Argonne | Nuclear Engineering Division | IAEA Programs | Training Courses

Training on Application of the Code of Conduct on the Safety of Research Reactors

7 - 11 December 2015

Deadline for Nominations: 1 October 2015

Introduction

The IAEA Board of Governors adopted the Code of Conduct on the Safety of Research Reactors (herein after, the Code) in March 2004. In the resolution GC (48)/RES/10.A.8, the General Conference endorsed the guidance in the Code and encouraged Member States to apply it to the management of research reactors. Further, the General Conference requested the Secretariat to continue to assist Member States in the implementation of the Code and associated safety guidance, within available resources. Since endorsement of the Code, the General Conference resolutions continued to endorse the principles and objectives of the Code. The General Conference resolutions GC (50)/RES/10 and GC (51)/RES/11 supported the recommendations of the 2005 Open-ended Meeting that periodic regional and international meetings be organized to discuss the application of the Code in Member States. Since 2005, numerous regional meetings have been conducted, along with three international meetings in 2008, 2011 and 2014. The most recent series of regional meetings held in 2012 and 2013 focused on regulatory supervision, safety reassessment with emphases on the feedback from the Fukushima-Daiichi accident, human factors in different phases of research reactor lifetime, core management and safety of experiments, the operational radiological protection programme, and decommissioning plans. The 2014 International Meeting recommended that the IAEA should continue to organize regional meetings and workshops on safety areas of common interest. It is in response to these recommendations that the IAEA is organizing the current regional workshop on application of the Code.

Objectives of the Workshop

The objective of the workshop is to provide the participating Member States with practical knowledge and information on the IAEA safety standards and guidance related to the application of the Code, to exchange experience and lessons learned, identify good practices in applying the Code and discuss further plans related to using the Code to enhance research reactor safety. The workshop will also discuss difficulties that may be encountered and regional or IAEA assistance needed to overcome these difficulties. The workshop will also discuss ways to further improve regional cooperation on research reactor safety on the basis of the Code.

Topics for the Workshop

The workshop will consist of lectures by IAEA representatives and guest expert lecturers on relevant IAEA safety standards, experience and good practices. Participants will be expected to make presentations on their national practices and experience related to application of the provisions of the Code, with emphasis on the workshop topics listed below. As a basis for discussion at the meeting, participants will be requested to complete a self-assessment questionnaire on application of the Code. (The questionnaires will be communicated by IAEA to the participants in preparation for the meeting.) These questionnaires are considered informal, submitted for the purpose of discussion and sharing of information in this meeting, and not considered as national reports.

The topics that are expected to be covered at this workshop include:
  • Experience in application of the Code of Conduct:
    • IAEA assessment of experience in application of the Code to date, including feedback from the regional and international meetings on application of the Code;
    • Current issues and trends in research reactor safety and the IAEA activities that address these issues;
    • Update on experience in Member States in effective application of the Code;
    • Proposals for activities to be conducted by Member States that involve application of the Code, including definition of actions to be implemented with the follow-up needed.
  • The status of safety reassessment of research reactors following the feedback from the accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant and progress in implementation of safety improvements resulting from the reassessment.
  • Operational radiation protection:
    • Experience in operational radiation protection in participating Member States;
    • Recommendations for enhancement of operational radiation protection programmes.
  • Waste management:
    • Experience in waste management in operation and decommissioning for research reactors in participating Member States;
    • Recommendations for enhancement of waste management in operation and decommissioning.