclear material specific industries, such as academic institutions and medical facilities, has become increasingly important. To assess and evaluate nuclear security culture at an academic institution, a written survey and in-person interview were developed and conducted on radioactive material users. The survey consisted of a series of questions segregated into four categories: policy, enforcement, leadership, and behavior. The policy category focused on the participant’s awareness towards the academic institution’s policy, dissemination of information, and accountability towards adherence of procedures. The enforcement category pertained to the qualities of security control enforced, penalties assessed for non-compliance and the participant’s opinion towards reporting violations in the institution. The questions on leadership explored the participant’s beliefs on the frequency of inspection and walkthroughs performed by leaders, compliance on the secure use of radioactive materials, and effective communication on the importance of security at the workplace. The behavior category comprised of questions related to the participant’s attitude towards overall global threat, the difference between nuclear safety and security and the response preparedness of the institution to overcome a threat. Users were classified based on age group, work classification and radioactive material work experience. A series of eight nuclear security awareness questions formed a subset of the four nuclear security categories. Results showed that students and radioactive material users in the “20’s” age group possessed a greater degree of awareness towards nuclear security than faculty, other more experienced radioactive material users, and older age group individuals. The response from all three user classification groups emphasized the need to enhance threat response preparedness. The data also implied the need to facilitate effective communication between leaders (faculty and other staff members) and students for establishing a stronger nuclear security culture at the institution. Most of the survey outcomes were verified through in-person interviews. A customized education and training program, based on the level of experience with radioactive materials, was proposed as a form of corrective action to address gaps in nuclear security awareness at the academic institution.