Employment

Department of Nuclear Safety and Security (NS)

Safety and Security Co-ordination Section (SSCS)

The Safety and Security Co-ordination Section (SSCS) is one of the three organizational units located in the Office of the Deputy Director General, Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. The mission of the SSCS is to ensure technical consistency and coordination between the IAEA's activities in the nuclear, radiation, transport and waste safety and nuclear security programmes. The Section comprises two units, the Safety Standards and Application Unit and the Programme and Policy Unit.

Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC)

The Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) is one of the three organizational units located in the Office of the Deputy Director General, Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. The IEC serves as the Agency's focal point for responding to nuclear or radiological incidents and emergencies and for strengthening Member States' emergency preparedness and response.

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Office of Nuclear Security (NSNS)

The Office of Nuclear Security (NSNS) is one of the three organizational units located in the Office of the Deputy Director General, Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. NSNS is responsible for coordinating and implementing the Agency's Nuclear Security Plan (2006-2009) to prevent, detect and respond to acts of nuclear terrorism and threats thereof. It is organized into three sections:

Information Management and Coordination Section
Prevention Section
Detection and Response to Malicious Acts

Information Management and Coordination Section

The Information Management and Coordination Section provides the information required for the planning, prioritization, coordination, monitoring and reporting that underpin the effective implementation of the IAEA's activities to assist Member States in meeting the obligations of a strengthened nuclear security regime. Mechanisms are provided to support the appropriate management of these activities and to provide for coordination and reporting functions. The Section is also responsible for collecting and analysing the information on illicit trafficking and other nuclear security related events required to assess needs, for compiling such data into consistent plans directing the implementation of security activities, and for coordination between Member States. Furthermore, it liaises with other international organizations and Member States to enhance cooperation and increase the outreach of nuclear security information.

Prevention Section

The Prevention Section focuses on physical protection and accountability of nuclear material and other radioactive material and associated facilities. These activities include the development of a framework for nuclear security, including the implementation of relevant international instruments and of recommendations and guidelines for physical protection, accounting and control of nuclear and other radioactive material. It also includes assistance to States with their implementation of the nuclear security framework. Activities include evaluation services, the provision of a comprehensive training programme, and methodology development. The Office of Nuclear Security organizes a large number of evaluation missions, training courses and workshops and convenes meetings with Member States' experts for the purpose of improving the methodology used and the nuclear security framework. The Section interacts with all other Agency Departments and with other international organizations.

Detection and Response to Malicious Acts Section

The Detection and Response to Malicious Acts Section provides assistance to Member States, upon request, in their efforts to establish the necessary infrastructure to combat illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive material. These activities include assisting States in their efforts to establish or strengthen capabilities for effective detection of radioactive material at borders and other locations, and their capabilities to respond to nuclear security incidents, should they occur, and also to establish or improve nuclear security at major public events. To address States' needs with respect to strengthening the second line of defence, the Section is responsible for organizing a large number of evaluation and advisory services, training courses and workshops, and for the provision of technical advice and support. In addition, it convenes meetings with Member States' experts aimed at further development of the methodology used and at development of the nuclear security framework, which includes recommendations and guidelines relevant to the detection and response activities. The Section interacts with organizational entities with all the other Agency Departments and with other international organizations.

Division of Nuclear Installation Safety (NSNI)

The Division of Nuclear Installation Safety (NSNI) is one of the two divisions in the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. The objective of the programme implemented by NSNI is to achieve and maintain a high level of safety of nuclear installations worldwide under design, construction or operation by: establishing standards of safety for the protection of health, including standards for nuclear power plants and other nuclear installations and facilities; and, providing for the application of these standards through, inter alia, support for the Agency's technical cooperation programme, the rendering of services, the promotion of education and training, the fostering of information exchange and the coordination of research and development. NSNI comprises six sections:

Policy and Programme Support Section
Engineering Safety Section
Operational Safety Section
Safety Assessment Section
Regulatory Activities Section
Research Reactor Safety Section

Policy and Programme Support Section

The Policy and Programme Support Section is responsible for supporting the Division Director in defining, designing and implementing the programme, projects and tasks that impact the Division as a whole. This includes the development and verification of Divisional policy and the implementation of special projects with cross-cutting impacts, above all in the areas of the management of safety standards, integrated safety evaluations, management systems, safety culture assessment and awareness, education and training, knowledge management and internal communications. Also, the Section supports the Convention on Nuclear Safety.

