31 Jan (NucNet): Comprehensive nuclear safety assessments being carried out by the Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) are “generally consistent” with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safety standards, says a preliminary summary report published today by the Vienna-based agency.
A team of nuclear safety experts today completed a review of Japan’s two-stage process for assessing nuclear safety at the nation’s nuclear power plants. The team began its work on 23 January 2012 and delivered a preliminary summary report to Japanese officials today. The team plans to finish the final report by the end of February.
The preliminary report highlights a number of good practices and some areas for improvement.
It says emergency safety measures were “promptly addressed” in Japanese nuclear plants following the Fukushima-Daiichi accident on 11 March 2011.
The report adds that by observing European stress tests, NISA is showing its commitment to improving Japanese nuclear safety by gaining experience from other countries.
The report says NISA should use the experience it gains from the first few reviews to clarify its guidance for how nuclear power plants should carry out their comprehensive safety assessments and for how NISA should review those assessments.
In the second stage of assessment, there are areas that NISA could address more thoroughly, such as seismic safety margins and severe accident management.
The report says NISA should ensure that the second-stage assessments are completed, evaluated and confirmed by regulatory review “within an appropriate timeframe”.
National safety assessments and their peer review by the IAEA are a key component of the IAEA’s Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, which was approved by the agency’s 152 member states following the Fukushima-Daiichi accident.
