CZECH REPUBLIC / NUCLEAR SAFETY

In the aftermath of Japan's nuclear accident, the international focus on improving safety at nuclear power plants is stronger than ever before. The IAEA's Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) programme brings together an international team of experts to conduct an in-depth review of the operational safety at a nuclear power plant. IAEA

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:52
• Production Date: 23 June 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY - IAEA
• Subject Topical: NUCLEAR SCIENCE
• Geographic Subject: CZECH REPUBLIC
• MAMS Id: U110623e

Description

STORY: CZECH REPUBLIC / NUCLEAR SAFETY
TRT: 1:52
SOURCE: IAEA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE:

DATELINE: 7 JUNE 2011, DUKOVANY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, CZECH REPUBLIC

Shotlist

1. Med shot, security access to plant
2. Various shots, Operational Safety Review Team inspecting plant
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Tomas Žák, Director, Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant:
“Nuclear energy is very important for the Czech Republic because more than 41 percent electricity is produced in nuclear power plant. It means that importance of nuclear is very high.”
4. Various shots, Main control room Unit 3
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Neil Henderson, Senior Safety Officer, International Atomic Energy Agency:
“The Member State that is hosting the OSRT mission benefits in two ways. They have, maybe, a dozen experts coming into the plant and there is a great exchange of information between the experts and plant personnel. And the plant gains a lot of information from that. And secondly, it also leaves the plant the review with some issues, recommendations and suggestions where the plant now reaches a good level of operational experience or better level of operational activities by looking at these issues and making sure they are addressed.”
6. Various shots, team meeting discussing the findings

Storyline

In the aftermath of Japan’s nuclear accident, the international focus on improving safety at nuclear power plants is stronger than ever before.

The responsibility for nuclear safety lies primarily with each individual country, but the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) acts as a hub for international cooperation, helping to establish safety standards and providing expert advice.

The Agency, earlier this month, sent an Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) to the Czech Republic for three weeks to conduct an in-depth review of the operational safety at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant.

According to the Plant’s Director Tomas Žák, 41 percent of electricity in the Czech Republic is produced by nuclear energy. “It means that importance of nuclear is very high,” he added.

An international team of OSART members were tasked with studying the operation of the plant and the performance of the plant’s management and staff focusing more on the human and organisational aspect of a nuclear power plant rather than the technology behind its operation.

While talking about the benefits of the programme, Senior Safety Officer Neil Henderson, who led the team, said the plant both gains a lot of information as well as “reaches a good level of operational experience or better level of operational activities.”

At the end of the Dukovany mission, the conclusions of the review were presented to the plant manager. These included notes on the “Good Practices” observed during the study and also recommendations and suggestions on issues that need to be addressed to improve safety at the plant.

Over 160 OSART missions have been carried out since the programme began in 1982 and, as a result, the OSART programme has provided advice and assistance to IAEA Member States to enhance the operational safety at their nuclear power plants.