Engineering Safety Section

The Engineering Safety Section's main activities consist of nuclear facility site evaluation and assessment of the engineering safety of existing, evolutionary and innovative nuclear power plants (NPPs), including aspects related to the safe long term operation of existing NPPs. The Engineering Safety Section is also responsible for the preparation of the IAEA safety standards on the design and site evaluation of nuclear installations. Since 2001 the Section has also been taking an active role in the area of protection of nuclear installations against acts of sabotage.

Operational Safety Section

The Operational Safety Section's main aim is to enhance Member States' capabilities to manage and maintain a high level of safety in nuclear installations through operational safety review services. Also, it aims to improve operational safety in Member States through the use of IAEA safety standards and continuous self-assessment, and to make available to Member States good industry practices and performance in nuclear installations worldwide. The Section's objective is to strengthen the capability of Member States to enhance their operational safety performance through the use of operational experience feedback and corrective action programmes.

Safety Assessment Section

The Safety Assessment Section endeavours to increase the capability of Member States to achieve a high level of safety by: promoting the use of advanced safety assessment tools with enhanced integration of deterministic and probabilistic approaches and the use of safety performance indicators; and, strengthening quality assurance in nuclear safety.

Regulatory Activities Section

The Regulatory Activities Section supports the enhancement of effective regulatory infrastructures for nuclear safety in Member States. Its activities include safety review missions to Member States, the development and revision of safety standards, the maintenance of an incident reporting system service for nuclear power plants, and organization with respect to the Convention on Nuclear Safety.

Research Reactor Safety Section

The Research Reactor Safety Section implements Member States' decisions, as conveyed through the Board of Governors, to develop an international research reactor and fuel cycle facility safety enhancement plan and regime. Activities in this area include monitoring research reactors subject to project and supply agreements and assisting Member States possessing such reactors in fulfilling all the relevant safety obligations. The Section also covers a wide range of topics related to research reactor and fuel cycle facility safety, including siting, design, construction, commissioning, utilization and decommissioning.

The operating environment of the division is dynamic, participative and interactive with inputs received from the Board of Governors, the General Conference, policy- and decision-makers, and technical counterparts in Member States and the international development community.

Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety (NSRW)

The Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety (NSRW) is one of the two divisions in the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. NSRW develops and maintains standards for radiation protection, radioactive waste safety and safety in the transport of radioactive material that enable the beneficial uses of radiation to be exploited while ensuring appropriate protection of workers, the public and patients. It also assists Member States in the implementation of these standards and provides related services. NSRW comprises three sections:

Radiation Safety and Monitoring Section
Regulatory Infrastructure and Transport Safety Section
Waste and Environmental Safety Section

Radiation Safety and Monitoring Section

The Radiation Safety and Monitoring Section is responsible for the delineation of a global radiation safety regime to protect workers, patients and the public from all types of exposure to natural or artificial radiation, according to the most recent scientific knowledge and information. The Section is also responsible for the provision of radiation monitoring and protection services for staff members and experts who may be exposed to ionising radiation due to activities conducted by the IAEA.

Regulatory Infrastructure and Transport Safety Section

The Regulatory Infrastructure and Transport Safety Section is responsible for providing Member States with safety standards, guidance and tools to foster regulatory infrastructure for the control of radiation sources, for the safe transport of radioactive material and for managing information for the identification of needs in Member States that would be used to improve radiation, transport and waste safety.

Waste and Environmental Safety Section

The Waste and Environmental Safety Section is responsible for the delineation of a global waste safety regime to protect the public and the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation, based on the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, the development of safety standards for the management of all types of radioactive waste and the provisions for the application of the waste safety standards.

The operating environment of the division is dynamic, participative and interactive with continuous inputs received from internal and external technical counterparts in Member States, from other international organizations and from the international scientific community.

For more information, see Nuclear Safety and Security →