An international team of nuclear installation safety experts, led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has reviewed Slovakia´s Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) for its safety practices and has noted a series of good practices as well as recommendations to reinforce them.
The IAEA assembled an international team of experts at the request of the Government of Slovak Republic to conduct an Operational Safety Review (OSART) of Bohunice NPP. Under the leadership of the IAEA´s Division of Nuclear Installation Safety, the OSART team performed an in-depth operational safety review from 1 to 18 November 2010. The team was made up of experts from Belgium, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the IAEA.
An OSART mission is designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. It is not a regulatory inspection, nor is it a design review or a substitute for an exhaustive assessment of the plant´s overall safety status.
The team at BNPP conducted an in-depth review of the aspects essential to the safe operation of the NPP, which largely is under the control of the site management. The conclusions of the review are based on the IAEA´s Safety Standards and proven good international practices.
The review covered the areas of Management, Organization and Administration; Operations; Maintenance; Technical Support; Operating Experience; Radiation Protection; Chemistry and Emergency Planning and Preparedness. Long Term Operation assessment has been requested by the plant in addition to the standard OSART program.
The OSART team has identified good plant practices which will be shared with the rest of the nuclear industry for consideration of their application. Examples include:
- BNPP has implemented a comprehensive set of technical and organizational measures which have significantly reduced the production of liquid radioactive waste;
- BNPP has developed an automatic transfer of dosimetry data that enables both Bohunice and Mochovce sites to learn of workers doses in real time; and
- a strong independent nuclear safety oversight organization has been set up at the utility level to support the plants in term of safety analysis and assessment.
The team has made recommendations and suggestions related to areas where operational safety of Bohunice NPP could be improved. Examples include:
- Work clearances orders and communication procedures are not always implemented in a safe manner;
- identification and reporting of field deficiencies are not at the optimal level; and
- contamination control practices could be further improved.
BNPP management expressed a determination to address all the areas identified for improvement and requested the IAEA to schedule a follow-up mission in approximately 18 months.
The team handed over a draft of their recommendations, suggestions and good practices to the plant management in the form of "Technical Notes" for factual comments. The technical notes will be reviewed at IAEA headquarters including any comments from BNPP and the Slovak Regulatory Authority. The final report will be submitted to the Government of Slovak Republic within three months.
This was the 159th mission of the OSART programme, which began in 1982.
General information about OSART missions can be found on the IAEA website:OSART Missions.